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Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls

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avatar Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 07, 2010 10:07AM
The Westernmost section of the bridges at Wapama got taken out during the last big dump a couple of weeks ago. This is the section that was added to replace the section that was destroyed by massive rock fall during the big storm of January 1997.

It's hard to say if water took this section out or if a boulder knocked it loose. It is over a waterway that gets only a small portion of the total flow from Falls Creek and I can't see just water doing this especially since I'm sure the 10 plus years of spring runoff has had water flows equal to the storm that took it out this time.

During the time prior to the replacement of the washed section in 97 hikers were allowed to do a little scrambling and continue on to Rancheria and maybe on to Table Lake. This time the trail is closed. There isn't an easy way to scramble this time but it would be very easy to have a trail crew move a couple of rocks and make a doable route. Maybe later, but hopefully before a new section is installed which could be a year of two. On the plus side, the bears in the Rancheria area will get weaned of backpacker food.






Old Dude
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Louis
Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 07, 2010 10:21AM
Definitely looks like something other than water did that.
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 07, 2010 11:27AM
Quote
Louis
Definitely looks like something other than water did that.

... unless it was a rogue iceberg.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/2010 11:30AM by szalkowski.
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 07, 2010 02:05PM
Why wouldn't it be water? It's the same sections as last time.
Very little of the snow that was dumped a few weeks ago remains.
The "5-year" flood prob. sent an incredible amount of water down Falls Creek.

How high was the reservoir? Kolana is calling...


Chick-on is looking at you!
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 07, 2010 02:13PM
Chick-on. Water could have sent a boulder into it jarring it loose and then the water would have upended it. Could also be that the large boulder being used as a support shifted allowing the water to get a grip on it. I just don't see water flow from the creek at that area being high enough to lift the bridge unless there was a major redirection of the flow. Even now the only water is flowing down the normally flowing area under the more eastern bridge.


Old Dude
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 07, 2010 05:55PM
Quote
mrcondron
Chick-on. Water could have sent a boulder into it jarring it loose and then the water would have upended it. Could also be that the large boulder being used as a support shifted allowing the water to get a grip on it. I just don't see water flow from the creek at that area being high enough to lift the bridge unless there was a major redirection of the flow. Even now the only water is flowing down the normally flowing area under the more eastern bridge.

So it was water....

The water flow was incredibly higher than what it is when you went Sat.
I'll try to find the stream flow data to show just how much it differed from now
to when approx. this even occurred.
I'm not sure people understand how powerful water can be.


Chick-on is looking at you!
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 07, 2010 09:06PM
Quote
chick-on
Quote
mrcondron
Chick-on. Water could have sent a boulder into it jarring it loose and then the water would have upended it. Could also be that the large boulder being used as a support shifted allowing the water to get a grip on it. I just don't see water flow from the creek at that area being high enough to lift the bridge unless there was a major redirection of the flow. Even now the only water is flowing down the normally flowing area under the more eastern bridge.

So it was water....

The water flow was incredibly higher than what it is when you went Sat.
I'll try to find the stream flow data to show just how much it differed from now
to when approx. this even occurred.
I'm not sure people understand how powerful water can be.

It wasn't incredibly higher.... it was ridonkulously higher!

Happy Isles:


Early Intake:


You can get data here:
http://water.usgs.gov/


Chick-on is looking at you!
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 07, 2010 09:29PM
Springtime flows are usually a lot higher.




Old Dude
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 08, 2010 06:35AM
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mrcondron
Springtime flows are usually a lot higher.

Sure. My main point was that it certainly didn't look like what it did when you were there
on Saturday. All the rivers went way da heck up the previous week. Way up.
A huge amount o water came down very quickly. The bridge was compromised in some
way and water did the final deed.
Perhaps it would have happened in the spring instead of now if the snow would have stuck.


Chick-on is looking at you!
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 07, 2010 03:02PM
I think we should contact these CSI guys (peekture below) and ask them to find out what really happened... hey, could be a new episode of some sort that could branch off into another novel show like CSI Yosemite one day.

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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 07, 2010 03:18PM
And after that you can get your delusions treated:



Rolling on floor laugh
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 08, 2010 09:19AM
"Thirteen" is no longer in the picture.
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Louis
Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 08, 2010 09:41AM
Maybe it was a swarm of late season mosquitos. They seem big enough to move anything.
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 11, 2010 01:31PM
Mystery solved:
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 11, 2010 05:05PM
Quote
bill-e-g
Mystery solved:



Chick-on, Son of Rodan
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodan )





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/2010 05:14PM by szalkowski.
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 11, 2010 05:12PM
Quote
szalkowski
Quote
bill-e-g
Mystery solved:

Chick-on, Son of Rodan
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodan )

You sure it isn't Chick-On Boo?


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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 11, 2010 05:40PM
Tell me this isn't real, please!


Old Dude
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 11, 2010 06:05PM
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mrcondron
Tell me this isn't real, please!

What is reality?
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 12, 2010 05:57AM
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mrcondron
Tell me this isn't real, please!

This isn't real, please!
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AlmostThere
Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 12, 2010 07:36AM
It's a real cartoon. I remember it - part of the Animaniacs show.

Not a real chicken, tho. smiling smiley
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 12, 2010 07:04AM
That was awesome!

Chick-on is looking at you!Fireball


Chick-on is looking at you!
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 14, 2010 10:12PM
I posted this story to my Facebook and one of my dearly-loved-but-kinda-jerky friends posted "I don't really consider the *trail* around Hetch Hetchy "hiking".

Whatever. I like hiking "around" Hetch Hetchy, what little I've done. And I imagine that the further back you go, the nicer it gets. I really do hope they fix the trail enough to do some light scrambling through there. I was really hoping to making it out to the Rancheria campsite next spring/summer.
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 15, 2010 06:51AM
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itchbay
I posted this story to my Facebook and one of my dearly-loved-but-kinda-jerky friends posted "I don't really consider the *trail* around Hetch Hetchy "hiking".

Whatever. I like hiking "around" Hetch Hetchy, what little I've done. And I imagine that the further back you go, the nicer it gets. I really do hope they fix the trail enough to do some light scrambling through there. I was really hoping to making it out to the Rancheria campsite next spring/summer.

Sounds like your friend is clueless. Rancheria itself is a fairly simple hike, not tooooo difficult...
but... take ur friend up past Beehive or up and over Rancheria Mtn. and he'll change his tune.
Many moons ago there was a early storm a coming so they dumped all the peeps that
were going to go to TM down at HH. Mikey and I went to Laurel that weekend and the
amount of peep shrapnel along the trail was hilarious. Even before the pond there were
at least 3 groups. And then around the pond it was ... wtf!

Re. the bridge. I wouldn't count on it being put back up until late summer.


Chick-on is looking at you!
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 15, 2010 10:08AM
I'll grant your friend this; hiking from your car across the dam to the tunnel isn't much of a hike. Hiking/walking to Wapama Falls isn't a stretch. However going on to Rancheria Falls gets a little more on the "hike" side as it is about seven miles and has some pretty good elevation change.
Actually hiking "around the lake" is about 45 miles and has some up and downs of over 4.5K Feet.
This map follows trails. There isn't a lot ,if any, cross country available to shorten the route. It goes from the dam to Rancheria Creek, past Rancheria Mountain, through Pleasant Valley, past Table Lake, down into Pate Valley, up to Harden Lake, west to Smith Meadow, down to the road, and finally back to the BB campground at the dam. A great five day hike for late summer or early fall when it's not so hot and the water is down.






Old Dude



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/2010 10:09AM by mrcondron.
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
December 17, 2010 11:39PM
Quote
itchbay
I posted this story to my Facebook and one of my dearly-loved-but-kinda-jerky friends posted "I don't really consider the *trail* around Hetch Hetchy "hiking".
.

Yeah,yeah,yeah.....I have heard this over and over from tried 'n' true rock jocks, peak baggers, and other folks in too damn much of a hurry to notice the little things other than the crumbling scree below their feet, or the angry granite mocking them from above. I have seen more wildlife/wildlife evidence (deer,snakes,bear,raptors,) around Hetch Hetchy, than any other trail group I have explored (granite, the list is not loooooong)


The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 19, 2010 05:04PM
I think they've been doing some work on it. The two sections that are out now a steel i-beam on each. Quite passable and the falls are roaring.
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hotrod4x5
Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 20, 2010 05:39AM
Quote
eeek
I think they've been doing some work on it. The two sections that are out now a steel i-beam on each. Quite passable and the falls are roaring.
Is it slippery?

Is this a trip you can do in winter? I've never hiked much beyond the dam in HH and would love to see these falls on my trip next month.
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 20, 2010 11:06AM
The road to the dam is open all year for the tender although there may be days when it is closed to the public due to snow or ice. The trail to the falls is a pretty straight forward five mile round trip from the dam with just some minor elevation changes. In the dead of winter I would have micro spikes and poles in the event of icy places on the trail. The trail faces south and is pretty much exposed to the sun and is just barely at 4000' so there isn't much snow accumulation.


Old Dude
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 20, 2010 03:01PM
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hotrod4x5
Is it slippery?

It wasn't yesterday. Today it probably is.

Quote

Is this a trip you can do in winter? I've never hiked much beyond the dam in HH and would love to see these falls on my trip next month.

It's about 5 miles round trip and you should be able to do it in winter.
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 20, 2010 03:17PM
I've crossed worse:


http://yosemitephotos.net/main.php/v/yosemite/cm-dsc_0169.jpg.html
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hotrod4x5
Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 20, 2010 04:25PM
Quote
eeek
I've crossed worse:


http://yosemitephotos.net/main.php/v/yosemite/cm-dsc_0169.jpg.html
This is what it looks like at the moment?
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 20, 2010 04:33PM
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hotrod4x5
This is what it looks like at the moment?

Not sure of what it looks like today. winking smiley The photo is from yesterday.
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
December 12, 2010 09:01AM
Here's for the naysayers wrt to the water taking the bridge out:

From yesterday. Dec 10, 2010.
Note that the bridges taken out of the lowest sections...

