Re: Closures in Yosemite?

Does anyone have any information on the closures that are in the news today? Due to potential rock-fall activity, 18 cabins/tents in Curry Village, and some campsites in Camp 4 (near El Capitan) have been closed? I also saw an unconfirmed blurb that "parts" of Glacier Point were closed, as of today.

See Eeek's post from earlier today. That'll explain everything.

They are not "closures" because Yosemite is about to cave in. These buildings, and tents, are too close to the cliff. Some have already been hit, several times, by rocks. For public safety these buildings are being removed and the area allowed to go back to it's natural condition. Remember, this is what Yosemite does - it falls down. That's part of how these magnificant cliffs were formed. This is a natural process and one we need to protect ourselves from. Last year a DNC employee was crushed to death by a large rock falling on his tent cabin. By removing these structures and a few other things, the risk of a rockfall on a building will be reduced by almost 95%. There's a report that explains the whole thing. I'll try and find the URL for it.

Again, Yosemite is not in any danger of caving in. This is just a precaution that is overdue. The rocks above these buildings could fall tomorrow - or a thousand years from now. No one knows when.

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Dave
Last year a DNC employee was crushed to death by a large rock falling on his tent cabin.

Link please?

It wasn't a rock, it was a tree.

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QITNL
It wasn't a rock, it was a tree.

You're probably right. I do remember a few years back that a rockfall did smash several tent cabins that were used for DNC housing. http://www.yosemitearea.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-5629.html

Actually it was this year:
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,50590

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QITNL

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Dave
Last year a DNC employee was crushed to death by a large rock falling on his tent cabin.

Link please?

It wasn't a rock, it was a tree.

Using the logic of the Park Service, then they ought to remove all housing and lodging that is located next to trees. Can't risk anyone being hurt or worse when the next tree gets blown down by wind or the weight of snow onto someone's overnight accommodations. For extra safety they ought to move all the campgrounds out into the meadows too.
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I know you're joking, but there's some reasonable logic, science and risk assessment in the link Eeek posted:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/rockfall.htm
and even more in their first link under Learn More, which has a lot of interesting information:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/upload/Quantitative-rock-fall-hazard-and-risk-assessment-for-Yosemite-Valley-April-2012.pdf
It's a very good read.

Greg Stock is a NPS/YNP geologist and posts some good stuff on the SuperTopo forum. If we could elevate the discussion a little, we could probably get him to chime in here.

I read that report, but unless I somehow missed it somewhere, there's no comparative statistics about getting injured or dying from a rock fall in Yosemite Valley versus other natural hazards including getting injured or killed by a falling tree. Falling trees are indeed serious hazards especially trees situated near where people sleep.

I am curious to know what are the comparative risks between being hit by a rock during a rockfall or being hit by a tree, especially when one's asleep, in Yosemite Valley.

Has the Park Service done any risk assessment studies that include all the natural hazards one might be exposed to in Yosemite Valley?
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