Since DNC had trademarked many of the historic Yosemite Names, several name changes will also occur: Ahwahnee Hotel will become White Wolf Lodge Half Dome will become Dome of the Rock Vernal Fall will become Ernest Fall Nevada Fall will become California Fall Yosemite Falls will be allowed to keep its name. Thankfully there have been no plans to change anything about the Curry Pby chicagocwright - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
"Not-to-miss hike" for "really novice". I highly recommend that you are not scared away from the "touristy" spots. If you really are "really novice" then all the hikes you mentioned really are not suitable. Besides for a first time Yosemite hiker it would be a shame to miss the "tourist" hikes. Mist Trail to Vernal Fall, Nevada Falls, Fourby chicagocwright - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The picture I have in my head is the Hollywood version where the guy slams his dislocated shoulder into a wall to put it back in. I was in this situation playing basketball with some guys and it scared me how much it hurt. Of course I was in a situation where I could get to an ER but that probably was a mistake. They were pathetic and the Docs and PT told me afterward I should have just handby chicagocwright - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I've dislocated my shoulder a couple times and know how it feels. Just curious about your thoughts about what you would have done if you were alone with the same incident.by chicagocwright - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
You have given me an excuse to post this old video from a few years ago. The short answer to your question is yes. And now I see Chick-On beat me to the answer...by chicagocwright - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Thanks all for the starting info. Big Island Revealed is already in shipping a few days ago and should be here very soon!by chicagocwright - General Discussion
This was a poor first post. I just spent several minutes reading the reports I thought were in Maui from Basibop. I will look closer at those and come back with more intelligent questions. If you hadn't responded already, I would delete it! Thank you much for your quickness. I'm really looking for a possibly long day hike involving waterfalls...by chicagocwright - General Discussion
I know there have been a few trip reports in Hawaii posted here but I think they have all been Maui. Anyone have experience on the Big Island or can find any reports already posted? Trip is next spring so I've got some time to research but I just trust people on this site for good trips.by chicagocwright - General Discussion
And I do almost exclusively day hikes! There are so many choices! Where I live it is almost like sleeping low, hiking high, and you don't need to sleep outside! A friend who went on this hike set a goal when she moved to Alaska to touch all the peaks and hike all the ridges she could see from her house. She is leaving after 9 years and only has one more to go. I set the same goal three yearsby chicagocwright - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Since I haven't posted one of these in a while, I thought I would post a couple of my favorite recent pictures. We are getting close to ending the winter season and I may not get to hike with my axe for a bit. This hike is Bird Ridge and Bird Ridge Overlook which starts at sea level climbs to almost 5,000 feet but includes at least 6,000 feet of elevation gain over approximately 15 miles. Overby chicagocwright - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Even before this incident report when I saw the picture of the few brave souls peering over the diving board...I thought.."I wonder if they could recover those guys if wind blew them over?" I am putting my money on "Yes".by chicagocwright - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Hmm. Napa Valley is already pretty far North for a trip to Alaska this time of year. Hoping they take the scenic route before hitting the -40 to -50 degree weather just hitting the big dog mushing races over the last couple weeks. The Iditarod Winner just finished this morning!by chicagocwright - General Discussion
QuoteSteveHall I purchased some Bear Spray from the large hotel's sporting shop which is at Lake Louise. We just carried that with us everywhere. One other really good hike which I researched but didn't carry out was Sentinel Pass out of nearby Moraine Lake. That hike sometimes requires groups of four due to the bear activity. If you don't have four, there is a sign where you must stop andby chicagocwright - General Discussion
Sigh. I imagine the fate of a drunken bear would be similar to the poor moose from this story. Moose eating fermented apples or crabapples can be quite a problem. Druken Mooseby chicagocwright - General Discussion
Yesterday?by chicagocwright - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
If you ever find yourself in the Badlands NP, South Dakota don't pass up the Buffalo tacos made with Indian bread. Excellent! And I think its the only place to eat in the Park.by chicagocwright - General Discussion
I suppose the economic answer is that the concessionaires don't believe they will make more money if they invest in better products, better services, better employees, training, etc. The customers who visit are "captive" with very little choice. Most of the time when I have been to Yosemite, the Curry Village Dining Hall is packed with people. If they transformed it into a world clasby chicagocwright - General Discussion
Nice pics. It really amazes me how awesome the Kahtoolas are and they are so easy to lug around. I use them a LOT on ice similar to your pictures. But in most cases instead of a big icy slope on granite like your pictures I have either a snowy slope where I can self arrest with the axe I always carry or I have a short slide into alder bushes which isn't too bad. I probably would have done theby chicagocwright - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
QuoteAndrewF My friend had microspikes, all I had were my snowshoes. Neither were ideal on water ice like we encountered but we only had to walk across 15 or 20 feet of it in total, and it was flat in those sections. There were a few spots where we had to leave the trail to circumnavigate a few ice flows to avoid having to walk across angled water ice with a bad runout. Would have been safer if iby chicagocwright - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Those are Kahtoolas on your boots in the first picture right? And in the 2nd picture is that snow shoes? This seems like the same place. Have I deduced correctly? I always have people ask me how "dangerous" something is. I tell them the more snow, generally the safer it is. I would view the 2nd picture as "safer". I would prefer an ice axe for self arrest instead of pby chicagocwright - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Many of you may have seen the frequent news on the solo hiker who successfully completed the first Mt. McKinley solo summit in January. Well, that was not me. But yesterday, I did complete a summit of O'Malley Peak in the Chugach Mountains next to Anchorage. It was by far by toughest winter hike I have done at 8 miles and 3,100 elevation gain. The conditions were tough yesterday. It was waby chicagocwright - General Discussion
And they are usually full of phones and other devices being charged. "Full" but you can almost always find a spot or sometimes folks even put in extensions for extra outlets. I've always wondered about phones disappearing but its never happened to me.by chicagocwright - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
In 2014, there have been multiple bear maulings that I know about just in areas I frequently visit. But non of them were killed and I am pretty sure all of them were brown bears (grizzly) and not black bears. I wonder what the rate of death is here of brown bear vs. black bear attack. The adage is to fight a black bear attack but play dead with a brown bear attack.by chicagocwright - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
In 2014, New Jersey has had more fatal bear attacks than Alaska.by chicagocwright - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
What about Flower?by chicagocwright - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Anyone seen Bambi?by chicagocwright - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I have used building stairwells in Chicago in the past.by chicagocwright - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Sigh...we still aren't getting younger. But this is on my list.by chicagocwright - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
QuoteBee I was tying to decide what it would be like to hike in Grizzly country. Is it always in the back of your mind that a phantom bear can jump out of the bush and ruin your life? Is it stressful? I wonder if the hyper-awareness distracts from the 'relaxation' of being outdoors? In trying to compare what in my urban lifestyle would be similar, and I came up with these examplesby chicagocwright - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
You can tell from my goofy video that Clouds Rest looks scarier than it is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaSZGnFKO6wby chicagocwright - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra