Both agree and disagree. A minor amount of summer snow in mountain landscapes makes peaks look more impressive. Summer snow images where most of a frame is snow tend to be difficult except early and late in the day because as soon as the sun rises much in altitude, landscapes become rather contrasty. Additionally most snow landscapes tend to only have a few hues, white to shaded gray snow,by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
That sfgate article "Yosemite rangers rarely punish those off trails" and its second paragraph, "Straying from a trail or climbing over a barrier at a waterfall - a transgression that led to the deaths of three visitors to the park's Vernal Fall this week - almost always goes unpunished, however." shows the two Chronicle Staff Writers, Kelly Zito and Peter Fimrite, to bby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
You are quite correct thankyou ypw. I indeed had that logic backwards. Guess that shows its been many years since I've done any casino gambling haha. At one time as a twentysomething read the famous first card counting book "Beat The Dealer" and had basic strategy memorized. One stands without being hit if the dealer shows 6 or less in order to let the house break as they will be foby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I've made no posts on this thread till now. It is true that often after such accidents, some are likely to web post rather terse emotional condemnations of the decisions of victims. Typical mean statement is "Darwinian natural selection of the species eliminating the unintelligent..." I think your statement needs to be focused more narrowly towards that type of tweeting post and notby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Have hunted magnificent and gnarly Sierra juniper for decades. Interestingly twisting trunks and branches is one of their common forms. This one north of Ebbetts Pass I call "The Twister":by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
These days not a nut about Yosemite and that has much to do with the fact I'm an old photographer that has rambled extensively both in the park and in the the Sierra south of Tahoe for several decades. And that includes dozens of trips into the Yosemite backcountry though there are still some significant zones I've never bothered to visit. For me there are more productive places elsewhere inby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
If like this person one is carrying a big camera on a tripod that is especially true. Recall one episode in Zion about 15 years ago where I'd eyed a wide open checkerboard sandstone roadside area while passing by in my car a few times over a couple days. Never saw anyone ever park along that stretch even though there were ample pullouts. Then one afternoon had time to check it out so parkedby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The posted larger scale commercial maps are fine for trail users, but as some have mentioned for serious cross country navigation, nothing beats the 7.5m USGS quads. Finely scanned USGS topo: http://libremap.org/data/state/california/drg/by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I doubt the top of either HD or CR during usual weather offers anything more than modest image aesthetic potential either at sunrise/sunset or any other time of day. Like can be said for views at the top of most peaks. Well a wall climber might hang from a rope off the rim with another climber standing on the overhang. Thus a pic showing the shear wall, overhang, person, and colorful sky.by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
One place along SR120 where I regularly see vehicles failing to park fully off the pavement thus sticking out in traffic is in Tuolumne Meadows about the Cathedral Lakes Trailhead. A section with lots of parked cars. It isn't like drivers haven't a choice due to limited spots but rather they are too lazy to park further west along the highway where there are always wide open spots and one willby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
This has always been an issue I see all the time. Some situations it becomes epidemic especially in national parks, for instance when a wild animal like a bear is spotted. After one vehicle stops right in a road others with little common sense see that and do likewise as though it must be ok. Same thing happens in urban areas during special events with big crowds. One car parks in an obviouby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
A very sad tragedy. Behavior of those crossing Falls Creek below Wapama in high water is much the same as those climbing Half Dome when thunderstorms are in the area. Many novices with a bit of stubborn nature and ignorant of mountain weather will continue to climb up the cables if they see others do so even while they see others at the bottom backing away. Likewise at Falls Creek, if otby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Nice, thanks. Did a number of short sub 15 second 720p HD videos this last couple weekends with my new Canon SX130. One of the best spots is just up the highway from those motels down at El Portal where a large easily climbed on boulder sticks way out into the flow. To reduce the usual high contrast in direct sun, such whitewater videos work best either at low sun angles or when whitewaterby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I have a vague recollection of reading that Le Conte Falls was the original Waterwheel Falls and somehow long ago maybe when the USGS made the first map that changed. IMO Le Conte is a more interesting visual experience and has better waterwheels. Waterwheel Falls has two large spots where water shoots up but they are not nearly as circular as in wheel-like as its higher up cousin. Ironicallyby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Where did the BOF road route beyond Fireplace Crick? Those FB cliffs? Was just up there yesterday. Well not even half as far as you went. Have been occasionally climbing up there for decades in order to take rainbow pics of Bridalveil. Sometimes I climb right up from Black Springs. This be yesterday: That was with my new Canon SX130 that complements my G10 and I got mainly for soby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
