The Lower Yosemite Fall Trail is closed until further notice due to Frazil Ice flowing over the bridge and trails.
The 4 Mile Trail is temporarily closed due to a fault in the high voltage power line which runs up the trail corridor. Park Utilities Staff are evaluating to determine if there are any live wires on the ground.
The Moon is Waxing Gibbous (79% of Full)
Re: Trail Closures
All posts are those of the individual authors and the owner
of this site does not endorse them. Content should be considered opinion
and not fact until verified independently.
January 25, 2017 11:38AM |
January 29, 2017 02:37PM |
I was on the Lower Yosemite Fall Trail a few days ago and got some pictures. The features at the former Picasa (now Google Photos) seem to work differently from before so I'm not sure if these links will work right.
I went up the east branch of the LYFT. The trail had been packed by several people walking on it but not otherwise cleared of snow. There were no closure signs at Northside Drive, only some yellow tape in a couple of places where there were obvious hazards.
I eventually came to a closed bridge surrounded by a huge snow buildup. The ranger who gently chased me away said it was "snow" from the waterfall, similar to the "snow cone" that forms around the Upper Fall. The creek was running through what looked like a narrow channel through the snow and over the top of the bridge.
Here's a detail view of the running water:
A few days later I went up the west branch of the LYFT. That part of the trail appeared to have been plowed mostly clear of snow and there were quite a few people on it. I came to another footbridge with water running over it and opted not to go any farther:
It's entirely possible that something has gone wrong with the electrical line up to Glacier Point. The last time I checked the Sentinel Dome webcam, it was showing an image from a week ago. That may well be an additional reason for closing the Four Mile Trail but it was already closed due to snow accumulation and expected to stay that way. From a description that a volunteer at the Visitor Center info desk gave me, large parts of the trail are completely covered with snow to the point that you can't distinguish where the trail runs and are in danger of avalanching down the slope. This picture shows the FMT area slightly above the halfway point. I probably have a summer view (somewhere) to compare it to:
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/2017 02:38PM by gophersnake.
I went up the east branch of the LYFT. The trail had been packed by several people walking on it but not otherwise cleared of snow. There were no closure signs at Northside Drive, only some yellow tape in a couple of places where there were obvious hazards.
I eventually came to a closed bridge surrounded by a huge snow buildup. The ranger who gently chased me away said it was "snow" from the waterfall, similar to the "snow cone" that forms around the Upper Fall. The creek was running through what looked like a narrow channel through the snow and over the top of the bridge.
Here's a detail view of the running water:
A few days later I went up the west branch of the LYFT. That part of the trail appeared to have been plowed mostly clear of snow and there were quite a few people on it. I came to another footbridge with water running over it and opted not to go any farther:
It's entirely possible that something has gone wrong with the electrical line up to Glacier Point. The last time I checked the Sentinel Dome webcam, it was showing an image from a week ago. That may well be an additional reason for closing the Four Mile Trail but it was already closed due to snow accumulation and expected to stay that way. From a description that a volunteer at the Visitor Center info desk gave me, large parts of the trail are completely covered with snow to the point that you can't distinguish where the trail runs and are in danger of avalanching down the slope. This picture shows the FMT area slightly above the halfway point. I probably have a summer view (somewhere) to compare it to:
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/2017 02:38PM by gophersnake.
January 29, 2017 06:01PM |
One "summer view" coming up! 
This is part of a photo taken a few years ago -- but from Columbia Rock, not from the valley floor, so the perspective is a little different. The red zigzag shows where the Four Mile Trail runs through the area of the snow picture.
Here's the larger photo that it was cropped from, without the red zigzag but with the area marked:
Here's the part of the trail that I'm talking about...
...and how it's oriented when you're looking from the direction of Columbia Rock:
-------- Edited to add --------
I found one more "summer" view of that part of the trail, only it wasn't taken in summer. It's from January, 2014 when there was hardly any snow on the ground. I took it from the UYFT, about 3/4 of the way up to Columbia Rock, so once again the perspective is a little different.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/2017 08:28PM by gophersnake.
This is part of a photo taken a few years ago -- but from Columbia Rock, not from the valley floor, so the perspective is a little different. The red zigzag shows where the Four Mile Trail runs through the area of the snow picture.
Here's the larger photo that it was cropped from, without the red zigzag but with the area marked:
Here's the part of the trail that I'm talking about...
...and how it's oriented when you're looking from the direction of Columbia Rock:
-------- Edited to add --------
I found one more "summer" view of that part of the trail, only it wasn't taken in summer. It's from January, 2014 when there was hardly any snow on the ground. I took it from the UYFT, about 3/4 of the way up to Columbia Rock, so once again the perspective is a little different.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/2017 08:28PM by gophersnake.
February 01, 2017 12:51PM |
February 02, 2017 01:38PM |
Aramark should rename the snow cones they sell at their concession stands in the summer to Frazel Cones™. 
Leave No Trace
Leave No Trace
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
