Yosemite Guide Yosemite Guide June 16, 2021 - July 20, 2021 @Yosemitenps

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Yosemite Guide Yosemite Guide June 16, 2021 - July 20, 2021 @Yosemitenps Yosemite Guide Yosemite Guide June 16, 2021 - July 20, 2021 @YosemiteNPS UPDATE If you are not fully vaccinated, wearing a mask is required in federal buildings and in crowded outdoor spaces on federal land. Check local resources, area signage, and our park website for updates, www.nps.gov/yose. Day-use reservations are required: go.nps.gov/covid Tuolumne Meadows, Reflections - NPS Image/Christine Loberg Experience Your America Yosemite National Park Yosemite Guide June 16, 2021 - July 20, 2021 Experience Your America Yosemite National Park Yosemite Guide June 16, 2021 - July 20, 2021 Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System Campground Parking Valley Visitor Center Yosemite Valley Picnic Area Upper Yosemite Map Restroom Fall Yosemite Hetch Village Walk-In Hetchy Lower Campground Yosemite Tuolumne The Ansel Fall Adams l Medical Church Bowl Meadows i Gallery ra Clinic Picnic Area l T al F e t i (Do Not Enter) m Yosemite e The Ahwahnee os Mirror Valley r Y Area in inset: Uppe 2 Lake Yosemite Valley seasonal Map Yosemite North Camp 4 Half Dome Valley Housekeeping Pines Lower 8836 ft Chapel Camp Yosemite Falls Parking Lodge Pines 2693 m Yosemite Wawona Conservation Heritage Swinging Center (YCHC) Campground Bridge Reservations Yosemite Village Parking Curry Upper Happy Isles Loop is Sentinel Village Pines closed to vehicles Beach except for motorists with an accessibility placard il Trailhead a Curry Village Parking r r 0 1 km 1 mile T te Parking N e n il i w M in r u d o e Happy Isles Art El Capitan F s lo c and Nature Center Picnic Area Glacier Point closed in winter 72I4 ft Vernal 2I99 m Fall 3 l Mist Trai Cathedral ail Tr op h Beach Lo or M ey ses erce all only d R V iver Nevada 4 Fall To & Bridalveil Fall Large vehicles longer than 30 feet are not permitted on Sen- d oa The Yosemite Valley Shuttle System will not R B a r tinel Drive. Also, expect traffic re-routes and delays through n id o a aw l operate during the 2021 season. v W e Summer 2021. See park website for more information. i l 1 C r e e DRIVE, WALK, or BIKEk to some of Yosemite Valley’s most scenic attractions! To Illilouette 1 2 3 4Fall Tunnel View Lower Yosemite Fall Trailhead El Capitan Valley View i Experience Your America Yosemite National Park Yosemite Guide June 16, 2021 - July 20, 2021 Things to Do Summer in Yosemite SAFETY ALERT THINGS TO DO IN YOSEMITE VALLEY Custom Yosemite Experiences If you are not fully vaccinated, wearing a mask Join a Yosemite Conservancy naturalist guide is required in federal buildings and in crowded or art instructor for a customized experience outdoor spaces on federal land.Check local that fits your interests and schedule. resources, area signage, and our park website for updates, www.nps.gov/yose. Custom Adventures: Experience the park on personalized day hikes, birding walks, WELCOME stargazing programs and backpacking trips. Ask A Ranger yosemite.org/custom-adventures. Drop by the visitor contact station located in Custom Art Classes: Explore nature through front of Yosemite Valley Visitor Center to ask drawing, painting, sketching and journaling. your Yosemite-related questions and to get We also offer creative activities for kids! park information and updates. Follow signs yosemite.org/custom-art. for the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center. Open 9am to 5pm. Look for visitor contact stations Looking for ways to connect with Yosemite near other visitor centers in Tuolumne Meadows, from home? Contact us to schedule a virtual Wawona, and Big Oak Flat. adventure or art class: adventures@yosemite. Join a Photography Class with The Ansel Adams Gallery, see page 4 for details. Image courtesy of The Ansel Adams Gallery org or [email protected]. Walking and Hiking Park App How Will My Visit Be Impacted? Yosemite Valley has plenty of year-round Download the National Park The COVID-19 pandemic will continue to affect park operations in 2021. Visitation to the park walking and hiking possibilities. Stop by the Service app for an interactive will be managed in accordance with recommendations from public health officials. Visit the park outdoor visitor contact station in front of the map, hiking trails, and park website, www.nps.gov/yose for more updates and safety information. Yosemite Valley Visitor Center for trail maps updates. See page 11. Day-Use Reservations Required to Visit Yosemite and updated weather and trail conditions. A reservation is required to drive into Yosemite through September 30, 2021. You must display Bicycling your day-use permit on your dashboard at all times while inside the park. Permits are valid for Explore Like A Junior Ranger! three consecutive days for unlimited entries and are not valid for overnight use. Experience several miles of bicycle paths in Yosemite Valley. Use your own bicycle or rent Become a Yosemite Junior Ranger by purchasing one from the Village Store in Yosemite Village, this self-guided handbook and completing the Currently open and Not open or available Unavailable in early available at this time Yosemite Valley Lodge or Curry Village, activities that are the best fit for you. When you 2021 conditions permitting. See page 6 for Bike are done, share your booklet with a park ranger An outdoor visitor contact Visitor Centers are closed until All shuttles and tours are Stand hours. Or, see page 4 to learn about the at any Yosemite visitor center during operating station is located in front of further notice; outdoor visitor canceled during this time Yosemite Bike Share program. Bicycles are only hours to receive your badge and patch. the Valley Visitor Center. contact stations available. Campgrounds in Yosemite Many programs are canceled Yosemite Theater and Yosemite allowed on paved roads and paved bike paths. Valley are open, reservations until further notice, see page Museum will be closed during required, see page 7. 4 for llist of current programs this time. Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center Select dining and shopping Some campgrounds are cur- Tuolumne Meadows Lodge The Sierra Club’s Yosemite Conservation establishments are open and rently closed. There is no first and High Sierra Camps are Heritage Center (formerly Le Conte Memorial encourage social distancing. come, first served camping. closed during this time. Lodge) will not open this season, from May 1 through September 30, 2021, due to COVID-19. All evening programs have What Does 6-ft Look Like? been cancelled for the season due to social The wing span of a bald eagle is distancing requirements. The Yosemite roughly 6 feet long. While social Conservation Heritage Center will reopen distancing, imagine the length on May 1, 2022. Call 209/347-7300 for of a soaring eagles’ wing span information and updates. between you and others. Entering a National Park Access for People with Disabilities Upcoming Park Projects Yosemite is a place where wilderness For a complete list of accessible services, exhibits, Bridalveil Fall Rehabilitation Project prevails. Prepare yourself for a wild and recreational opportunities, pick up a Yosemite Why: To rehabilitate visitor facilities at the experience. The National Park Service is Accessibility Guide at any park entrance station base of Bridalveil Fall and surrounding Inside: bound by its mission to protect Yosemite's natural or visitor center, or view online at www.nps.gov/ area, and to protect natural and cultural and cultural resources for the benefit and enjoyment yose/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm, or call a park resources in the area. of future generations. Please, be attentive to the Accessibility Coordinator at (209) 379-1035. When: 2021 regulations in place to protect park resources (page Visitor Impact: Trail, comfort station and parking lot Sign Language interpreting is available 9) and those designed for your safety (page 8). will not be available due to construction. 01 Things to Do upon request. Contact Deaf Services at (209) 379-5250 (v/txt). Two weeks Fire – Police – Medical Tioga Road Rehabilitation Plan 04 Exhibits and Programs advance notice is requested. Emergency: Why: To make safety improvements and manage Dial 911 Assistive Listening Devices available upon roadside parking and traffic flow while preserving 05 Services Medical Clinic (in Yosemite Valley) advance request at any visitor center. natural and cultural resources along the road. Open 7 days per week from 9am to 7pm. Audio tours available at Yosemite Valley When: 2021 and 2022 seasons 07 Permit Information Medical Clinic Phone: (209) 372-4637. Visitor Center. Refer to the Accessibility Visitor Impact: 30-minute traffic delays along Tioga Guide, or contact an Accessibility Road due to construction. 09 Protecting Yourself Road, Weather, and Park Coordinator for more information. Information: (209) 372-0200 10 Feature Story Yosemite Village Garage - 8am to 5pm, Accessible parking spaces available west 24 hour AAA towing, NO gas, propane service of Yosemite Valley Visitor Center. Back Yosemite Valley Map until 4:30pm. (209) 372-1060 Where to Go and What to Do in Yosemite National Park 1 Experience Your America Yosemite National Park Discover Yosemite Let your curiosity guide you to new places Entrance Fees Walking Yosemite Valley Valley Visitor Center Non-commercial car, truck, RV, or van Upper We strongly recommend moving around the Yosemite with 15 or fewer passenger seats Fall (No per-person fee) east end of Yosemite Valley on foot or bike Yosemite W if possible. On the map below, the numbers Lower Vehicle Valid for 3 days Yosemite Village in the white circles show the average walking Fall Medical $35/Vehicle Clinic time between each destination, represented Motorcycle Valid for 3 days 20 by the red circles. 10 $30/motorcycle Yosemite The Ahwahnee Valley 10 Individual Valid for 3 days Lodge 30 $20 (In a bus, on foot, bicycle, or horse), 5 North Camp 4 Housekeeping Pines Yosemite Pass $70, Chapel Camp Lower Valid for one year in Yosemite.
Recommended publications
  • Sketch of Yosemite National Park and an Account of the Origin of the Yosemite and Hetch Hetchy Valleys
    SKETCH OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK AND AN ACCOUNT OF THE ORIGIN OF THE YOSEMITE AND HETCH HETCHY VALLEYS DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 1912 This publication may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington. I). C, for LO cents. 2 SKETCH OP YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK AND ACCOUNT OF THE ORIGIN OF THE YOSEMITE AND HETCH HETCHY VALLEYS. By F. E. MATTHES, U. S. Geological Surrey. INTRODUCTION. Many people believe that the Yosemite National Park consists principally of the Yosemite Valley and its bordering heights. The name of the park, indeed, would seem to justify that belief, yet noth­ ing could be further from the truth. The Yosemite Valley, though by far the grandest feature of the region, occupies only a small part of the tract. The famous valley measures but a scant 7 miles in length; the park, on the other hand, comprises no less than 1,124 square miles, an area slightly larger than the State of Rhode Island, or about one-fourth as large as Connecticut. Within this area lie scores of lofty peaks and noble mountains, as well as many beautiful valleys and profound canyons; among others, the Iletch Hetchy Valley and the Tuolumne Canyon, each scarcely less wonderful than the Yosemite Valley itself. Here also are foaming rivers and cool, swift trout brooks; countless emerald lakes that reflect the granite peaks about them; and vast stretches of stately forest, in which many of the famous giant trees of California still survive. The Yosemite National Park lies near the crest of the great alpine range of California, the Sierra Nevada.
    [Show full text]
  • National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
    NPS Form 10-900 OMBNo. 10024-0018 (Oct. 1990) United States Department of the Interior » , • National Park Service V National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determination for individual properties and districts Sec instructions in How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested. If an item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" lor 'not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and area of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10- 900A). Use typewriter, word processor or computer to complete all items. 1. Name of Property____________________________________________________ historic name Camp 4 other name/site number Sunnyside Campground__________________________________________ 2. Location_______________________________________________________ street & number Northside Drive, Yosemite National Park |~1 not for publication city or town N/A [_xj vicinity state California code CA county Mariposa code 043 zip code 95389 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this Itjiomination _irquest for determination of eligibility meets the documentationsJand»ds-iJar
    [Show full text]
  • Glacier Point Hiking Trails
    Yosemite National Park National Park Service Glacier Point Area Hiking Map U.S. Department of the Interior 2.0 mi (3.2 k To m 3.1 ) Clouds Rest m i (5 3.8 mi .0 0 k . 5.8 km m) 1 7 . Half 1 m cables Dome ) k i km m 8836ft 0.5 .1 (permit mi i (3 2693m required) m 0 1.9 .8 km ) Glacier Point m k r 1 . e 2 v i (7 ( m .7 i 8 km i Bunnell 4. ) R m d Point 3 For Yosemite Valley trails and information, Four Mile . e 1 c r Trailhead ) e at Road km M Fl please see the Yosemite Valley Hiking Map ) 0.8 k 7214ft Happy Isles km 6.7 mi (1 a .6 O 2199m Trailhead (1 mi g 1 0 i .0 Vernal Fall 1. B m 1 i .6 k Little Yosemite Valley ) m km 6100ft 9 0.4 mi 3. Nevada Fall 1859m ( ) 120 i 0.6 km Sentinel m Road Trail m 1 k ) . m 4 k Crane Flat . Dome 4 .2 1.0 mi 4 4 2 ( . Wawona Tunnel 8122ft m i Bridalveil Fall 1 m 1.6 km ( i Tunnel 6 2476m i ( . Parking Area Ranger Station 2 2 m View . d Washburn 3 9 a . k 0.7 mi 0 Point m o Inspiration 1.1 km Telephone Campground Taft Point ) R Point 7503ft l Illilouette Fall 3 Illilouette Ridge a .7 m 2287m Store Restrooms t i (6 r .0 1.1 mi (1.8 km) o k Sentinel Dome r ) m Stanford m P k e ) & Taft Point 2 Point 0 .
    [Show full text]
  • YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK O C Y Lu H M Tioga Pass Entrance 9945Ft C Glen Aulin K T Ne Ee 3031M E R Hetc C Gaylor Lakes R H H Tioga Road Closed
    123456789 il 395 ra T Dorothy Lake t s A Bond C re A Pass S KE LA c i f i c IN a TW P Tower Peak Barney STANISLAUS NATIONAL FOREST Mary Lake Lake Buckeye Pass Twin Lakes 9572ft EMIGRANT WILDERNESS 2917m k H e O e O r N V C O E Y R TOIYABE NATIONAL FOREST N Peeler B A Lake Crown B C Lake Haystack k Peak e e S Tilden r AW W Schofield C TO Rock Island OTH IL Peak Lake RI Pass DG D Styx E ER s Matterhorn Pass l l Peak N a Slide E Otter F a Mountain S Lake ri e S h Burro c D n Pass Many Island Richardson Peak a L Lake 9877ft R (summer only) IE 3010m F LE Whorl Wilma Lake k B Mountain e B e r U N Virginia Pass C T O Virginia S Y N Peak O N Y A Summit s N e k C k Lake k c A e a C i C e L C r N r Kibbie d YO N C n N CA Lake e ACK AI RRICK K J M KE ia in g IN ir A r V T e l N k l U e e pi N O r C S O M Y Lundy Lake L Piute Mountain N L te I 10541ft iu A T P L C I 3213m T Smedberg k (summer only) Lake e k re e C re Benson Benson C ek re Lake Lake Pass C Vernon Creek Mount k r e o Gibson e abe Upper an r Volunteer McC le Laurel C McCabe E Peak rn Lake u Lake N t M e cCa R R be D R A Lak D NO k Rodgers O I es e PLEASANT EA H N EL e Lake I r l Frog VALLEY R i E k G K C E LA e R a e T I r r Table Lake V North Peak T T C N Pettit Peak A INYO NATIONAL FOREST O 10788ft s Y 3288m M t ll N Fa s Roosevelt ia A e Mount Conness TILT r r Lake Saddlebag ILL VALLEY e C 12590ft (summer only) h C Lake ill c 3837m Lake Eleanor ilt n Wapama Falls T a (summer only) N S R I Virginia c A R i T Lake f N E i MIGUEL U G c HETCHY Rancheria Falls O N Highway 120 D a MEADOW
    [Show full text]
  • Yosemite Guide Yosemite
    Yosemite Guide Yosemite Where to Go and What to Do in Yosemite National Park July 29, 2015 - September 1, 2015 1, September - 2015 29, July Park National Yosemite in Do to What and Go to Where NPS Photo NPS 1904. Grove, Mariposa Monarch, Fallen the astride Soldiers” “Buffalo Cavalry 9th D, Troop Volume 40, Issue 6 Issue 40, Volume America Your Experience Yosemite, CA 95389 Yosemite, 577 PO Box Service Park National US DepartmentInterior of the Year-round Route: Valley Yosemite Valley Shuttle Valley Visitor Center Upper Summer-only Routes: Yosemite Shuttle System El Capitan Fall Yosemite Shuttle Village Express Lower Shuttle Yosemite The Ansel Fall Adams l Medical Church Bowl i Gallery ra Clinic Picnic Area l T al Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System F e E1 5 P2 t i 4 m e 9 Campground os Mirror r Y 3 Uppe 6 10 2 Lake Parking Village Day-use Parking seasonal The Ahwahnee Half Dome Picnic Area 11 P1 1 8836 ft North 2693 m Camp 4 Yosemite E2 Housekeeping Pines Restroom 8 Lodge Lower 7 Chapel Camp Lodge Day-use Parking Pines Walk-In (Open May 22, 2015) Campground LeConte 18 Memorial 12 21 19 Lodge 17 13a 20 14 Swinging Campground Bridge Recreation 13b Reservations Rentals Curry 15 Village Upper Sentinel Village Day-use Parking Pines Beach E7 il Trailhead a r r T te Parking e n il i w M in r u d 16 o e Nature Center El Capitan F s lo c at Happy Isles Picnic Area Glacier Point E3 no shuttle service closed in winter Vernal 72I4 ft Fall 2I99 m l E4 Mist Trai Cathedral ail Tr op h Beach Lo or M ey ses erce all only d R V iver E6 Nevada To & Fall The Valley Visitor Shuttle operates from 7 am to 10 pm and serves stops in numerical order.
    [Show full text]
  • Wilderness-Use.Pdf
    Trailhead Quota System Acquiring A Wilderness Permit Acquiring A Wilderness Permit Continued Welcome! Yosemite is a popular destination for backpackers, By reservation. Advance reservations are available From May through October, you can get permits at and it includes over 700 miles of trail and 54 for trips occurring from May through October. the following locations: The greater the obstacle, • Yosemite Valley Wilderness Center in Yosemite Most of Yosemite National Park is trailheads. Yosemite National Park has a trailhead Reservations are available up to 24 weeks (168 days), the more glory quota system limiting the number of overnight but no later than two days, before your start date. Village next to the Post Office in overcoming it. designated Wilderness—designated by • Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness Center, one mile visitors entering a particular trailhead on a given Jean Baptiste Molière Congress because the American people To reserve a permit, download a reservation form east of the Tuolumne Store, off Tioga Road wanted areas where nature and its day. This system is designed to reduce impacts from www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wild and to avoid overcrowding, in keeping with the • Big Oak Flat Information Station, immediately community of life remain unchanged by permits.htm, completely fill out the form, and Wilderness Act’s mandate of providing after the 120 West park entrance humans. You will experience nature on its fax to 209/372-0739. You may also call “outstanding opportunities for solitude.” The • The Wawona Visitor Center at Hill’s Studio own terms in Yosemite’s wilderness– 209/372-0740 or write to Wilderness Permits; quota system is based on where you begin your • Hetch Hetchy Entrance Station natural fires, falling rocks, high water stream PO Box 545; Yosemite, CA, 95389.
    [Show full text]
  • Yosemite Valley Hiking Map U.S
    Yosemite National Park National Park Service Yosemite Valley Hiking Map U.S. Department of the Interior To To ) S k Tioga n Tioga m e To o e k w r Road 10 Shuttle Route / Stop Road 7 Tioga . C Ranger Station C 4 n 3.I mi (year round) 6.9 mi ( Road r e i o 5.0 km y I e II.I km . 3.6 mi m n 6 k To a 9 m 5.9 km 18 Shuttle Route / Stop . C Self-guiding Nature Trail Tioga North 0 2 i Y n ( . o (summer only) 6 a Road 2 i s . d 6 m e 5.0 mi n m k i I Trailhead Parking ( 8.0 km m Bicycle / Foot Path I. it I.3 0 e ) k C m (paved) m re i ( e 2 ) ) k . Snow I Walk-in Campground m k k m Creek Hiking Trail .2 k ) Falls 3 Upper e ( e Campground i r Waterfall C Yosemite m ) 0 Fall Yosemite h I Kilometer . c r m 2 Point A k Store l 8 6936 ft . a ) y 0 2II4 m ( m I Mile o k i R 9 I. m ( 3. i 2 5 m . To Tamarack Flat North m i Yosemite Village 0 Lower (5 .2 Campground . I I Dome 2.5 mi Yosemite k Visitor Center m 7525 ft 0 Fall 3.9 km ) 2294 m . 3 k m e Cre i 2.0 mi Lower Yosemite Fall Trail a (3 To Tamarack Flat ( Medical Royal Mirror .2 0 y The Ahwahnee a m) k .
    [Show full text]
  • 9.0 Bibliography
    9.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY Archaeological Resources Technology (ART) [Revised by EDAW]. 2007. Historical Context and Archaeological Survey Report for the Hetch Hetchy Water & Power Communication System Upgrade Project. Bates, C. D., and M. J. Lee. 1990. Tradition and Innovation: A Basket History of the Indians of the Yosemite-Mono Lake Area. Yosemite Association, Yosemite National Park. Bennyhoff, J. A. 1953. High Altitude Occupation in the Yosemite National Park Region. University of California Archaeological Survey Reports 21:31–32. Berkeley. Bennyhoff, J. A. 1956. An Appraisal of the Archaeological Resources of Yosemite National Park. University of California Archaeological Survey Reports 34. Berkeley. Bridgman, Roy. 2006-2007. Wildlife Biologist. Stanislaus National Forest. United States Forest Service. Groveland Ranger District. Groveland, CA. December 15 and 18, 2006, and January 10 and February 6, 2007 – Email correspondence and telephone conversation regarding biological resources in the project area. Bunnell, L. H. 1990. Discovery of the Yosemite and the Indian War of 1851 Which Led to That Event. Reprint of the 4th ed., 1911. Yosemite Association, Yosemite National Park, California. California Air Resources Board (CARB) 2007. Ambient Air Quality Standards and Attainment Designations. Available: <http://www.arb.ca.gov>. Accessed March 2007. 2003. HARP User Guide. Sacramento, CA City and County of San Francisco (CCSF) Utilities and Engineering Bureau. 1992. Structural Rehabilitation Study of Old Moccasin Powerhouse. Appendix H, p.3. January 23. California Department of Forestry (CDF). 2007. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Cooperative Efforts. http://www.fire.ca.gov/fire_er_cefedgov.php. Accessed January 2007. California Department of Conservation (CDC). Stanislaus County 2002-2004 Land Use Conversion.
    [Show full text]
  • Wall Free Climb in the World by Tommy Caldwell
    FREE PASSAGE Finding the path of least resistance means climbing the hardest big- wall free climb in the world By Tommy Caldwell Obsession is like an illness. At first you don't realize anything is happening. But then the pain grows in your gut, like something is shredding your insides. Suddenly, the only thing that matters is beating it. You’ll do whatever it takes; spend all of your time, money and energy trying to overcome. Over months, even years, the obsession eats away at you. Then one day you look in the mirror, see the sunken cheeks and protruding ribs, and realize the toll taken. My obsession is a 3,000-foot chunk of granite, El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. As a teenager, I was first lured to El Cap because I could drive my van right up to the base of North America’s grandest wall and start climbing. I grew up a clumsy kid with bad hand-eye coordination, yet here on El Cap I felt as though I had stumbled into a world where I thrived. Being up on those steep walls demanded the right amount of climbing skill, pain tolerance and sheer bull-headedness that came naturally to me. For the last decade El Cap has beaten the crap out of me, yet I return to scour its monstrous walls to find the tiniest holds that will just barely go free. So far I have dedicated a third of my life to free climbing these soaring cracks and razor-sharp crimpers. Getting to the top is no longer important.
    [Show full text]
  • El Capitan, the Direct Line California, Yosemite National Park the Direct Line (39 Pitches, 5.13+), A.K.A
    AAC Publications El Capitan, The Direct Line California, Yosemite National Park The Direct Line (39 pitches, 5.13+), a.k.a. the Platinum Wall, is a brand-new, mostly independent free line on El Capitan. It begins just left of the Nose and continues up the steepening blankness, following a circuitous path of 22 technical slab pitches before accessing the upper half of the Muir, either by the PreMuir (recommended) or the Shaft. From where these two routes meet, it continues up the aesthetic upper Muir corner system to access wild and overhanging terrain on the right wall. Bolted pitches take you to the prow between the Muir and Nose, and the route finishes close to the original Muir. In 2006, envisioning a possible variation to the Nose, Justen Sjong and I had explored multiple possibilities for exiting the Half Dollar on the Salathé Wall route and finding some way to access Triple Direct Ledge, 80’ below Camp IV on the Nose. Beginning in 2010, I picked up where we left off and began searching for the definitive free climbing path. During that hot and dry summer in 2010, it becameclear there was a much more direct and independent way to climb the slabs to Triple Direct Ledge than using the Freeblast start to the Salathé. With that exciting realization, I just couldn’t see finishing on the Nose, but instead envisioned a nearly independent route all the way up the wall. I took it on faith that there had to be a way to exit the Muir corner. Each tantalizing prospect on the upper wall would either yield a new approach or would clarify a dead end (which is also helpful).
    [Show full text]
  • Conservationists and the Battles to Keep Dams out of Yellowstone: Hetch Hetchy Overturned
    Conservationists and the Battles to Keep Dams Out of Yellowstone: Hetch Hetchy Overturned Michael J. Yochim Abstract Between 1919 and 1938 irrigation interests in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming repeatedly tried to construct reservoirs in Yellowstone National Park by damming several large park lakes and Bechler Meadows. Conservationists of the time joined forces with Horace Albright and Steven Mather of the National Park Service to oppose the dams. Ultimately successful in all their efforts, their key victory came in 1923 when they defeated an attempt to dam Yellowstone Lake. This victory reversed the loss of protected status for national parks that had occurred just ten years earlier at Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park. By chronicling the protracted conflict over dams in Yellowstone, I illustrate that the conservationists (including Mather and Albright) reestablished the funda- mental preservation policy of the national parks and empowered the newly cre- ated National Park Service to carry out its mission of park protection. This effort was the key battle in proving national parks and wilderness to be inviolate to industrial, exploitive uses. Conservationists both defined and tested the inviolate policy in Yellowstone; their battles in Dinosaur National Monument and the Grand Canyon cemented it into place. Introduction Far off, there lies a lovely lake Which rests in beauty, there to take Swift pictures of the changing sky, Ethereal blues, and clouds piled high. When black the sky, when fall the rains, When blow fierce winds, her face remains Still beautiful, but agitate, Nor mirrors back their troubled state. Within a park this treasure lies, — Such region ne’er did man devise — The hand of Mighty God, alone, Could form the Park of Yellowstone.
    [Show full text]
  • Investigating the El Capitan Rock Avalanche
    BY GREG STOCK INVESTIGATING THE EL CapITAN ROCK AVALANCHE t 2:25 on the morning of March 26, 1872, one of avalanche, an especially large rockfall or rockslide that the largest earthquakes recorded in California extends far beyond the cliff where it originated. Most Ahistory struck along the Owens Valley fault near Yosemite Valley rockfall debris accumulates at the base the town of Lone Pine just east of the Sierra Nevada. The of the cliffs, forming a wedge-shaped deposit of talus. earthquake leveled most buildings in Lone Pine and sur- Occasionally, however, debris from a rock avalanche will rounding settlements, and killed 23 people. Although extend out much farther across the valley floor. seismographs weren’t yet available, the earthquake is esti- Geologist Gerald Wieczorek of the U.S. Geological mated to have been about a magnitude 7.5. Shock waves Survey and colleagues have identified at least five rock from the tembler radiated out across the Sierra Nevada. avalanche deposits in Yosemite Valley. The largest of these On that fateful morning, John Muir was sleeping in occurred in Tenaya Canyon, at the site of present-day a cabin near Black’s Hotel on the south side of Yosemite Mirror Lake. Sometime in the past, a rock formation on Valley, near present-day Swinging Bridge. The earth- the north wall of the canyon just east of and probably quake shook the naturalist out of bed. Realizing what similar in size to Washington Column collapsed into was happening, Muir bolted outside, feeling “both glad Tenaya Canyon. The rock debris piled up against the and frightened” and shouting “A noble earthquake!” He south canyon wall to a depth of over 100 feet.
    [Show full text]