I have long hoped campfires every morning and evening in Yosemite Valley would eventually be prohibited for the annoying reasons given and others. One of the issues I have staying in public campgrounds anywhere is it is extremely annoying trying to go to sleep after say 10pm when supposedly quiet hours begin, only to have neighboring campfire users continue to talk, laugh, play their music, andby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
Searching the web I wasn't able to find out anything about why the Sierra Club might be opposing bridges. Without knowing anything more, if it is just for apparently minor aesthetic reasons, such would be inconsiderate towards the mountain people whose livelihoods are being hurt by the situation. The whole canyon along the river lost its naturalness a century ago. So at best we have a beautifby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
http://www.davidsenesac.com/Mariposa_3-07/mariposa_3-07.html The highway was already open last spring per my above link. Its pretty rare for any snowfall below El Portal at 3k. And if it does, the land always has enough heat that it doesn't take long to melt off. I'll predict given the rainfall this winter that we ought to have an above normal crop of lower Merced River canyon wildflowersby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
I'm not at all surprised. Last winter the Central Sierra was fairly dry. Last summer though there were some minor periods of thunderstorm activity, it was generally lower than normal. Then late September and early October had a few small fronts come through that for the most part just moistened landscapes with very little runoff. Then the past several weeks have been bone dry. I've been tby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
The Merced like many other southern High Sierra rivers and creeks that include as part of their drainage basins elevations above 11,000 feet, often have areas of permanent snow and or small glaciers. Our 7.5 minute USGS topographic maps of those higher elevations show a great many of those snow fields. Thus those snowfields may provide a source of minimum flows even after the driest periods likby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
szalkowski >>>"If memory serves me correctly, a rigorous search of the records showed only six unprovoked Black bear attacks on humans in North America up to the time of his first edition. Unprovoked meaning excluding cases of a mother protecting her cubs or cases of gross human stupidity." What that doesn't state is the data base of official recordings of black bear attaby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
Not surprisingly they are common along streams below The Rockslides. Seen two good sized ones in the last few years. ...David http://www.davidsenesac.comby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
I use Camp 4 whenever in the valley during Sunday thru Thursday nights. But stay outside the park on the crowded weekends. Although each site can have multiple people assigned, the question is how many does a site have? If a site is totally vacant the answer is obvious. Thus most people choose a vacant site until doubling up becomes necessary. Without the park person in the kiosk who maintby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
The most expensive proposal is to build two bridges and a tunnel through the slope on the north side of the canyon. That idea ought to be rejected by we Sierra folks before it gets any serious traction. The reason is it would destroy what is annually in our spring time, the most extenside single hillside with poppies in the whole Merced River canyon. For those that are not familliar with anby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
The often heard excuse businesses make about American's not wanting to do this low end job or that has always sounded lame to my ears. The real problem is rather basic, pay is too low and thus not competitive. There are a lot of American corporations and businesses that refuse to pay anything but minimum wages and then whine about not being able to hire workers so "let's bring in more alby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
As expected I have to laugh that the responses reflect the same rigid mindset of the powers that might do something. Why should people feel like we are doing something against nature when we clear vegetation directly in front of major world class view points? No that would not be re-engineering the valley but less than ten feet from our own cement. At Valley View those alders are growing dby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
I'll be one making an email input for cutting down that young pine tree increasingly blocking the view to the east. Just like all those young alders that have sprung up after the 1997 flood, blocking the landscape in front of Valley View, park officials ought to spend a few seconds pragmatically taking a chain saw to such trees and be done with it. Afraid some rigid minded inconsiderate nut isby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
Despite the otherwise very dry winter, the fine February storms hath delivered a fine growth of spring splendor. California poppies have suddenly bloomed up with one of the best displays I've seen in years. Best areas are on the treeless open slopes near the South Fork confluence including along the easy to access well known Hite Cove Trail. http://www.davidsenesac.com/_a-z_evad/south_forby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
Interesting! If they had been there when I passed by mid day last Tuesday after the first of the two fronts dropped a foot of snow in the valley, they might be a bit more worried. As I was parked on the west end waiting for the green light, a slide occurred that caused a huge splash, maybe 30 feet high. From that position, I could not see the slope nor the river a quarter mile or so upstream,by DavidSenesac - General Discussion
eeek >>>"Having any trouble getting sheet film processed?" No never here in the SF Bay Area. I've used one of the best pro labs for many years.by DavidSenesac - General Discussion
Followed the progress of the storm in NWS discussions during the few days before it arrived and noted it would likely be the best chance this winter for one of those rare days of heavy snow on the valley floor with low low snow levels. Thus drove into the valley Tuesday midday after a foot or so had just fallen overnight with the first front then while tented at Camp 4, enjoyed the second frontby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
Generally speaking, many have always slept in their vehicles. In the past, especially those with vans or truck with camper conversions, station wagons, and RVs. My Subaru sedan back seats fold down. I use the passenger side folded down back seat as a location to sleep by fully stretching out with my head near the back of the passenger side front seat and my feet at the rear end of the trunkby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
fotograff, like the person that commented before, you mis-understand the intent of my statement to be a complaint that it is impacting my own photography. I'm speaking out on behalf of the public. The people that can't easily walk on logs or hop about on slippery river stones like I might. And my statement is not so much a complaint for photography but simply for people to be able to enjoyby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
Obviously given the tone of your statement you don't like something about my statements in the above post. Vince you are talking to the wrong person if you are trying to suggest I need to hike to find photographic viewpoints. Simply visit my website at the above link and you will find that there are few photographers that have backpacked or hiked in the Sierra Nevada as much as I have in thby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
Stopping at Valley View last week, I couldn't help but notice that several bushy white alders along the Merced River shore that had just been tiny shoots after the 1997 flood and subsequent new construction there have grown both upward and outward to the extent they increasingly block the views eastward at that heavily used viewpoint. When the Merced is high in late spring the level will be suby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
As eeeek wrote it be cold. I've fully dunked myself in Lower Cathedral Lake at the eastern granite "boardwalk" and can readily attest to that fact. In fact almost all the thousands of lakes and creeks in the High Sierra stay too cold for most people to stay in the water very long throughout the summer. When I say High Sierra I mean lakes above say 9k like the Cathedral's. I must aby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
I rarely have seen trout in the Merced though read somewhere years ago there were quite a lot found during a survey at least below Happy Isles. As a Sierra backpacker for three decades I've been pretty good at spotting fish so it's not that I just couldn't see them. What I have seen is a lot of suckers which are the endemic species. There are other Sierra rivers I've seen that tend to have fby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
Hello Folks, This is my first post here. I've never been a resident of the Yosemite area but have been visiting the park and area often for three decades. Normally I just use your site to pick up intertesting information however I had some expensive gear stolen in the park last week and thought it worthwhile to let you locals know what happened in the remote chance one of you sees my climbingby DavidSenesac - General Discussion