I did a quick roadtrip across SR120 Friday night. The storm series put 2.5 inches of precip in the YV bucket and it was obvious over a foot had fallen all along the highway beyond Gin Flat. Warm ground temps, especially in south facing rocky zones will melt much off during what is forecast to be a mid October period of fair weather. However at this time of year with lower sun altitudes, thby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
SR89, SR4, SR108, and SR120 were all closed due to snow Thursday. By noon Friday, SR89, SR4, and SR108 have all opened again without controls. There is apparently a rock slide east of Tioga Pass that may keep that road closed a few days. Am set to leave from work later this afternoon going over Sonora Pass to the eastside.by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Devil's Dance Floorby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
As for the discussions two springs ago on wildflower trampling, I was active in several of those and have been a old user and contributor on her site before it became popular. I'll make a brief summary here. Not many years ago before the Internet became well used, there were actually only small numbers of mainly hard core photographers and CNPS enthusiasts, like this person that traveled aroby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
There are different tree and shrub species that contribute to the California fall color and each one has its own period of color change. There is some overlap with some species but not with others. Also change generally occurs first at higher colder elevations and progresses to lower warmer elevations. The two primary species of interest to photographers are quaking aspen that is primarily aloby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
On our trips, a watch is important although not having one can be worked around. For instance our compact digital cameras date and time stamp each image. On our base camping trips, each person often goes off solo on their own activities. Sometimes we make plans to break camp or have an activity at a given time so if someone doesn't have a watch, that might be an issue. No one wants to packby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
On another current thread, AlmostThere posted this nugget of wisdom that I thought could use some discussion on its own: "I wonder why I hear so often of people who are lost from groups, then. You get no security in groups unless there is a very clear understanding within the group - it does you no good if they all go marching off full speed and assume you are coming along slowly, you'reby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotemtn man Good info except that when I photo Aspens I don't want clouds that block the sun on the Aspens as the Aspen is best backlit with sun. Clouds in the background sky are great but the Aspen I find needs to be backlit with sun. Indeed back lit is one of several effective ways to capture fall aspen leaves. For example: http://www.davidsenesac.com/images/print_05-z2-2.html But soby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Fine with me. I occasionally drive down river on that dusty road below the Briceberg Bridge crossing and camp at McCabe flat. After spring that section becomes hot, dry, and brown with few visitors other than a few rafters. Even during spring when things are nicely green, few bother using those areas. A snippet from the MG article: "...That would bring the maximum lake level to abby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The best plans for fall color much like desert wildflowers in late winter is not to make any firm plans but rather have flexibility, waiting until one can make some sense of early reports in order to try and visit target areas at peak. From one season to the next the dates of leaf change simply varies too much although in the Eastern Sierra, during the first week of October one is likely to findby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
November 2, 2006, along Illouette Creek. A rainy day is a good day for fall leaf photography if one is prepared to deal with foul weather. I walked around for hours that day in full rain battle gear. Not only does it take careful planning to keep one's camera gear dry, but walking about in wet rocky areas tends to be precarious. A bigleaf maple with some Pacific dogwood behind at a momentby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
MOOOOSE >>>"Is this near Peeler Lake? Looks very familiar" Nope. Chick-on seems to have been to a lot of my favorite remote places? Caught in very nice light Mr Bird, congrats. Its in Kings Canyon NP, and is a bit away from a use trail. One of several ponds in that area we checked out. Recall some moron had constructed a huge illegal bonfire on top of a slab next to iby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Never heard it referred to as "fisherman's trail" haha (no fish anymore in LCL). Climbers and park personnel that check illegal camping around Cathedral Lake or backpackers without permits have been using that route for decades. Lose the vague use route and one easily gets into class 3 slabs, so not a route I'll explain beyond... start at Virgin Domeby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Never heard it referred to as "fisherman's trail" haha. Park personnel that work at Glen Aulin and backpackers have been using that route for decades. Refer to. http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.88935,-119.40113&z=15&t=T Don't really need any advice, just a topo map because it is trivial crosscountry. No dense forest to become confused and enough landforms poking up to easiby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Most Sierra lakes including all mentioned are simply too chilly to really enjoy swimming. Oh one can have fun jumping in briefly but not like what one can enjoy in a real warm water lake. I am somewhat notorious for jumping in lakes and streams regardless how cold most days I backpack as I like being clean at night in my sleeping bag. But we get in and out real fast. It does give me a lot oby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechick-on