slosh2400 >>>"... while seeing some of the great beauty that Yosemite has to offer" Your questions are similar to several others this last while on hiking web boards. In other words, you want some Sierra place to backpack out to with usual mileage that is still going to deliver the big High Sierra experience. Those two requirements are incompatible because the snow leveby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Here in the Santa Clara Valley it is pouring down hard at the moment. Santa Cruz Mountain gauges like at Boulder Creek will be over 3 inches soon and Mining Peak in the Santa Lucia's is well over 5 inches. Radar shows it just moving into the central Sierra now though won't be as strong as along the coast due to the track of the low. Much of the region lost its green in early May. Will beby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I planned a trip there a few years ago but the trip has languished down on my long queue though not forgotten. At that time recall Bob Burd responded to a question I had about the Illouette Creek ford. Loaded the spreadsheet translated as an html page to my site: http://www.davidsenesac.com/Information/mt_clark_vert.xl.mht This is how I've been storing my plans for years, though you don'tby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks Bill-e-g. Have read through some past year kayak trip reports that use various colorful terms for the creek features. So that linear creek in a joint crack section above Old Dude Dome is the Flintstones. Image 4 shows a good deal of snow in forest behind 6202. The top of the Lookout north by northwest facing route is 900 feet higher at 7100 feet, and during winter receives blby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Just did a careful route up down total on the creek route and bill-e-g's Lookout Point route that I've also had penciled on my ragged topo for decades. I do these vertical calculations all the time for trips. 5800 5100 -660 5180 +40 5100 -80 5300 +200 5160 -140 5260 +100 5100 -160 5220 +120 5160 -60 5240 +80 5180 -60 5300 +120 5220 -80 5380 +160 5340 -40 5700by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
There have always been those who don't bother with obtaining wilderness permits just as there are those that regularly park at trailheads as soon as dusk settles then wander off into the nearby forests to stealth camp. And some will carry a handgun for protection while others will try and sneak fido in. Back in the 70s on a visit to Laural Lake someone brought in a big dog. At that timeby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
In the good old days as a twentysomething, Memorial Day weekend weather was often unpleasant. We got caught up at Laural Lake one year before I knew better. And without tents just tents haha. Saturday night parked in Sierra NF about 4k in a legal dispersed camping zone. Was really glad I was sleeping comfortably warm and dry inside my Forester while about 2 hours of heavy downpours pounded theby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Ben Schifren in his 1990 WP book, "This route is not for the inexperienced, however. Frequent rock scrambling and taxing route finding problems make Cherry Creek Canyon a world accessible only to the mountain-wise explorer, and sometimes high water will hamper even the most resourceful of these." Certainly a dangerous place for a solo explorer without a rope and knowledge of how toby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I knew that narrow glaciated ravine section was going to look spectacular and now I know. Very impressed. By mid June ought to be more wildflowers out on the gruss flats so I am comtemplating an adventure.by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Been climbing up the big talus into The Rockslides for years via a poison oakey shortcut near Black Springs. Now you know why they name that point out there along the trail...Rainbow View.by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Every Memorial Day people post on boards like this about how they have plans for snowy destinations that are summer favorites after snows have melted. Often they haven't much a clue when snows usually melt so as soon as days warm in the low lands where most of us live, they like expect mountain snows have evaporated too. And many times in days before the Internet I have stood in wilderness peby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
By August, much less September, better to start such a trip up at Tuolumne Meadows and skip the by then dusty dry trail route out of the valley. Permit and camping wise ought have less complications than a YV start.by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
We've seen both those images and sites in the past. Conveintly in neither case do they both to indicate the version of the Ursack material Spectra or Vectran cloth. The top image of a very brown dirty bag has long been criticized as appearing like someone drove for miles with the bag full of a few heavy rocks being dragging behind a vehicle on a rope. The second incident may be legitimate.by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Actually way back in 2006 when the debate over Ursack was hot, there were also various heresay allegations of failures, none of which stood up to scrutiny. So what the Ursack haters did was declare bags could not be tied off onto objects but instead were to be left on the ground. That way with its closed rope area unprotected by an object, they expected bears would eventually given hours of tiby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The only time a bear ever ate any of my food was a few leftovers at Laural Lake on the last day of my first ever backpack before most of you were even born. And I've had to dealt with alot of bears over the years. I own two Garcias and an Ursack. The Garcia or other cannisters are ok for short trips in prime bear areas. The Ursack I often tie it off around touching points of boulders.by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion