Wild for the Yuba

From movies to public murals, the Yuba River is intertwined in our region’s culture. Here are some examples:

PRELUDE FOR YUBA SALMON
Music in the Mountains’ Young Composers Project teamed with the Sierra Streams Institute and focused on the plight of the salmon and their importance to the Yuba watershed. The curriculum included both lab and field work. The project culminated in an orchestral composition. River Music, the documentary about the Young Composers’ study, is now on public television stations around the country. MusicintheMountains.org

THE PRACTICE OF THE WILD
This film follows poet and naturalist Gary Snyder—whose home is near the Yuba—and novelist Jim Harrison (Dalva, Legends of the Fall), as the two old friends wander along trails of the central California coast. They debate the pros and cons of everything from Google to Zen koans. WholeEarthFilms.com

THE CHRISTMAS CARD
The popular Hallmark movie The Christmas Card was filmed at the “49 Crossing” of the South Yuba River, among other locales. The couple in the movie (Sgt. Cody Cullen and Faith Spelman) kissed down by the river. Hallmark airs the movie each Christmas season. HallmarkChannel.com

WHITEWATER
A song from world-renowned fiddler Alasdair Fraser that is dedicated to the beauty and strength of the Yuba River, which flows near Fraser’s home. He also runs a popular fiddle camp on the San Juan Ridge.

“MINE SHIFT” MURAL
This public mural by trompe l’oeil artist John Pugh is at the Del Oro Theatre in down- town Grass Valley. “By placing the Yuba River into a different context—a subterranean light well—it creates fresh perspective, the new discovery of an ageless trove,” according to the artist.

YUBA BLUE CLOTHING
Yuba Blue offers a unique shopping experience in historic, downtown Grass Valley. It was founded in 1995. In 2009, the mother-daughter owners doubled the size of Yuba Blue to 5000 square feet. YubaBlueonline.com

YUBANET.COM
Covers daily news about the Sierra. Newsroom overlooks the Yuba near Nevada City. YubaNet.com

(Photo: Kial James)