After striking out in the Valley (what a screwy system!) I tried Crane Flat - it only showed four campsites, and none available! :-/ I got one at Hodgdon, and there were plenty left.by bpnjensen - General Discussion
Wow! Fabulous photos! Love that top one and your Cathedral Peak collection, but it is great to have them all. Nice to see the big falls coming back to life too. Winter in the high country is very special. ~ Bruceby bpnjensen - General Discussion
Usually, fire roads in NPs are open to bicycles. In Yellowstone, there are several old roads no longer used by motor vehicles that permit bikes. Some Utah parks, notably Canyonlands, allow vehicles on some spare roads that even include 4WD vehicles. I don't think bikes belong on foot trails. I hope this does not permit bikes on any narrow pathway in Yosemite or elsewhere. Grand Teton is consby bpnjensen - General Discussion
Pretty scary. It strikes me that Curry Village is in one of the most dangerous spots for slides.by bpnjensen - General Discussion
vdrummer wrote: > here's a good Conness trip report: > > http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty_pages/romain.wacziarg/climbing/ConnessSept02.html > > I'm thinking of having a go at it sometime in the next couple > of weeks. Nice link, thanks. Would anyone know the aprpoximate mileage for the hike by this route? Either walking or boat ride? Thanks ~by bpnjensen - General Discussion
tomdisco wrote: > Time for a toll booth on the Happy Isles trail? > > Backpacker's-----------------------------FREE > > Day hikers------------------------------$15.00 > Fuel sur-charge--------------------$ 2.00 > Maintenance sur-charge---------$ 5.00 > Cell tower sur-charge------------$ 6.00 > Laptop hook-up charge----------$ 5.00 >by bpnjensen - General Discussion
bill-e-g wrote: > Slide Canyon is the canyon below the Sawtooth Ridge. It > contains > the headwaters of Piute Creek. > If you look on your park map you will see Slide Mountain in the > NE > corner of the park. The photo above is the area where on the > map > the river "disappears". > It's really an incredible feature, a HUGE slide slid down this >by bpnjensen - General Discussion
eeek wrote: > sierranomad wrote: > > > Jerks. > > Mysterious jerks so far. Why are they doing this? > Indeed, a motive might be helpful. Perhaps Norman Clyde can give us a clue - sceance, anybody?by bpnjensen - General Discussion
y_p_w wrote: > Intimidation factor? Try Angels Landing in Zion NP. People > fall to their deaths on a fairly regular basis. > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/41039231@N00/63125170/ Indeed, Angel's Landing is not good for anyone with vertigo! There are a couple of sections where the only thing between you and a 1,000-foot drop is thin air; the railing / grab-chain being on the *upby bpnjensen - General Discussion
sierranomad wrote: > I'm interested in hearing what those that have done both Dana & > Lembert Dome think. > > Obviously, this query has nothing to do with the level of > exertion needed to make it to the top of the respective > features. > > Here's what and why I'm asking: I want to do Dana, and know > that I'm up to it physically (was planning on doing it thisby bpnjensen - General Discussion
cthenn wrote: > bpnjensen wrote: > > > > > > FWIW, Both Hoffman and Dana have brass USGS markers at their > > summits - Hoffman's is clean and readable, Dana's looks like > it > > has been through a scarp metal crusher...but hey, you can > > still take a picture :-) Don't know if Lewis will have one > or > > not. > > Is there a summiby bpnjensen - General Discussion
cthenn wrote: > Radio tower, yuck...that's why I'm thinking Mt. Lewis. I think > for sure I'll try Dana on my second full day, and as for the > first full day, I'll have to just play it by ear, or what looks > more appealing. FWIW, Both Hoffman and Dana have brass USGS markers at their summits - Hoffman's is clean and readable, Dana's looks like it has been through a scarp metalby bpnjensen - General Discussion
cthenn wrote: > Wow, things to think about...I'd like to do all these hikes, > lol! I guess there's always next year. I'll probably do > Hoffmann or Lewis one day, saving Dana for last (hopefully I'll > be slighty acclimated on the 3rd day). How's the hike through > the valley on the way to Lewis, et al? Looks kinda > marshy/boggy. > > I assume the route up Lewis froby bpnjensen - General Discussion
??? The same log was straight across the base of the retaining slope last time I was there, in June...it hasn't gone anywhere!by bpnjensen - General Discussion
To all of this I would add the Gaylor and Granite Lakes from Tioga Pass. Extravagantly splendid scenery second to none, and after a brief strenuous uphill, moderate walking afterward. About 5 mi. RT.by bpnjensen - General Discussion
We got a nasty one last January at the Lodge. It ruined my wife's stay and my son and I got it bad upon our arrival back home. This virus is typical of resort areas and cruise ships, and spreads easily. Keep hands immaculately clean!by bpnjensen - General Discussion
There is also a big, gorgeous red cedar log across the front of the view that makes a great foreground object for photographs without obstructing the view! Photos ops there are better now than in many-a-year.by bpnjensen - General Discussion
Wonderful, Steve! Thank you! Great pictures! Next year, we do it for sure! :-)by bpnjensen - General Discussion
My son and I went part way up - it is still traversible, and it is not hard to find. Having said that, it looks and feels incredibly dangerous - steep slopes downward, large ledges of unstable-looking overhanging rock with rockslides at their bases - and I will not go up there again. Interestingly, there is a sign up there that says, "Trail Closed - Go Back" or something like that,by bpnjensen - General Discussion
Hi, Andrew - the answer to this question could be pretty big, or could be manageable. Here are a few things you should keep in mind: 1 - the Waterfalls will be all but nonexistent. The only falls with any flow will be the two "big" falls on the Merced River in Yosemite Valley (Vernal and Nevada Falls), and even they will be fairly low. Bridalveil Fall will have some wispy flow. Theby bpnjensen - General Discussion
Hey! Nice Sierra Point picture! I wanted desperately to get up there this lats week, but my son's friend turned out to be an unexpected dud, so we never got there... :-(by bpnjensen - General Discussion
What is that fire in the canyon just west of Yosemite Valley? Is that really new, or very small? There was no sign of it Friday as we left the park...by bpnjensen - General Discussion
As of last Friday, June 20, Yosemite Falls still looked fairly good, best at night (resplendent under a full moon!) and in early morning following the previous day's snowmelt max several miles back upstream; The big Merced River falls were both just great, if not at their hugest, and Bridalveil was ethereally lovely with a very good flow. From Glacier Point, Pyweack Cascade looked moderate. Theby bpnjensen - General Discussion
The webcams make the Valley look like a horrible smoky mess :-( http://www.yosemite.org/vryos/index.htmby bpnjensen - General Discussion
We've been using modern nylon tents for camping and backpacking for years now, in rain, snow and heat, and they work just fine. They keep us generally drier than the canvas tents ever did!by bpnjensen - General Discussion
Frank Furter wrote: > >>He originally planned to build the trail all the way up the > north side to the top of the falls near Snow’s hotel<< > Of course, this brings up the question: what was "Snow's > Hotel"? Apparently there was a hotel/lodge variously > called Snow Hotel, La Casa Nevada, or Alpine House until about > late 1890's between Vernal andby bpnjensen - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Strix wrote: > I found this while browsing the historic maps link in another > thread. Lots of other interesting stuff there too. > > Yosemite: the Park and its Resources (1987) by Linda W. Greene > (edit: Chapt 2, pg 88) > > (8) Anderson Trail > > In 1882 George C. Anderson contracted with the Yosemite > commissioners and began construction on a trail up the noby bpnjensen - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
robinjayp wrote: > For Yellowstone, I have found some great information on this > site: > http://www.yellowstone.net/forums/ > > They have a thread on favorite hikes in the park as well: > http://www.yellowstone.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3514 > Second this site. A more fabulous and helpful and knowledgeable group of people you will not find anywhere.by bpnjensen - General Discussion
mrcondron wrote: > I remember my father taking me to the Indian Cave back in about > 1950 when I was a wisp of a lad. I also remember not being > impressed as I was expecting a real cave with things hanging > down and things pointing up with bats and all. What it turned > out to be was a jumble of large fallen rocks that you could > walk into, probably from the Royal Arches oby bpnjensen - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra