The bird is Clark's Nutcracker. The butterfly is some kind of Fritillary; I am leaning towards Hydaspe, but it could be Great Basin - with only one worn individual, and no shot of the underside of the wings I think it's an impossible id, and I don't know enough about seasonal distribution etc. of the two species to know which is more likely.by Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteThe Other Tomthe reflection reminded him of an aligator mouth More like the beak of some hideous malformed bird. No ... surely it couldn't be ... could it?by Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks Katy - those gorgeous shots really brightened up my day!by Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The Rim Fire has grown substantially; it is now almost 180,000 acres. Latest mapping shows the fire has reached the south shore of Hetch Hetchy on a wide front. It is around four miles from the Merced and Tuolumne groves of Giant Sequoias. On the west side, it is also around four miles from Tuolumne City, and threatening a number of other communities along the highway 108 (to Sonora Pass) corridoby Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotemurphtron Good suggestion. i just did. +1by Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Visible from space: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/08/yosemite-fire-suomi-npp/ Daily progression: (see how small it was when we saw it 8 days ago): http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/photos/CASTF/2013-08-17-1950-Rim/picts/2013_08_26-14.11.21.961-CDT.jpeg The dail progression shows it really hasn't gained much ground in the past three days. Just imagine if it had maintained the growth rate of tby Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Terrific stuff - thanks!by Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteRoyalist QuoteDavidK42next week ... a few nights in ... White Wolf There is a significant risk that you will not be able to get up to White Wolf, because 120 may be closed somewhere between the valley and White Wolf. I would have been happy to have been wrong about the risks to that part of the park.by Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
If you find the static image above hard to read, the link takes you to a PDF that you can zoom into.by Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Latest map: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/photos/CASTF/2013-08-17-1950-Rim/picts/2013_08_23-11.16.50.747-CDT.pdfby Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteDavidK42next week ... a few nights in ... White Wolf There is a significant risk that you will not be able to get up to White Wolf, because 120 may be closed somewhere between the valley and White Wolf.by Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Fire size roughly doubled in the last 24 hours - it's now up to 105,000 acres. Local morning news confirmed that the fire is into the western edge of Yosemite NP. It also appears to be threatening Emigrant Wilderness. Mandatory evacuations are going on. Containment is still near-nil - this fire keeps jumping containment lines. 4,500 structures are now under threat (up from 2,500 yesterday).by Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteKCThe gentleman speaking was critical of prescribed burns in areas where new growth consists of flammable grasses and brush. Jawbone Ridge (where the fire started) is exactly that - it's new growth after multiple recent fires. Of course there was no prescribed burn, but it's almost certain that some kind of human activity started the fire.by Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
More evacuations have been ordered. And here is a really scary map: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-exZSqIEUUmI/UhZKuviSoAI/AAAAAAAAIsY/jyuJd_lVU1s/s1600/RIM+FIRE++TUOLUMNE+MARIPOSA+COUNTIES+MAP+5.jpgby Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Now up to 53,000 acres: http://www.inciweb.org/incident/3660/by Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Update: An Advisory Evacuation has been issued to the following areas: San Jose Family Camp, Yosemite Riverside Inn, Spinning Wheel, Rainbow Pool, Buck Meadow, Yosimite Vista Estates, Ferretti Rd. to Clements, Camp Tawonga, Berkeley Family Camp, Harden Flat, Naco West, Yosemite Lakes RV Pakrs, Evergreen Lodge, and Pine Mt. Lake. Evacuations Center is located at Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Soby Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteCalaverasI'm now paying $180 a year in local and state fees to fight these fires. All I'm getting is the same level of service I got 5 years ago before the fees. I expect that if I'm going to pay more that I'm going to get more. The cost of the Rim Fire is already millions of dollars. $180 a year is a drop in the bucket. Your fire protection (and much else besides) is heavily subsidized byby Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteCalaverasI'm completely dismayed at the lack of early response there was to this fire. Where were the DC-10s on the first day? I heard they were fighting the "Bridges" fire, which was much higher priority at that time. Resources are finite. On Sunday afternoon, there were two fixed-wing tankers dropping retardant; those made multiple round-trip flights while we were there.by Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Scary picture: http://goldrushcam.com/sierrasuntimes/index.php/photos/photo-of-the-day/9527-photo-of-the-day-august-20-2013-rim-fire-near-groveland-fire-stationby Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteJustKeepWalkingI'm so bummed about this. Here's hoping the hotshots and everyone else involved/impacted stay safe. It's sad to lose buildings and memories, but lives... that's horrible. We were chatting to locals while we watched the battle on Sunday. They were concerned about their properties and those of people they knew. Obviously we knew about the firefighters who were killed by the 19by Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuotettilleySounds like it's getting worse...crossed 120, "some structures...lost"... Two homes: QuoteInciWebTwo residences and five outbuildings were lost along Packer Canyon Road in yesterdays eastward push of the fire. The forest service ranger station is threatened. The really big worry is Groveland/Pine Lake/etc. When we were there two days ago, it was really not far from thby Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
One detail I forgot to mention - the grassy slope just below the low wall around the Rim of the World turnout was charred. We were told that some bright spark was smoking a cigarette while watching the fire and flipped the butt over the edge, thus starting another fire. If true, that person was truly special...by Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Closures are more extensive than above: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/3660/20463/by Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
We passed through on 120 yesterday afternoon and spent about two hours watching the Rim Fire burning on Jawbone Ridge opposite the "Rim of the World" turnout. There were helicopters and fixed-wing tankers working it, but somehow it just wouldn't lie down and die - it would smoulder a bit, then flare up in a new spot. We left there around 18:00 with a bad feeling. I just read that theby Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuotebalzaccomHiking to Ten Lakes basin from there is a full day of hiking. A long hard day with a heck of a lot of elevation gain!by Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotebalzaccomthis would allow you to keep hiking on a single wilderness permit.... So would walking along the road (which we have done). The claim that you can't walk a short distance along a road between two trailheads as part of a single trip is a myth. Just don't ride the bus.by Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Looks like a bait'n'switch to me: http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/for/3900009293.html http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/for/3843315548.html Buyers create a market for scalpers, and buying is not allowed: http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/wan/3884460186.htmlby Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuotetomdiscoNo base commander is going to publicly own up to the fact one of his pilots did this. True you are extremely unlikely ever to get an admission or apology, but that doesn't mean it is not worth complaining.Base CO's do not enjoy receiving complaints from the NPS or public, and will ream the pilots out behind closed doors, thus mitigating the problem for a while.by Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteKatyAnderson To summarize, here are good places in Tuolomne to park your car while you are out on the trail for a few days: * Along the road between Lembert Dome day use parking and the stables, * Dog Lake TH parking lot which is located about half way between the Wilderness Center and Tuolomne Lodge, * The Wilderness Center parking lot, * May Lake TH parking lot, if you want to have yby Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteDavidSenesacThe best clothing is made of non-coated ripstop nylon which is light, or other synthetics with a tight weave. David, can you provide links to some examples of clothing you have found works really well. I have been bitten a fair bit through typical hiking shirts and pants; generally where those are pulled tight over skin (shoulders, hips).by Royalist - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion