Re: Helipad

I recently discovered an earthquake/volcanic activity monitoring station along Wawona road. It's located approx. mid-way between the campground and mosquito creek crossing. Near that equipment is the remains of an abandoned helipad. Anyone know why it's there? It's so remote that, it seems if a copter was needed because of an emergency, the the golf course could be used instead.

I was just checking current status on that site this past Saturday. It was a lovely sunny morning and I’d just dropped the guys off to do a crazy day hike..

The area past the gate had toilet paper all over.. very annoying. The road looked rutted in a way that struck me as runoff. No obvious sign of tires/vehicles for some time. The pad is disused, worn and not maintained. I don’t know when they stopped using it, but yes, there are other much more convenient places closer to Wawona proper.

The seismic gear looked decently maintained.

Did not see the picnic table Chick-on says he saw in past. I felt like I’d been there before and saw it, but it was a vague memory, and I could have easily manufactured it from past experiences and stories from the guys.

Just had to comment, since I’d just been there on a whim this past weekend!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/2018 03:12PM by JustKeepWalking.

Picnic Table (2013)



Note there is also a helipad at Henness Ridge Lookout

Have fun

---

Didn't we go there once?

---

Old Dude

Quote
mrcondron
Didn't we go there once?

You did... and looking back when we went there later in 2013... the table was moved or gone...

Mar 2013


Nov 2013 w/OD

---

JKW request I postie her faux toe from last weekend:



Clever Girl!

---

So--- do we know why the helipad was there in the first place?

Not known by our little group. Bit of speculation last night. Haven’t tripped over definitive explanation yet..might be innone of the history books we read ages ago and forgot. But don’t have access to easily right now... Anyone??

video: https://youtu.be/IClKKCKIhJc



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/01/2018 04:43AM by qumqats.

I don't know the history of that area but -- any chance that the helipad had something to do with some past firefighting effort?

I'm thinking of some other fire (can't remember which one, maybe Dog Rock or El Portal) when helicopters were operating from somewhere in... the Crane Flat area?

There is an operational Fire Lookout and helipad and training gear at Crane Flat Lookout. It’s a rather large facility with a much larger helipad area. I have a video of a copter firing up and taking off..

And speaking of helipads... that cleared area across from Church Bowl parking, where the huge “No Parking” hashed area is, is an active helipad. People should not park there. They should not set up badminton nets for games, etc. only two of the things I saw recently there..

I have video of a landing there too.. I seem to be accidentally collecting copter videos. Sigh.

Quote
JustKeepWalking
And speaking of helipads... that cleared area across from Church Bowl parking, where the huge “No Parking” hashed area is, is an active helipad. People should not park there. They should not set up badminton nets for games, etc. only two of the things I saw recently there..

I have video of a landing there too.. I seem to be accidentally collecting copter videos. Sigh.

I've seen helicopters in that part of Ahwahnee Meadow several times. Among other things, isn't that the preferred site for transferring medevacuees to ground transportation?

After Obama's 2016 visit I noticed a closely-mowed path from the striped area to where a helicopter would set down. I was wondering what the purpose was. So the red carpet (if they used one) would lie flat? So the Secret Service could check for lurking snakes, rodents and other threats?

I’d say the mowed area is important for that said transfer from Heli to ground transport. Clear area to move about in.

A couple of weeks ago, the landing I saw happened when there was a SAR vehicle there (hashed No Parking zone) with two peeps rigged in harnesses. And two more walked up. And there were two in copter when it landed. It took off again and was searching around Yos Falls as I drove out.. sigh..

Think they were looking for the man, forgot his name*, but he is still on poster at entrance stations, which doesn’t bode well.

* Max. Sorry, been spotty in keeping up (lots of no internet days). I see the report was posted here in different thread.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/22/2018 08:42AM by JustKeepWalking.