From the Yosemite NP website as of 5/14/07: Number of incidents this year: 49 Number of incidents last year To date: 12 Total: 400 Total property damage this year is $8,522. So far this year, incidents are up 293% compared to the same time last year, but down 76% since 1998. Activity Update Bear activity slowed down this week, with no incidents occurring. We have observed bears in the campby Vince - General Discussion
Be careful with the whistles. There is a temptation to use it when you don't want to. Use one long burst from the whistle to scare the bear if you must. Chances are, if you are that close to a bear you'll end up scaring yourself more than you scare the bear. The idea is to keep the bears away. Three loud bursts is a universal sign that you are in trouble. Keep that in mind before you blow hot mby Vince - General Discussion
Having done it twice, I recommend leaving a little later, if you don't mind setting foot at Happy Isles around dusk. You probably will have the top of Half Dome and the cables pretty much to yourself. For me the hike is about 12 hrs round trip including a half hour of roaming around the top. A couple years ago I left at 8 a.m. and was back in the valley grocery store before it was dark, and onlyby Vince - General Discussion
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070511005536&newsLang=enby Vince - General Discussion
A couple years ago the Half Dome cables went up two days before the announced date. Tricky NPS... Nice photo eeek did you bring your rain coatby Vince - General Discussion
Ebbetts Pass/State Route 4 is also open.by Vince - General Discussion
You don't see this much in the "print" media: http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/may/10/paying-the-price-for-parks/by Vince - General Discussion
I didn't find the videos and photos of the hike to the top of Half Dome anywhere near the actual experience. First-hand written accounts are more useful and let your eyes do the walking.by Vince - General Discussion
Kewl! Now it'll take only 4 hrs to the valley instead of 6!by Vince - General Discussion
Perhaps because of the mild winter? Or did visitors suddenly have a sharp decrease in mentality? Here are the numbers: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bearfacts.htmby Vince - General Discussion
The display is at the dam itself. Might be worth the trip http://www.uniondemocrat.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=23408by Vince - General Discussion
SR 108 NO TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS ARE REPORTED FOR THIS AREA. IS CLOSED FROM 7.2 MI EAST OF STRAWBERRY TO 5.3 MI WEST OF THE JCT OF US 395 /SONORA PASS/ (TUOLUMNE,MONO CO's) 24 HRS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK UNTIL 5/9/07 - DUE TO CONSTRUCTION - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTEby Vince - General Discussion
Thanks! I won't be back in the valley till the cables go upby Vince - General Discussion
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA042907.01B.moonbows.331a49c.htmlby Vince - General Discussion
http://www.hikeofyourlife.com/yosefalls_album.htmlby Vince - General Discussion
A google search revealed this: http://trailgirl.blogspot.com/2007/04/todays-blog-is-in-memory-of-jennie.htmlby Vince - General Discussion
Condolences all around I would not go up Half Dome batman-style, especially just after a storm. Just not worth it. Thanks for the info eeekby Vince - General Discussion
Benchmark hunting is a hobby in itself. There are several atop Mt Whitney and along the whitney trail. Havent seen one atop half dome yet, thoughby Vince - General Discussion
http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/04/20/travel/escapes/20yosemite.html?ref=travelby Vince - General Discussion
http://www.fresnobee.com/371/story/42421.htmlby Vince - General Discussion
Heed the words. In Nov. 2000 I camped out along the Avenue of the Giants and stomped some trails along the northern coast. In Jan. 2001 I noticed my beautiful Live Oak in my front yard in Boulevard, CA, near the Mex. border, was developing blackness along one large branch, which happend to be the branch I was parking my car under. A couple weeks later the blackness turned into open sores. Hadby Vince - General Discussion
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/04/11/state/n114710D16.DTLby Vince - General Discussion
http://www.uniondemocrat.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=23150 I personally doubt a gate fee increase will make any impact one way or the other.by Vince - General Discussion
Kings Canyon opens usually third Friday in April. If you arrive that day you will find maybe 10 to 20 other campers in the entire area. It's my favorite time of the year to go there, most of the trails will be open for long distances and no annoying crowds (not that Kings Canyon is ever that crowded). There are over 400 campsites in Cedar Grove but they only open as needed. In late April they onby Vince - General Discussion
eeek I don't want to turn this web board into a politics flame war, but it is indeed an issue. Feinstein's dismissive attitude (hey we built it 80 years ago what's the big deal, et. al) further enflames attitudes everywhere. The answers are simple. Hetch Hetchy is a tiny lake inside a National Park, the existence of which was born directly from coons capitalizing on the Great Earthquake of 1906by Vince - General Discussion
Most roads in the Eastern Sierra are wide open up to about 9000 ft. I had no problem reaching Upper Twin Lake west of Bridgeport, the snow takes over about 5 miles east of Conway Summit about a half mile east of Virginia Lakes, and the road to Bodie has absolutely no snow on it whatsoever. I don't know what this latest storm will do but I don't think it'll affect conditions for too long, next weby Vince - General Discussion
Don't forget a little bit of hiking. The trails to Nevada Fall and to the top of Yosemite Falls will be open with little or no snow and they're both fairly easy hikes. Put your 2-year-old in a tote bag, bring extra water and stop every 50 yards for pictures. It's a no brainer! Please, please, please don't feed the squirrels. I was standing on the flat rock atop Vernal Fall last summer, crowdedby Vince - General Discussion
While you're in the Yosemite area.....the hill opens Saturday March 17 http://www.amadorcountychamber.com/Daffodil%20Hill.htm I'll be there 25th with a sibling in tow and maybe a friend or two from Sacramento regionby Vince - General Discussion
Unfortunately, dumb humans make bears a nuisance. But I've never had a problem with them, they are timid. The black bears, that is. I have asked rangers on several occasions if there is any thinking about repopulating the Sierra with Grizzly bears (which will not run away from humans), all I get are blank stares, either they don't know or won't admit or want to sneak it in under the radar. Not sby Vince - General Discussion
letterknit my blood is starting to boil. Feinstein's statement contains lies and misdirection. I might actually get involved in this instead of just yakking about it on blogs like this one.by Vince - General Discussion