We hope 2017 is the year the California drought ends. We’re off to a good start with some storms giving us water and snow.

Stud Muffin dashed up to Yosemite last week to check on conditions and how Wawona was doing with all the water.

He took this at our favorite swimming hole in Wawona. It gets its name, Swinging Bridge, from the … well, from the swinging bridge that spans the river. This is the south fork of the Merced River in Yosemite on January 9, 2017.

The water roiling in the forefront covers the sandy beach where we park our gear. The torrent on the left is where we paddle around and swim and cool off in the summer.

This picture gives us hope!