Yosemite takes steps to protect sequoias from fire GROVELAND, Calif. (AP) — Fire crews are clearing brush and setting sprinklers to protect two groves of giant sequoias as a massive week-old wildfire rages along the remote northwest edge of Yosemite National Park. The iconic trees can resist fire, but dry conditions and heavy brush are forcing park officials to take extra precautions in tby Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The view from Main St., Groveland (24/8/13 Edit: Photo taken earlier in the week; fire has since moved in northeastern direction):by Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The cloud was perfectly visible from Sacramento, today, so given that the bridge is elevated enough to see over obstacles, you probably saw it, too. You can also see the trail of smoke drifting north. Otherwise, the ridge was clear of any other atmospheric activity (just a couple of days ago, Soda Springs was experiencing extreme thundershowers)by Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Gov. Brown Declares "State of Emergency" in Fight Against Rim Fire Near Yosemite With the Rim Fire burning near Yosemite National Park at near lightning speeds, the number of evacuations grew on Thursday, as did the number of acres of forest - the size of the fire nearly tripled in a day's time, sparking an urgent "state of emergency" plea. Thursday afternoon, Californiaby Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Update: Rim Fire spreads to over 53,866 acres The Rim Fire in Tuolumne County continues to rage out of control. As of Thursday morning, the 5-day-old wildfire has charred 16,228 acres west of Yosemite National Park. Several communities have been evacuated and a stretch of Highway 120, the main artery into the park, has been closed. Nearly 1,356 firefighters from across the state, includby Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
BP, Thank you very much for taking the time to elaborate on this wonderful project. I know that based on watching other people's reactions to groups of young folk, that they are not always well received. I cannot say enough about programs such as AWE that take young people out of their comfortable environment -- distractions apon distractions -- and teaches them to get to know their world, theby Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Kewel! I would love to hear more about the program (imagine that there might bee some life-long back packers created on that trip)by Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The Athenian School ~ Athenian Wilderness Experience (AWE) sounds pretty impressive, actually. Perhaps their program emphasizes the experience of getting there, rather than getting there "fast".by Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Erratics come in all sizes; I have seen many that were small enough to pick up. Yes, I suppose that we can set aside non-wilderness type areas -- the ones that have already lost their luster due to traffic, accessability, etc.-- for creative expression. A slippery-slope at best. As for the future 'potential' for rock-stackers? It's all in the attitude.by Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteOhnivy-Drak Some of those cairns can be helpful & reassuring, at times. But I don't go looking for them, and I probably don't even see most of them. I don't build them either. There are much worse things to be worried or pissed about. I'd say drivers that keep their high beams on, don't signal when making lane changes, tailgate, and speed through certain areas w/o regard for bears,by Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
It broke my heart when I read that Dana was becoming an "official" trailby Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteTechieSteve What are people's thoughts on trail markers like that? Part of me wishes they weren't there. Steve I believe that they -- the useless type of cairns -- are part of the pitiful reaction to today's social anonymity (no need to call, you can always text...no need to meet up, you can skype...etc) They are much like the ever expanding graffiti problem in the cities "Hey! Lookby Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotemrcondron Quoteplawrence Some species of mammals vary widely in shape, color and size. Just look at us modern humans (Homo sapiens sapiens), or look at man's best friend, the domesticated dog (Canis lupus familiaris) which is actually a sub-species of the gray wolf (Canis lupus). Both humans and dogs very wildly in size, color and features, yet all of us humans belong to just one sub-speby Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
No need to worry about getting lost with monuments (cairns) like that huge one in the pic!! (There were no such beasts in 2009)by Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Update on missing hiker Johnnie Jean Daniel. Body of missing hiker found in Sequoia National Parkby Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I thought about this many times when I read Into the Wild. McCandless died a slow death alone in a bus (not really that far from an access road) Early on, when he still had some strength and his senses, it might have been possible to burn something (a spare tire? Nothing like a big, black cloud of rubber smoke)by Bee - General Discussion
Update on search: Search for Missing Hiker, Johnnie Jean Daniel, in Sequoia National Parkby Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Note to self: Climb with "teams" that have the decency to assure that the sum of the group's parts "summits" before decending (regardless of which guidebook applies to everyone else according) End of note.by Bee - General Discussion
Yup, looks like Raccoon forepaw printsby Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
It was very nice to meet you, Joel (Billy); it made the drive back very interesting (pondering heavily still about your illness, and I, too, believe that what began as dehydration further escalated into AMS, as one sometimes begets the other in certain circumstances) I do love all the sunset pictures, as they seem to reflect my own paltry collection of pho-toes (not much of a photographer, myby Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteDave It was pounded into my head as a kid that the whole group hikes at the pace of the slowest hiker. I guess they don't do that anymore. Many hikers sure don't apply this time-honoured practice on the Whitney Main Trail; a huge percentage of the problems that occur on the trail are because folks split up, and the poor stragglers end up going down the JMT instead of to the Portal.by Bee - General Discussion
QuoteOhnivy-Drak Quotebalzaccom Yikes. And the male climber was looking for a way to climb up out over Mt. Watkins without any climbing gear...and with a partner with no climbing experience! Climbing out via Watkins is exactly what Scaruffi did. http://www.scaruffi.com/travel/tenaya.html http://www.scaruffi.com/monument/hikes07/tenaya.html It does not sound like he thought it was such aby Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
THose campers must not have brought along their Smart Phones with TV aps for post sunset entertainment.by Bee - General Discussion
I did not know that there was any other route to the bottom of the canyon that did not require at least some rope work.by Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I checked, but if this is a repeat post, feel free to remove it. Here's a SAR report with some good advice at the end. Fortunately for these people, they had a cell phone with reception, but it still took an entire day to be located and rescued. Lost and Unprepared in Tenaya Canyonby Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteTechieSteve I willed myself back to sleep as fast as I could, before I got stuck awake, and scared! Yes, I know I sound like a big whimp, but it was REALLY dark! lol Steve A couple of years back, I was returning from a hike at 10:00pm (!) At one point, you actually pass under a freeway system through a long, unlit, corrogated steel tunnel in order to return to the parking lot. About 10 fby Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteTechieSteve but it was still a very big undertaking for me, through unfamiliar territory, in a foreign country. Steve Unless a person has experienced this, he/she would not understand the extra stress generated when you realize the minute that airplane lands, there is not another soul on the planet who knows you! (At least it feels that way). I spent a month in a non-English speaking counby Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
On a practical note, restoring the Valley's meadows by redirecting the traffic on boardwalks is a must. I was shocked at all of the foot traffic/damage that I saw this last Sunday: kids were playing tag, and the folks were stamping out a "nice" pic-a-nic area void of any of those nasty grasses.by Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quoteparklover I left Pennsylvania for California in 1978 and some of my parent's friends still ask if I will move back. I can think of numerous reasons why not and one is the heat and humidity. Ah, yes, and who is nostalgic about the winters?? Filthy, icy, muddy, city snow!by Bee - General Discussion
Quotechick-on Comment on "biting flies". I keep hearing this... and I really don't know what people are talking about. Personally I just haven't seen nasty biting flies in The Sierra. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. The only annoying flying things that I have run into are the little black knats and mosquitos. At least from my experience. I just thank whomever that The Siby Bee - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion