Pete Thomas Outdoors

Rockfall at Yosemite's El Capitan claims at least one life

By Pete Thomas

At least one person was killed Wednesday in a rockfall at El Capitan in California’s Yosemite National Park.

Another person was injured during the incident, which occurred at 1:55 p.m., according to a news release posted on the park's website. 

Park rangers were trying to transport the injured person to a nearby hospital, while rangers and Yosemite Search and Rescue assessed the situation late Monday.

The release point of the rockfall was near the “Waterfall Route” on the East Butress of El Capitan, a towering granite monolith popular among rock climbers.

Many climbers were on the face of El Capitan, or at its base in Yosemite Valley, at the time of the rockfall.

The NPS did not reveal the size of the rockfall, but stated on its website that an updated news release would be issued Thursday.

–Image showing El Capitan is courtesy of Yosemite National Park

 

 

 

Sierra Nevada red fox sighting first in Yosemite in nearly 100 years

By Pete Thomas/GrindTv

The first sightings of a Sierra Nevada red fox in nearly 100 years inside Yosemite National Park were confirmed Wednesday by park officials.

The furry critter was photographed as it roamed through snow in the northern portion of the California wilderness park twice by motion-sensitive trail-cameras: the first time in mid-December, and most recently on January 4.

Biologists discovered the footage during a recent backpacking expedition to check on the cameras.

The Sierra Nevada red fox is one of the rarest animals in North America, with a population of only about 50 animals, so any sighting is considered extraordinary.

Don Neubacher, park superintendent, said in a news release that his staff was “thrilled to hear about the sighting of one of the most rare and elusive animals in the Sierra Nevada.”

Sarah Stock, a park biologist, added: “Confirmation of the Sierra Nevada red fox in Yosemite National Park’s vast alpine wilderness provides an opportunity to join research partners in helping to protect this imperiled animal. We’re excited to work across our boundaries to join efforts with other researchers that will ultimately give these foxes the best chances at recovery.”

The animals are vulnerable to extinction because of their tiny population size. Among the many threats they've faced over the years include logging, off-road and snowmobile use, livestock grazing, competition from non-native fox species, and now climate change.

It could be that the population is much lower than 50.

Biologists from various agencies have been monitoring a tiny population of red foxes, first documented by the U.S. Forest Service in 2010, in wilderness north of the park.

Before that population was discovered, the last previous sighting was 20 years ago.

Yosemite said it will use strategically-placed trail cameras to try to obtain more sightings information, and will place “hair snare stations” in the hope of obtaining hair samples for genetic studies.

–Sierra Nevada red fox image is via Yosemite National Park trail-cam

Yosemite wastes no time in reopening, welcoming visitors

After Congress gave final approval Wednesday night to a budget compromise that would temporarily reopen federal agencies, Yosemite National Park in California wasted no time in announcing that it was open and welcoming tourists.

Visitors, for the first time since the partial government shutdown was imposed on Oct. 1, were allowed access to public areas and roads. But facilities and other public services were still in the process of being brought back online.

"We are excited to reopen and welcome visitors back to Yosemite," stated park superintendent Don Neubacher. "Autumn is a particularly special season to enjoy Yosemite’s colorful grandeur."

The news release included the following information:

 "Major highways and roads leading into and through Yosemite National Park, including the Glacier Point and Mariposa Grove roads, are open to vehicles. Park visitor centers will reopen and Ranger-led programs will resume on October 17. Visitors are urged to consult the Yosemite Guide for a list of programs.

 
"Valley campgrounds in Yosemite will reopen on October 17. Those with reservations will be able to check in by noon. First come, first serve sites at Camp Four, Wawona and Hodgdon are also available.
 
"Delaware North Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, Inc., the park’s primary concessioner, is reopening facilities and will begin to welcome guests immediately.
 
"The Ansel Adams Gallery, located in Yosemite Village, will also reopen."

SR-120 from Groveland, Ca., into Yosemite to open Friday

As firefighters continue to make progress battling the Rim Fire, Yosemite National Park announced that State Route 120 from Groveland, Calif., into the park will open to through traffic Friday at noon.

This means that visitors will enjoy full access to Yosemite Valley via SR-120.

However, because of fire activity, motorists will not be allowed to stop along the roadway.

The following restrictions were outlined in a news release issued Friday morning:

Cherry Lake Road, Evergreen Road, Old Yosemite Road, Harden Flat and all other secondary roads and trailheads off of SR-120 remain closed. 

SR-120 (Tioga Road) remains closed from Crane Flat to White Wolf within Yosemite National Park.  Park visitors can access the Toulumne Meadows area from SR-395 via the parks east entrance at Tioga Pass.

For updated road conditions and information visit Caltrans’ website: www.dot.ca.gov/ or call Caltrans District 10 Public Affairs Office at (209) 948-7977.

Forest closures remain in effect for the Stanislaus National Forest within the Rim Fire incident perimeter. For closure information visit www.fs.usda.gov/stanislaus

 

Plane reported missing over Yosemite in December is located

A single-engine airplane that was reported missing over Yosemite National Park in wintry weather last Dec. 17 has been located, along with the deceased pilot, in the park's rugged Vogelsang High Sierra Camp area.

A park visitor spotted the plane on Saturday. Yosemite rangers hiked to the area Sunday and discovered the body of Nicol Wilson, the male pilot, at the scene of the crash. The plane, surprisingly, was largely intact.

A Yosemite news release issued Monday reads:

Wilson, who was flying from the Santa Barbara area to the Mammoth Lakes Airport on the east side of the Sierra Nevada, disappeared during a winter storm on Monday, December 17, 2012.  After extensive searching of the Yosemite high country, the search was suspended for the winter season. 

Yosemite National Park has searched extensively over the past several months, once conditions allowed for travel through the high country.

The Yosemite National Park Helitak crew was greatly assisted by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) Civil Air Patrol (CAP), California Emergency Services, and YoDogs (canine search and rescue assistance) during the extensive search operation.

Yosemite National Park Rangers will be removing the plane from the backcountry over the next several weeks.

Body of missing hiker recovered by Yosemite park rangers

Sad news out of Yosemite National Park, where rangers on Tuesday recovered the body of Kenneth Stensby near the base of Vernal Fall. A search was launched after Stensby, who is from Minnesota, did not return from a day hike on Sunday. (Stensby is pictured at right.)

On Monday his pack was found at the railing atop Vernal Fall. His body was first spotted Sunday evening by air and ground crews. 

The following is a news release issued Tuesday afternoon by the California wilderness park:

Yosemite National Park Rangers have recovered the body of missing hiker Kenneth Stensby near the base of Vernal Fall.  Stensby was fatally injured after falling from a cliff near the top of the waterfall.  His body was discovered by Yosemite National Park Search and Rescue Ranger personnel and was extricated at about 1:00 p.m. today.

Stensby, 73, from Edina, Minnesota, had been in the park for several days.  He was staying at the Ahwahnee Hotel and went on day hikes each day.  Each morning, Stensby would leave a note with the Concierge, outlining his daily plan. 

On Sunday, May 5, his note stated that he was planning to hike to the top of Vernal Fall via the Mist Trail and return to the hotel around noon. Hotel staff attempted to contact Stensby around 5:00 p.m. that evening, and discovered he had not returned. 

They contacted the National Park Service to notify Park Rangers that Stensby had not returned to the hotel.  Park Rangers discovered his backpack near the guardrail at the top of Vernal Fall later that evening.

Yesterday, the park conducted a full scale search and rescue operation, including multiple ground teams, a dog team, and a California Highway Patrol (CHP) helicopter.  The search area was concentrated around the Mist Trail. 

There was intermittent rain throughout the day, resulting in difficult search conditions.  The CHP helicopter, concurrently with ground teams, spotted Stensby’s body around 6:00 p.m. last evening.

The Mist Trail, closed during the search and rescue operation, has now been reopened.

Trouble in paradise? Drug busts are on rise at Yosemite

If everyone seems happy in Yosemite National Park, it ought to be and probably is in most cases because of the spectacular beauty of a pristine wilderness.

But some visitors to the iconic California park are high on more than nature. They're on drugs.

According to an NBC Bay Area investigation, Yosemite boasts the highest number of drug arrests and citations per 100,000 visitors compared to other large national parks.

Malcolm Morgan, a camper from Larkspur, California, is quoted as saying: "We were comparing it to Disneyland. We see a lot more happy faces here in Yosemite than we did at Disneyland."

Yosemite receives about 3 million visitors per year. NBC reports that drug busts have increased 18% since 2007 and that last year park rangers arrested or cited 855 visitors for possession of drugs.

Most of those arrests occurred within the seven square miles of Yosemite Valley.

For the sake of comparison, there were 2,393 drug possession arrests in Yosemite in from 2010 through 2012. There were 500 in Yellowstone National Park; and only 365 in Grand Canyon National Park.

Yosemite Deputy Chief Ranger Julie Byerly said she thinks most of the drug users are "largely folks that are coming and going," and not serious nature lovers. She does not believe Yosemite has a drug problem.

Said United States Magistrate Judge Michael J. Seng, who tries federal drug cases in a courthouse in Yosemite Valley: "It’s been primarily marijuana, mushrooms, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and then the party drug--ecstasy."

Seng implied that the problem stems from a drug culture existing among certain groups that visit the park from nearby communities. Yosemite Valley is easily accessible and receives most of the park's visitor traffic.

It should be stressed that visitors are not likely to experience shady dealings or drug-related problems. It's also worth noting that this iconic park is much bigger than Yosemite Valley; it boasts nearly 1,200 square miles of scenic valleys, meadows, great trees, rivers and waterfalls.

But if you happen to be in Yosemite Valley and that crisp scent of pine is temporarily interrupted by something far more pungent, well, you'll have a pretty good idea what you're smelling.

--Image of Yosemite's fabled El Capitan is via the park's Facebook page

Yosemite rangers searching for missing new employee

Yosemite National Park rangers have launched a search for a park employee, Jessica Rose Garcia, who failed to show up for her first day at work Sunday at the Wawona Hotel and may be somewhere within the vast California wilderness park.

A park news release issued Monday night states that Garcia was last seen Saturday morning, by a co-worker at her park residence. She had been walking east along Forest Drive, near the Wawona stables. She had just attended an orientation meeting and was dressed in her dark-green work uniform.

Garcia is Hispanic, standing 5 feet 3 inches tall, and described as being shy and reserved around strangers.

The rescue effort includes the park helicopter, dogs and ranger teams on horseback and foot. The focus is on an area that includes the South Fork of the Merced River, and the Wawona area.

Anyone with information about Garcia's whereabouts, or possible leads, is asked to telephone the Wawona Ranger Station at 209-375-9520, or Yosememite Dispatch at 209-379-1992. The Yosemite Dispatch is available 24-hours per day.

--Pete Thomas

Majestic Yosemite Falls can now be enjoyed via webcam

It's not the same as being there, of course, but thanks to the installation of a webcam, fans of Yosemite National Park can enjoy a real-time glimpse of majestic Yosemite Falls from their homes or offices.

The park announced the news Monday.

Yosemite falls, which plummets 2,425 feet, is the highest waterfall in North America and the fifth-highest in the world. The webcam records images every 30 seconds.

It's the fourth Yosemite landmark to receive a be featured via webcam on the Yosemite Conservancy website. The others are El Capitan, Half Dome and the Sierra Nevada high country, including Tenaya Peak and Clouds Rest.

Conservancy president Mike Tollefson stated in a news release: "The webcams provide windows into Yosemite for people to plan a visit and to be inspired about the need to preserve and protect one of the world’s most unique places. This technology makes the park’s incredible scenery accessible to anyone, anywhere and at any time. What could be better than starting your day by viewing Yosemite Falls?"

-- Pete Thomas

Yosemite Half Dome cable permits required daily this season

Yosemite National Park officials have announced that day-use permits to climb the Half Dome cables will be required seven days a week for the 2012 summer season.

An interim program that required permits on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays was implemented by the National Park Service in 2010 and switched to a seven-day-per-week system for 2011, to better regulate the number of hikers using the cable system. Safety issues have arisen from crowding, which also has led to long waits on the popular hike.

Some changes to the permiting system were made this year, and permits will now be allocated through a preseason lottery, a two-day-in-advance lottery, and as part of the Wilderness Permit process, with a maximum of 400 hikers allowed each day on the Half Dome Trail beyond the subdome.

Permit fees also have increased, with two separate fees collected for 2012. A non-refundable processing fee of $4.50 will be charged when applications are submitted online ($6.50 if done by phone). An additional $5 per person refundable fee will be charged when permits are received, and helps offset the cost of stationing park rangers at Half Dome to check for permits.

Further details regarding the lotteries and the wilderness process can be found at the park's website at www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hdpermits.htm.

The Half Dome cables are generally in place from mid-May through mid-October, depending on snowpack and weather conditions.

Image of Half Dome and climbers using the cable system courtesy of Scott Gediman / National Park Service