Been up there twice.... last time was last year: http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,26056,26063#msg-26063 Yup, and not surprised !by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechick-on ...Get off the trail and walk on ridges and you'll see nary a soul. Head to that unnamed lake. etc. etc. ...Have fun For decades I've been wandering and rambling about places no one else seems to go. Places not on routes climbers and peak baggers use, places away from hiker, backpacker, and fisherman use routes, They are all over the place if one really starts analyzing tby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Agree Kibbie Lake is moderately visited by backpackers and on holidays is difficult to obtan a permit. That is mainly due to the fact it is one of the easiest backcountry lakes to hike to and one can do so in late spring before most other high country lakes are snow free. Have backpacked there double digit times going back to when it was an 8 mile hike in. Might be more popular than a coupleby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
western white pine, common at that altitude, especially on windy ridgelines http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/img_query?where-taxon=Pinus+monticola&where-anno=1by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
There are a fair number of places that are well known and highly rated by many that are knowledgeable of the park's features but are infrequently visited simply because they require some distance or effort to reach or are drowned out by nearby features that are easier to reach. An example would be the mentioned Eagle Peak because most who climb up that steep trail to the brink of YF stop there aby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
As an old landscape photographer, have been coming to this incredible temple of nature regularly for four decades. Have backpacked and rambled through many amazing places. During late winter 2006 I visited Yosemite Valley several times when cold snow storms were forecast in order to try and finally capture something exceptional with my 4x5 view camera. Of course millions of others have been taby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Hi Pam, With those new to backpacking and carrying a weighty pack or those not in shape, one ought to select rather short distances between camp locations. Usually a lot less than typical advice one will get from those with experience. Especially the first day's hike else one may not get any further along one's itinerary as they recover. An unpleasant first experience is a prime cause foby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Impressive gal and congrats to you. Use it or lose it becomes more a truth once one sees a bit of grey hair looking in mirrors. Even just carrying a light daypack, I'd get rather beat up tackling HD in a day even though I backpack frequently. But yeah not too far behind your acquaintance. Recall a few years ago you said something about an injury that ended your overnight backcountry days.by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The need for backpackers to filter Sierra water for drinking and what all else was always controversial with old timers like this person. Of course there was a time none of us had any of the high tech water filters, most rarely used chemical or boiling treatments, and few of us got sick. We just used common sense. Then for a decade or two filters became policy and I eventually capitulated.by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Could write a short book haha. One that I see frequently each early July in the Sierra during peak mosquito season is hikers setting out wearing only shorts, t-shirt, and cap. Of course many probably have some DEET juice but a surprising number do not and that is way STUPID without excuse even for newbies. But even those that do have bug juice are soon to find mosquitoes readily stick their pby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'm not at all surprised at all those who continued on towards the top of HD. One only has to look at some trip reports of peak baggers and mountaineers to understand how poorly even some supposedly mountain savvy enthusiasts are about lightning. In almost all such cases people understand thunderstorms with lightning are threatening but are apparently clueless due to ignorance of the phenomenoby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
On one of 3 trips I've done to the Wildcat Point area, we explored all along the brink of that cliff north of Wildcat Point frame left. Those areas look down on the LeConte and Waterfall Falls areas. Have old 35mm KR64 pics of all that. The cliff areas looking down into the canyon north of Wildcat Point are not easily accessed because the granite steepens as it nears the brink areas.by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Did two trips into that area in 80s by going down Cathedral Creek. But did not explore out to north end of Falls Ridge. Very pristine zone including large areas without any old firerings. During big water year, we went down to the west side of the river and camped at areas between California and Waterwheel falls. Not a place for those that navigate by sight alone as cliffs all over landscaby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Rather pristine my friend up there on Fall Ridge. Did two trips down to California, LeConte and Waterwheel Falls via that area in the 80s. If one actually descends to the west river shores, rather tricky routefinding to avoid cliffs and steep slabs. David Senesac http://www.davidsenesac.comby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Good news for this person and photographer. For a few years before they cut the Tunnel View and Valley View trees I argued on various web boards for removing trees at those two locations. Generally the immediate reaction of most other posters was one of condemnation bolstered with predictable simple arguments that were easily dismantled. I was hoping authorities in the park were lurking. Thby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion