Wow this stuff is amazing. The last picture in David K42's series in particular knocks me out. Look at the flow of the waterfall. I'm also struck by how quickly the old road seems to be being recaptured by nature.by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Coo coo ca choo...an insane chicken with a cold? on a choo choo? eggsactly.by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Yep, formative, probably right. Still reminds me of my teens.by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Ah, the formidable stages! Reminds me of my 'teens... In fact, eeek is right, this storm sequence looks formidable.by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I spent this last Thursday through Saturday Nordic skiing (!!) at Tahoe xc just outside of Tahoe City. There was enough snow from this last storm to groom (!!) a good amount of trails for classic and skate skiing. (My apologies for all the exclamation points, but really, skiing in October?!!--wait, more exclamation points...) Anyway, there was still more snow up around Donner Summit, a beautifulby hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
First of all: Yay! for a happy ending. Second of all: big plus 1 for SAR and support.by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Didn't they just drain Waugh Lake a couple of years ago? and that was certainly weird. One can only assume that the experts know what they're doing.by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Have to agree that the mule/burro pass area makes for a spectacular day's hiking. Also, Rodgers lake is as good as advertised.by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I like the Katadyn Mybottle. Like the Sawyer Squeeze, but with a bottle, you just scoop up water, squeeze and drink. I spoke with a Katadyn rep and she assured me that the virustat element in the filter--which is essentially iodine--is not needed "in North America" so I'm about to switch to the simpler and lighter two-piece filter, which I hope will improve flow. (By the way the olderby hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Started last Tuesday a week later than planned and boy am I glad for that because the weather this last week was phenomenal! Left Berkeley and arrived at the valley wilderness center at 12:30 where I was issued a permit for that very day (!). Hiked the mist trail to Little Yosemite valley and since there weren't many people I camped there. The next day I hiked in to Merced Lake, seeing no one.by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks, Chick-on!by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Oh, perect timing for this post! Thanks, guys! I'm going up to Merced Lake this next Wednesday and was wondering whether to bring the micro-spikes just for that section of switchbacks going up the north facing slope just past the avalanche zone. Anybody been up there? It can be briefly icy and scary. But I bet there's a clear path all the way up! Oh and then I'll day hike up to Babcock Lake, butby hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks eeek!by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Hmmm...haven't been able to connect to the Tuolumne Meadows winter update page for a couple of weeks now...is it just me? Pehaps Eeek can help me out here?...by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Allow me to report my super-duper anti-mosquito set-up. REI nylon pants (any will do)--that are also sun-blocking and that skeeters can't poke through; permethrinized base layer shirt; shell jacket or Houdini wind shirt that also blocks bites; and best of all--a drape sun-hat that serves beautifully to block skeeters--and of course the sun. You could say that it looks dorky--most do--or you couldby hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Several years back someone wrote a piece in the New Yorker about ice skating on frozen lakes in the Sierra. Most years you have a very brief window between the lake freezing and snow covering the ice. This year has been remarkable. Sometimes you only get a day or two. Last week I looked down on Eagle Lake (I believe: eagle falls trailhead at Lake Tahoe; I was on a higher trail) and saw that peoplby hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
In prehistoric times marmots would form a Kong-a line, set up a chant and then sacrifice a Fay Wray marmot to this giant chicken... which has since petrified. I believe that this is a logical explanation for how that rock got there.by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Kahtoola (sp.?) micro spikes are great. Just used them on Mt. Rose in Tahoe. All I needed; glad to have 'em.by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
WOW!! Glad to hear that you're o.k. Way to shrug off the terror and continue on. The good news: statistically speaking, you're golden from here on out!by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Yikes, I somehow read "Lake Tahoe". (I am thinking about skiing....).by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Love Tahoe for nordic skiing; the best! Plus cheap motels. Not so much for backpacking.by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I just finished this trip last Saturday. Go for it, no problems whatsoever. Couldn't have been easier. And not a soul at Vogelsang! Vogelsang pass itself, however, is sun-cupped throughout. A ranger that I spoke with took two hours (!) to cross it; plus it's a wet mess in the meadows on the other side. The lake was still 80% frozen--cream on milk. But taking the trail past Emeric to Merced wasby hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks everybody. I think that too much waiting to go makes me over-think. My pack and bear cannister (which is full) are sitting on my living room floor kind of glowering at me. I've been over Vogelsang pass when it's snow-cupped over but that's no bid deal, technically. (By the way, you can see Vogelsong tonight at the all-star game.) Chick-On, you are so right about Lyel. I've had two...intereby hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
So next week starting on the 20th I was planning what I assumed would be a mostly snow free trip. Seems otherwise. Any reports on snow/creek conditions at Vogelsang, out towards triple divide (9500 feet-ish on mostly south-facing slopes) and then to Sunrise from Echo Valley? Actually, I just read Chick-On's remarks about Sunrise being sun-cup city. Wow. It's late. Also, the Lyel fork can be peskyby hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
My point exactly. I mean, Muir's point exactly. He got the geology right too.by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Yeah between the weather and work...this year is the latest I've ever been on this particular trip. I've stopped taking a camera with me, so sorry, no pics. With so many posters asking about conditions I really just wanted to report water and snow levels along the Merced. Also, this is a very pretty, enjoyable hike with surprisingly few people if you hit it early. Or do what Chick-On did and goby hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Started last wed. and here's what I found: Out of Happy Isles to Echo Valley (2 miles short of Merced Lake) on day one, surprised that there was no water from the Merced flooding the trail anywhere. Also no real snow--the whole way a breeze. And no rattlers! Lots of downed trees but I ran into a crew just out of L.Y. valley clearing the way. Day two, day hiked up past the lake and on up about 1by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Sorry, I meant the on-line Weather channel site.by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Has anybody else noticed that the weather forecast on the official park site always predicts temps at Yos. to be about 8 degrees lower than the weather channel site? who to trust in these turbulent times?by hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thesis: chick-on. Antithesis:chick-off. Synthesis (or the negation of the negation): featherless biped? Thanks, calipedderby hegel - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion