For the last 20 years, I have engaged in light humor about re-introducing both grizzly bear and wolves to the Yosemite region but you don't deserve that kind of grief. Black bears are potentially bad enough (more in a moment), but the grizzly fears nothing and will stalk, kill and eat anything as circumstance dictates. You generally don't find black bear and grizzly bear in the same locale in Yby Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I find myself impressed with the data and conclusions, but I imagine a lot of the alfalfa crop goes to dairy cattle to provide milk for adjacent large California population centers. At least that was true when I lived in California some 40 years ago. I also had a lady History professor in the late 60s who said that southern California was ultimately going to have to desalinate ocean water. I'mby Dearborn - General Discussion
If I may relate a similar "Blessed by karma" story: In the early spring of 1971, the driver of a Corvette put his vehicle into a deliberate skid and almost hit an NPS maintenance truck - that was equipped with a 2-way radio. A responding ranger made contact with the Corvette, issued a citation and sent the visitor on his way to further adventure. About a hour later, the Ski Patrol brby Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I was on the periphery of a similar incident in Yellowstone. An east coast commercial tour operation carried documents to claim they were an educational group and gained free entry for at least several years. A supervisory ranger waited until the tour guide signed the fee waiver affidavit, then demanded the bus trip charter documents - gotcha! Subsequent buses declared themselves as commercialby Dearborn - General Discussion
In respect of the large black braided cable located along the route of the Wawona Road, I had occasion to speak with a retired Ma Bell employee/amateur radio operator shortly after the summer, 1990 fire. The gentleman told me at the time that the black braided cable had been compromised by the fire and temporary communication was provided by cross-band repeater systems until something more permaby Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I suspect that you have encountered a brief mention of a pet project by a former California legislator B. F. "Bernie" Sisk (1910-1995). Every couple of years, Congressman Sisk would mention the need for a trans-Sierra highway - and the fur would fly!by Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
A bit of information that I stumbled over in 1971 indicated that until 1943, a road ran from the north side of Sentinel Bridge northwest to about where the road leading to the NPS residential area is located. I encountered a number of old postcards that showed the road, as well as some possible out-of-print Yosemite books. I recall one paperback book that displayed old and current (1971) imagesby Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I usually use both 1/2-gallon and 1-gallon milk jugs filled with water and placed in a freezer for several-day jaunts, but I also have wide-mouth 1-gallon ranch dressing plastic containers for extended trips. Fill the container with ice cubes and you don't have to worry about leakage ruining the stored food.by Dearborn - General Discussion
Housekeeping Camp made the transition from canvas tents on wooden platforms to concrete walls on a slab the winter of 1968/1969. I worked for the Curry Co. in Housekeeping the first part of Summer, '69 then switched to NPS campground maintenance the latter half. Good times!by Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
In the early 1970s, it was widely believed that the body of a deceased climber was still wedged in a crevice at the bottom of the Lost Arrow from an accident in the late 50s. Supposedly, former Yosemite Superintendent John Preston stated it was too hazardous to recover the body.by Dearborn - General Discussion
One indelible memory that I have of the old suspension swinging bridge is how some people would make the bridge jump and sway - while others were trying to cross. There were times that I chose to not use the bridge until the smart alecks had departed. I also recall the nearby depression that marked the basement of Galen Clark's Guardian office, but I believe the parking lot expansion has covereby Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
If anything like that were occurring in my area, I would hope to coordinate with enforcement staff to observe, document and serve as an affiant. I so informed a BLM ranger several days ago and he was delighted.by Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I gathered some interesting information on Harold and Emily Snow from several sources over the years and one comment was that there was 11 feet of Snow below Nevada Falls on the warmest summer day; Emily was 5' tall and Harold 6' in height. Another made mention of Emily's New England wit - a young man requested more milk with his dinner and Emily stated, "Young man, it's time you were weaneby Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Pizza...Several decades ago, I worked my way through grad school in a Portuguese-owned pizza parlor/bar/restaurant that was staffed by Swedes, Iranians and the remainder a mixture of zany souls. I learned to make pizzas from scratch and I have been regaling family and friends with homemade creations ever since. In the past several years, I even started making Dutch oven pizza during camping triby Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I have not had the pleasure of eating in my beloved Yosemite for a number of years, but I look forward to the next opportunity and I hope the few problem mentioned here are resolved. Having said that, I liked the Curry Co. employee meals, but that was in 1969 and part of 1970. The meals I ate in the Valley up to 2004 were tolerable to good. I would also like to share a zany story from my colleby Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotehotrod4x5 I haven't been since last February when I camped in the freezing cold at camp 4. I have a new family in the making and plan to introduce them to Yosemite in 11 days! I got one of the loft rooms in the Stoneman House for $110 a night, 3 beds needed for the 3 kids and my fiance. It will be interesting taking small kids there (2, 4 and 10), I am looking forward to sharing my love oby Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Wawona is a bit unique in that a good portion of the area is privately-owned land, although I'm not certain of the hotel/store area. I hope the overall situation is soon resolved.by Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quoteeeek Quotehotrod4x5Guns are illegal in national parks, right? Not since the morons in congress changed the law as part of an unrelated bill. Ever since that ill-advised legislation was passed, I have been in hopes that Congress would rescind it. I have always felt that most of the public are out of their element in the Nation's parks and firearms should either be left at home or declareby Dearborn - General Discussion
I am very sorry to read these accounts of poor air quality in my former home and I hope you receive quick relief. In the horrible Yellowstone Fires of '88, we had scorched pine needles coming to ground some 50 miles from the fires and streetlights coming on at 2:00 PM. As I write this, I can smell smoke from one of the fires in the Absaroka Mountains on the east side of Yellowstone, but it paleby Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
When I accepted employment in Yellowstone in 1974, I read a 1972 game survey that reported 750 bison in Yellowstone. In recent years, I have grown a bit skeptical of game surveys.by Dearborn - General Discussion
Quoteprairiecomm Estimated end date was jumped to 9/20 (thought I'd read 9/30 - but inciweb still says 9/20). Apparently they've been wanting to do a major burn out on the east side but so far conditions have not bee appropriate or safe for that. One concept that residents of the northern Rockies learned in the 1988 Yellowstone fires is that equinox storms - and not mortal man - extinguish megby Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quoteplawrence Looks like Hwy 49 wasn't yet built between Mariposa and Oakhurst, and that Chowchilla Mountain Road was still a major route between Mariposa and Wawona as the result. . I recall some of the narrow and twisty roads that preceded Highway 49 between Mariposa and Oakhurst from the 1960's and you did not want to speed or get distracted. I also recall when the buildings of the Murpby Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechick-on When went to "Paradise" ... there were diapers on the trail on the way to it. As in used diapers. Real nice. O well... it was fun trying to find the place. When I worked in Yellowstone, we used to compete with colleagues as to how many diapers we could collect from roadside pullouts. We had a legendary supervisor who encouraged such competition.by Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
For what little it is worth, I worked a series of small forest fires south of the Glacier Point Road in the summer of 1971 while a larger fire was occurring in the general area of this fire. My companions were desperate for food and water, but the fire commander on the larger fire was possibly over-stating his situation to maintain supply preference. We finally had to detail a man with tremendoby Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Even doubling the senior rate for a lifetime pass wouldn't come close to the $153 million budget gap that the National Park Service faces thanks to $85 billion in automatic budget cuts between now and Sept. 30. All agencies are dealing with cutbacks, and some are forcing employees to take unpaid leave. In 2012, the National Parks Service sold 500,000 senior passes raising $5 million, the agencyby Dearborn - General Discussion
QuoteMom I'm with you on this. Europe has a system like this. Those holding EU passports get free or cheaper entrance fees to musuems, than those not holding an EU passport. Hard to implement here where few people carry passports, though. Prior to 07-20-1975, foreign visitors with valid passports were permitted free entry to the Nation's parks. The last I heard, active duty military onby Dearborn - General Discussion
One phenomenon that I have wondered about for years is whether Yosemite black bear are taught by their mothers to be more accomplished at car clouting than bear in other parks. I recall bears entering locked cars in Bridalveil Creek Campground in 1970, but you seldom encountered such a problem in Yellowstone or outside the park.by Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Foreign plate, a "D" (for Deutschland?) placard...I hope they are well-informed as to where they can safely travel and operate. Someone also has a fair amount of disposable income for toys like that. Quite a contrast from my Valley camping days in the late 60's - a VW bug, cooler, stove, lantern and tarps.by Dearborn - General Discussion
When I moved from Merced/Stanislaus Counties to Yellowstone in 1974, the first thing I noticed was the impossibly thick Lodgepole Pine forests in Yellowstone. I thought that WHEN a fire starts in that vegetation, there will be a firestorm that makes its own weather. The summer of 1988 was virtually unparalleled in its intensity and the standing dead wood was drier than kiln-dried lumber! I sawby Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechick-on QuoteRob65 Awesome! I've always wondered about the OWR between Chinquapin and Wawona. Any traces of the old Alder Creek entrance station site from back when that was the south entrance to the park? I didn't poke around too much right next to the new road. It kinda looks like the old and new are the same at the bend by Mosquito Creek where the buildings used to be (according tby Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion