I know I'm a bit late to this, but that was a wonderful read. Thanks for sharing!by abetterpitchfork - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Pretty cool!by abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Ugh, how horrible. RIP.by abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Oof, worse than I feared, even if we had a two month dry spell. A lot of this is gonna melt off in the heat wave this week, too.by abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Haven't seen anyone post on social media that they won, so I would imagine the demand for this pilot program generated a TON of revenue for the middlemen behind Recreation.gov. Expect to see this program expanded pretty significantly over the coming years.by abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks for the reminder, I forgot to sign up! Anyway I cannot believe that there's a $10 non-refundable fee for entering the lottery. Just so stupid and unnecessary. Gotta make sure all of these middleman contractors line their pockets, I guess.by abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Wasn't able to attend, alas, but I hope it was fun! Is there a video of the event somewhere? I'd love to check it out.by abetterpitchfork - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Some good news at least: it sounds like Bumpass Hell (and the new boardwalk) pretty much ecaped unscathed. And the Drakesbad Guest Ranch is still standing, too.by abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Devastating.by abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
This was a really wonderful post and I'm glad to have you back. Thanks so much for the info on the old trails, too!by abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The Central Sierra snowpack is at 34% of normal this year and the gage height/discharge graphs of the Merced River look like they already peaked to me.by abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I mean, yeah, but the only picture shown in the report to prove the deleterious effect on the views is a glint way down at the bottom of the hill, caused by someone pointing a giant mirror directly at a spot way across the lake that hardly anybody visits. And in that very same photo you can see the entire stretch of Lee Vining, which is pretty unpicturesque in itself. (Not to be rude!) Like Iby abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Good for the MLC, although I'll confess that I don't really get why the project was so controversial in the first place. Other than the exclusion of a well-thought out pedestrian crossing to connect this new development with Lee Vining proper, every other point of disagreement else seems kind of...overblown? Am I missing something? For reference, the five objections: (1) aesthetic impacts tby abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Whoa, thanks for sharing Balzaccom! That was indeed one insouciant bear. I guess the education about not feeding wildlife (and to bring it back to the topic, the widespread use of bear canisters) has really paid dividends, because I cannot imagine a black bear of today's vintage doing anything remotely similar.by abetterpitchfork - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I for one would love to hear this story soonby abetterpitchfork - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Kinda hard to judge if it's good news without hearing about how her tenure went at Point Reyes and Pinnacles, so I'm curious to know if anybody has any information on that front. Hard to draw any inferences from her time at Yosemite so far, given COVID.by abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Anyone know what they're doing?by abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks to both of you. I guess Schaffer is probably the "definitive" guide to Yosemite, but that doesn't mean his book is all-encompassing.by abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
This is veering off topic a bit, but is there a reason you specifically linked to the 2000 version of Schaffer's book? I have the 2006 version and am wondering if it's worth it to get the older one, too.by abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I get your frustration, but I think it would help to consider how other people would be affected if these policies weren't in place. This is a deadly disease and measures need to be taken to stop its spread, particularly in underserved rural communities like Mariposa and Lee Vining. I understand the desire to return to a normal life, but we don't live in normal times and for the good of our neighby abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Does anyone have any historical data about the date of declaration? I'd be curious to know how much climate change has extended fire season.by abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Wow, good catch. I haven't seen this link floating around. Looks like anyone with a NP pass will still have to pay $2 for entry, which is pretty annoying. Guess someone has to make sure Booz Allen Hamilton makes more money off the taxpayer.by abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Not sure if anyone beyond Corntortilla cares, but since I posted the first message here, I may as well post the update: QuoteSo today's update, which comes from information from another meeting... - I cannot emphasize enough that my previous post and this one are merely reports of TENTATIVE PLANS. - Half Dome cables go up June 5th - Campground listed in my first post seem to be the onby abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Just saw this on a reddit thread and figured I would share with my favorite forum. This was posted yesterday (link here) from an account called YoseInsider. It might be total nonsense, but a lot of the information seems to be consistent with what I'm seeing elsewhere. QuoteFrom a conference call at 9am this morning with the Superintendent of Yosemite... Let me emphasize, ALL OF THIS CAN CHANGEby abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
While I love sequoias as much as the next person here, I think the logic they used to justify the removal is fairly unassailable: They are not native to the valley and have attained a size that is out of character with adjacent black oaks, which typically grow in or near meadows in Yosemite Valley. The sequoia trees negatively impact the ecosystem though altering water availability and shadingby abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks for those cool videos, Chick-on! And HBD, basilbop--I miss your TRs more than you know. Especially on these dreary winter days in the office.by abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Sounds like quite an adventure. That mile or so from just above Sardine Lake until the junction with the Spillway Lake trail is just about my favorite place in the world. Not too showy but still breathtaking, with Gibbs and the Kuna Crest literally RIGHT there. I've never been to the area anywhere near this late in the year, though, so these pictures are wild. Thanks for sharing!by abetterpitchfork - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Interesting that the Restore Hetch Hetchy folks are in favor of allowing an electric ferry and kayaks on the reservoir. Seems to me like it would have the opposite effect of what they hope for, which is to say would make people enjoy the reservoir quite a bit more than they already do.by abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Can anyone who's been on a similar tour tell me what to expect? Is it really only worthwhile if I have a degree in library science? What kind of stuff will be on display? Old maps? Photos? Journals?by abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks for posting that update, Calberry. Now I have plans for Friday morning. How on earth did you get on the mailing list, though?by abetterpitchfork - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion