QuoteDave Marmots like to look at their reflection on the lens. Brown towhees like to fight with their reflection in hubcaps, rear view mirrors, etc.by gophersnake - Photography advice, critiques and tutorials
I found three pics from last summer that included Sentinel Dome, converted them to the specified format, and sent them off. I wish I knew a little more about what they were and weren't hoping to show -- or will that depend on what they get?by gophersnake - Photography advice, critiques and tutorials
This is about the two kids who went missing in Cleveland National Forest recently: http://news.yahoo.com/calif-hiker-4-days-missing-felt-dream-234658888.htmlby gophersnake - General Discussion
Are those located just above Vernal Fall or at the footbridge where the Mist and John Muir trails separate? I remember seeing composting toilets in the comfort station above Vernal Fall. I don't remember a water fountain there, but I wasn't looking for one. The toilets near the footbridge are flushies, so they'd need water to operate. There is a drinking fountain there (with faucets for filby gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuotePatsfans We have left all the National Parks we have been to feeling like we needed to go back at some point and do the hikes we didnt get to. I already know that we will feel the same way leaving Yosemite. Well, then... Start now to plan your next few Yosemite trips!by gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotemarmot if this budget sequester is of such a significance and large impact, then how is it possible for the merced river act and the mariposa grove restoration projects to be carried out? Delay the start date, proceed more slowly, and defer some other projects to allow these two to continue?by gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I guess they aren't going to say if this is a direct result of the "sequester" cuts or not. My local post office has a notice up that they won't be able to accept passport applications starting March 1st. Could be a coincidence...by gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quoteeeek Why do you assume there's salmon? It's salmon-colored and tastes a lot like salmon. So color me gullible. If I were a gull, on the other hand, I wouldn't care what was in it.by gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Oh, sorry! It was really the same story continued. I meant, I like the salmon burger but don't much care for the Village Grill ("Grill", for short) where it's sold. -------------------- "I like grils!" "You mean you like girls." "What about us grils?"by gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quoteplawrence The Grill ? Don't know of any eating establishment inside Yosemite called "The Grill". Quotegophersnake... I do end up eating at the Village Grill maybe once a year ...by gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quoteparklover What is on the salmon sandwich in addition to the salmon? Is it a salmon cake or an actual slab of salmon? Darn! If I'd known you were going to ask, I would've looked more closely. It's billed as a salmon burger and I remember it as a cake or patty I pack a real lunch when I can (and usually eat it on the trail), but I do end up eating at the Village Grill maybe once a yearby gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuotePineCone I think they should leave it there when they're done, fill it with beds, and rent it out as an ultra-deluxe tent cabin! The mice they displaced from the other tent cabins have dibs on it.by gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Wherever the sun sets around this part of February, I'd also expect it to set there in mid-October. Does this "firefall" happen only in February because the waterfall is usually dry in October?by gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechick-on It's pretty simple imo. Nearly ALL of the weight of the pack should be supported by your hips. There should be next to zero weight on your shoulders... If you want to see how important this is... load up your pack and adjust as normal... and then undo the hip belt completely so all the weight is on your shoulders... see how far you get before you start crying. You won't makby gophersnake - General Discussion
I found an earlier thread where we discussed nerve problems that can result from wearing a hipbelt too tight: Meralgia Parestheticaby gophersnake - General Discussion
They seem to have focused on damage from the pressure of the shoulder straps to neck and shoulder nerves. Unlike every other pack I've ever used, my last two have been designed so that the hip belt supports almost all of the weight, with the shoulder straps just helping to keep the pack upright. Here are some links I collected while I was choosing them and learning to use them: Backpacks:by gophersnake - General Discussion
QuoteDave But what gets me is this is only a 5% cut and people are acting like it's a 50% cut. I was thinking that although a 5% cut would mean that some activities would get reduced, it wouldn't look like, say, removing only 95% of the snow from a road and patching only 95% of the potholes before reopening it. It seems more likely that 95% of roads would get completely reopened on schedule and tby gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
When I look at that area in Google Maps, I see several roads mislabeled "Tuolumne River". I'm guessing that the computer was trying to send you over them, not the real Tuolumne River (which doesn't run south of 120 anyway). I guess if I studied the Gmap topo of that area I might eventually be able to figure what the real names of those roads are. I'm not making plans to work on it anby gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Happy Belated Birthday, Mike!by gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
They've been talking for a good 20 years about adding Reagan to Mt. Rushmore too. Here's a comparatively recent news story: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ronald-reagan-centennial-presidents-likeness-live/story?id=12853508 I think it was about 8 or 10 years ago that the Onion (I think it was) ran a picture of how the "back side" of Mt. Rushmore (if there's any such spot) could be scuby gophersnake - General Discussion
Thanks for all the tips and info. I think next time I'm in the Valley (May?) I'll ask at the Wilderness Center. Here's how I picture that conversation going: "Hi Wilderness Center, I understand that permits to climb Half Dome are in great demand but I'd like a permit NOT to climb Half Dome." If they don't have a solution for me (and can't explain why it's verboten), I'll probably try tby gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'd just like to get as close to it as I can without a permit, see what the cables look like, take pictures of the pile(s) of discarded gloves and whatever else is there to see, and head back down. I remember reading that (a.) people who are going up the cables won't be allowed "on the Half Dome Trail beyond the base of the subdome" but that (b.) people who get to the top of Half Domby gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechick-onBrought my water bed with me. That would explain where all the snow went, from around that pine.by gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'd call that an Inverse Dagwood.by gophersnake - General Discussion
Yes (in Lower Pines, anyway). And I've started responding with, "WHAA-AT?" That seems to take the wind out of their sails, some of the time anyway.by gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotemarmot I find it quite enjoyable sitting and dipping my feet into some nice water while taking a break from hiking. Dip away. I'm confident that my filter can handle it.by gophersnake - General Discussion
On p. 575 there's a table, "Summary of traumatic deaths in Yosemite, 1851-2010". For the "Motor Vehicle Accidents" category it lists Male Victims 123, Female Victims 40. For "Bicycle Crashes" the numbers are 3 and 1 respectively. According to a footnote, wagon wrecks were included in the "Horses" category (8 and 3) Heart attacks and other illnesses areby gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The authors of Off the Wall said they'd put a huge amount of time into researching the earliest incidents, before the Park Service was keeping records. Often the only sources were conflicting news reports and it wasn't always clear exactly who the victims or the witnesses had been. I'd think NPS would have much more complete data on recent incidents so all you'd have to do would be to get theby gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
What are those two big black birds on the roof in the last picture?by gophersnake - Photography advice, critiques and tutorials
QuoteplawrenceFor me, taking this alternate route (Hwy 140 from I-5) only adds about 15-20 minutes (at most) to my trip via 140. And according to Google Maps it should add about 19 minutes to the trip, so I'm not sure why it has taken you a lot longer. In that case I think I'll try driving it, thanks! I rode over it once as a passenger a few years ago but wasn't paying any attention to how lonby gophersnake - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion