I grew up in the Merced area, and made my first solo camping trip to the Valley in 1966. From 1967 to 1973, I made the 2--2 1/2 hour drive almost every weekend to camp without reservations. In 1971, I wrote my BA thesis on Yosemite and visited the research library practically every weekend. There was no photocopier available, so I duplicated text with my 1950's Royal manual typewriter. In 197by Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
That video has been hiding for a while, because Dennis Weaver (06-04-194 to 02-04-2006) has been gone for almost 5 1/2 years. I wish I was at Valley View about now...by Dearborn - General Discussion
In the summer of 1969, I was working in what I believe is Lower Pines campground (Camp 14?) when a frantic visitor came running out of a bathroom while pulling up his pants. There was a black cloud of smoke coming from the bathroom, and my campground maintenance colleagues and I entered the bathroom to see what had happened. We saw the porcelain "throne" broken in several pieces and tby Dearborn - General Discussion
I recall when all Curry employees were fingerprinted in Yosemite - to discover who they really were!by Dearborn - General Discussion
You have no idea how I hope you are correct. I fight cynicism on this and other issues every day, and I can only hope that it is not actually a "news management" or "First-liar-doesn't-have-a-chance" scenario.by Dearborn - General Discussion
I don't necessarily advocate the hunting of those creatures, but I would like to see or hear some accurate and honest surveys of their numbers for adequate planning. I believe the current guesstimate is 603 grizzly bear in the Great Yellowstone Ecosystem, but a retired grizzly specialist told me in the past two weeks that the number probably exceeds 1,000. I wonder if a little re-introductionby Dearborn - General Discussion
I thank you for the link to the pictures. I wrote my BA thesis on the development of transportation in Yosemite in 1971, and walked many parts of the old Wawona stage road, but not that portion. I also forwarded the link for the photos to a Wawona resident whose family has been in and around Yosemite since 1855. His grandfather and great-grandfather were stagedrivers on that very road, and I wby Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
By chance, do you have any recent images of the old Wawona Road and the Fort Monroe area? I always wanted to hike the old road, but never took the time before I moved to the Yellowstone area.by Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
For another perspective, ponder the Storegga landslide of 6,100 BC that caused an estimated 70' tsunami to strike eastern Scotland. Two theories on the cause: (1) The release of debris deposited by the last ice age, and (2) methane gas imbedded in undersea mud destabilizing. This mornings "Billings Gazette" (Billings, MT) contained an article that an offshore 9.0 earthquake could cby Dearborn - General Discussion
Hope I haven't waited too long to search for stream-polished petrified wood in the Shoshone National Forest; I get real nervous when g-bear are around.by Dearborn - General Discussion
I suspect that Yellowstone's establishment in 1872 has something to do with the exclusive jurisdiction, but I believe that Yosemite might also have exclusive jurisdiction. I would imagine that Section 35 in Wawona would be an exception, however, because of the private inholdings. Until some clear determinations are made on the new firearms legislation, I would certainly encourage a cautious aby Dearborn - General Discussion
In addition to seasonal ranger experience in the early 70's, I have been a Wyoming peace officer for the past 27 1/2 years, and I urge caution and restraint on this issue. I, for one, have absolutely no plan to carry an assembled and undeclared firearm into any park. There are too many variables in what some might think to be easy and cut/dried topic, and I have no desire to be a legal guinea pby Dearborn - General Discussion
I haven't logged in for quite a while, but drop in occasional to read and lurk. In the matter of viewing Half Dome from Turlock, the conditions must be just right. I have lived on the east side of Yellowstone for 35 years, but when I was growing up in Atwater, there was less smog and you could easily see the foothills. Farther north, in Turlock, you can look right up the Merced River Canyon anby Dearborn - General Discussion
I pursued your hyperlink and read a great deal of the posts. I'm impressed; I haven't seen that high quality of coordinated intelligence in a long time. I might not agree with all of their conclusions, but I certainly respect the seemingly honest statements.by Dearborn - General Discussion
I've been watching the snowmobile debacle for a goodly number of years, and all I do is get confused over which judge happens to be presiding. I still have yet to learn the criteria of what determines which federal judge can intervene. I believe a judge from Missoula (?) has ruled, as well as one from Washington, DC and a judge in Cheyenne, Wyoming. If I'm correct about the Missoula-based judgby Dearborn - General Discussion
One scary road; build it well!by Dearborn - General Discussion
I have a fond memory or two of Bridalveil Creek Campground from 1969-1971. I lived in one of the tents in summer, '70, before I moved into the Badger Pass A-Frame. Taking a shower entailed splitting firewood for the boiler.by Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
My experience, observation and research are that coyotes are opportunistic predators who quickly adapt to any situation. This calls for a lot more investigation, but I would not trust a coyote under any circumstances. Years ago, a man who grew up next to the Crow Indian reservation repeated a remark that he heard from a Crow elder: The last 2 creatures on Earth will be the fly and the coyote,by Dearborn - General Discussion
You know - tongue-in-cheek - I've been quietly insisting for years that the grizzly bear and wolf need to be re-introduced to Yosemite. It goes without saying that they would expand their range a mite afterward, but think of the photo opportunities. I've been gone too long to know the game counts in and around Yosemite, but the elk and moose numbers are said to be dwindling in the Yellowstoneby Dearborn - General Discussion
I've wanted to plant sequoias in Wyoming as well, but the climate is probably too dry and windy.by Dearborn - General Discussion
One action that I have heard very little of is planting new sequoia semperviren, and I can only hope that it is done. In the early 70's, I lived in a home in Turlock with a 30-year old redwood in the back yard. If memory serves me correct, the trunk was about 18" in diameter then. I know that Galen Clark planted sequoia gigantea in Yosemite Valley, and I would probably do it on the slyby Dearborn - General Discussion
Taco sauce? A number of years ago, I entered a garage where a formerly-hostile young man was being decontaminated of law enforcement-grade OC pepper spray. I am minutely asthmatic, but usually only have a problem when I have an upper respiratory infection, BUT that residue sent my bronchial passages into a spasm - and I had to leave immediately. I have since decontaminated people sprayed wby Dearborn - General Discussion
Several hours before your post, I purchased two medium-sized cannisters of bear spray for my son and son-in-law. They were planning to hunt on the east side of the Beartooth Plateau, and Cooke City is on the west. I personally go out of my way to avoid the beasts, but they don't have that luxury when they're hunting deer or elk. If you never heard of the concept before, the grizzlies on the eaby Dearborn - General Discussion
I contributed several posts to the original thread, and one thing I wish to emphasize is that when I saw Half Dome from Cal State Stanislaus in Turlock in March, 1971, we were experiencing unusually cold Arctic air and high winds that produced phenomenal visibility. I have now lived on the east side of Yellowstone for almost 35 years, but it seems to me that you don't see weather like that veryby Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
During the horrific Fires of '88 in Yellowstone, it was discovered the best tactic to employ in persuading people to leave their home is name their next-of-kin IF they do choose to stay. That certainly opened some eyes!by Dearborn - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I live 25 miles west of a wild horse refuge in the Big Horn Basin of Wyoming, and spend as much time there as I can ATVing on specified roads. I recently learned that the McCulloch Peaks at one time had a modest burro population, and I wonder if the BLM would consider a reintroduction. Also, fence maintenance notwithstanding, I believe there is no competition for forage between cattle and horseby Dearborn - General Discussion
The name of William Colby is not so well known anymore, but I recall being fascinated by aspects of his accomplishments and personality as they were revealed in print. I also seem to recall that he could be mildly irascible with individuals who were not putting forth a full effort, and that elevates him even more in my estimation.by Dearborn - General Discussion
On one hand, I have faith that the NPS and WHP will successfully pursue and complete an inspection of commercial vehicles and operators, but I'm a bit confused on another point. Commercial vehicles are banned in Yellowstone, except for those providing supplies necessary to park operations and tour buses. Another tiny point is that qualified inspectors do not grow on trees! There does happen toby Dearborn - General Discussion
I readily admit that I do not have elk population statistics available, but I'm not certain that I would believe them anyway. My prime authority for the dwindling elk population is - admitted - hearsay among northwest Wyoming hunters, and hearing that resident hunters are having to apply for limited-quota hunts where there was no previous limit. In the matter of feeding elk, I have read a fewby Dearborn - General Discussion
And, meanwhile in neighboring Wyoming, you can't hunt them at all, despite the fact that wolf target populations have been exceeded and elk numbers are plummeting. I remain largely non-committal on the wolf re-introduction issue, but our federal agencies are continuing to prove that they do not make good neighbors.by Dearborn - General Discussion