Re: Rock Fall in Valley - July 1???

I just returned from a few days at Curry and last night (night of June 30/July 1), at 2:54 am, there was a HUGE crack (almost explosion like) followed by about 30 seconds of loud rumble of tumbling boulders that finally faded. It sounded like it came from the Glacier Point area. We nervously went back to sleep. The next morning, it was the talk of the village at the coffee bar, but not a single employee had any info. In fact, on the way out the Big Oak entrance, I stopped in and asked a ranger about it. He had not heard a word, and went back to the daily notes to see if he missed something....there was nothing mentioned. Any one hear anything about this?

Are you sure it wasn't just a very loud thunderclap echoing through the valley?

It happens. I've experienced a several of these in Curry Village, and not all of them make the daily report. If none of the cabins gets dinged, and no trees are knocked down, it's not considered a big deal.

I was there one time when one of the attached bathrooms on a wood cabin with bath was shattered in the night. That was a big deal.

Yes, it could be thunder, but you seldom get just one of those.

If it was a rockfall that was nearby, a careful scanning of the cliffs should have revealed a fresh scar (a very light shade of granite) at the location where the rock fall had occurred. Note that it probably would not be that big of a scar, so it wouldn't be obvious with just a quick look of the surrounding cliffs.

I am aware they are fairly common, but from the size of this sound (this one was certainly not thunder), it just sounded big! I have heard thunder plenty, and do a lot of backpacking so have heard my share. I had never heard this, however, but knew immediately what it was. And, having just seen Steve Bumgardner's "Nature Notes" presentation a few nights previous, I was a bit heightened to the potential. The initial "crack" and the first few following seconds were crazy loud. The valley was eerily silent after that, so I figured no one was tragically hurt or we would have heard more commotion. I did scan the face of Glacier a bit this morning and saw what could be some fresh spots, but hard to tell. I was just hoping that someone might have known what location it was because I thought I had narrowed it down as I carefully listened and thew my "radar" into action.

Oh, thanks for the replys, though. I appreciate it!

I was there and it was a rockfall. Huge thunder and unmistakable sound of rocks tumbling. I will never forget that sound!

yeah, it was pretty crazy. It made me think a lot about those who talk about hearing a tornado, and how it sounds like a freight train crashing through your house (even if it doesn't), and how they will never forget the sound. It was very clear, loud, and put you in that place where your senses are heightened and you are almost primal suddenly....listening and sensing the sounds and air around you. Pretty cool, and pretty scary as well. But, its also why we go out there....to be reminded that the world is still very much alive and we are very much just visitors on it. I can dig. I just hope I don't get dug!

We had a similar experience many years ago in Little Yosemite Valley at night. The initial crack was very loud followed by the fall of rocks and eventual crash onto the valley floor near the river. It came off the promontory below Starr King Lake. It's an awsome experience anytime day or night.