Soooo disappointed at the amount of snow that is melting.
The falls in the valley have to be screaming now too.
Above the switchers at HH there isn't much snow left... wondering if
Lake Vernon is even going to be frozen over for our xmass trip
out to it...








Chick-on is looking at you!
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hotrod4x5
Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
December 12, 2010 09:13AM
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chick-on
Soooo disappointed at the amount of snow that is melting.
Me too! Was looking forward to some snowshoeing next week (a week from tomorrow), now who knows?

I wonder if a storm is predicted... ?
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
December 12, 2010 02:21PM
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hotrod4x5
I wonder if a storm is predicted... ?

One is predicted for Friday and Saturday.
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hotrod4x5
Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
December 12, 2010 02:49PM
Quote
eeek
Quote
hotrod4x5
I wonder if a storm is predicted... ?

One is predicted for Friday and Saturday.

If we can believe this http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=yosemite%20national%20park&wuSelect=WEATHER snow will start Tuesday at 6,000 feet.
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
December 12, 2010 03:17PM
NOAA says:

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 32. Southeast wind around 6 mph.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 50. South southwest wind between 5 and 8 mph.

Monday Night: A chance of rain and snow after 4am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 32. South southwest wind between 8 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Tuesday: Rain and snow likely, mainly after 10am. Snow level 6100 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43. Southwest wind between 11 and 16 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Tuesday Night: Rain and snow likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. West southwest wind between 7 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 7 inches possible.

Wednesday: A chance of rain and snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 45. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 19.

Thursday: A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 46.

Thursday Night: A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22.

Friday: Rain and snow likely. Cloudy, with a high near 46.

Friday Night: Rain and snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 23.

Saturday: Rain and snow likely. Cloudy and breezy, with a high near 43.

Saturday Night: Rain and snow. Snow level 6100 feet. Cloudy, with a low around 21.

Sunday: Rain and snow likely. Cloudy, with a high near 44.
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
December 12, 2010 07:49PM
Quote
chick-on
Here's for the naysayers wrt to the water taking the bridge out:




Silly Chick-on Chicken,
Why do you think that we named it Whomp-a Falls?
(DarlingLittleEars-ily Yours)
The Marmots



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/2010 07:56PM by szalkowski.
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 21, 2010 08:25AM
Reminds me of Big Basin / Skyline to the Sea trail.

Any other pictures of the work? Makes sense they would try to get it back up
before spring... but surprised nonetheless.


Chick-on is looking at you!
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 21, 2010 10:08AM
Quote
chick-on
Any other pictures of the work? Makes sense they would try to get it back up
before spring... but surprised nonetheless.


http://yosemitephotos.net/main.php/v/yosemite/cm-dsc_0166.jpg.html


http://yosemitephotos.net/main.php/v/yosemite/sh-dsc_0167.jpg.html


http://yosemitephotos.net/main.php/v/yosemite/cm-dsc_0179.jpg.html
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 21, 2010 06:05PM
Thanks for the photos. Dunno if I'd classify that as work.
Were there peeps actually working on the bridge? Materials there?

Also kinda does look like there is drift wood pieces on the bridge
which indicates that the water did get up that high...

I thought they quit working on trails before now... but I've seen a lot
of in progress stuff recently.. i.e. trail to Mirror Lake... JMT trail
where the gate is to Vernal / Mist.
One other note... they did a GREAT job by Columbia Rock...
reworking it nicely and ensuring the bozos will stay on the
flipping trail there.


Chick-on is looking at you!
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 21, 2010 08:18PM
Quote
chick-on
Thanks for the photos. Dunno if I'd classify that as work.
Were there peeps actually working on the bridge? Materials there?

The OD said the beams weren't up when he was there. That has to be real work.

Quote

Also kinda does look like there is drift wood pieces on the bridge
which indicates that the water did get up that high...

I suspect the high water pushed the i-beams off the pillars.

Quote

I thought they quit working on trails before now... but I've seen a lot
of in progress stuff recently.. i.e. trail to Mirror Lake... JMT trail
where the gate is to Vernal / Mist.

Might be stimulus funds.
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 20, 2010 04:06PM
That hike around HH looks really interesting. Maybe that could be our build-up-to-it backpacking trip.
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avatar Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
November 21, 2010 08:35AM
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itchbay
That hike around HH looks really interesting. Maybe that could be our build-up-to-it backpacking trip.

Itchy,
Uh... uh... if you are talking the loop that old dude drew above... that is not a
build-up-to-it backpacking trip. I can explain in detail if you like...
but I'll just say that if you compare this loop to the Rae Lakes loop...
Rae Lakes is easier IMO. There's a large number of easier trips in Yose to
get ur feets wet...


Chick-on is looking at you!
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hikerchick395
Re: Pictures of Bridge Out at Wapama Falls
December 13, 2010 10:30AM
Thanks for all of the photos...

Looking at mrcondron's graph...I crossed the same bridge that first week of June. When crossing, a surge of water from the falls ripped my video camera from my grasp and into Hetch Hetchy. Nobody's seen a purple fleece covered Canon videocam between the bridge and reservoir, eh? Ha, the only way that would be possible is that it was wedged between rocks....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2010 10:31AM by hikerchick395.
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