Month: March 2008

  • Ahwahnee Keeps Alive Yosemite Past with Ball

    The Ahwahnee has long been one of the crown jewels of the National Park Service lodges but for one night every year the picturesque lodge travels back in time and becomes a shining star among Yosemite’s granite peaks. FresnoBee.com: “For 80 years, the Ahwahnee has provided an inviting retreat at the foot of some of…

  • New route from Beth Rodden — Meltdown

    I’m not a climber, but this is impressive because she had to shovel snow to work on this, and she used duct tape. And it may be one of the most difficult traditional routes ever. From Alpinist: Of Meltdown, she said: “I had to work harder on this climb than on any other… I think…

  • Wanna Hear a Story?

    Want something fun to do this weekend? Why not head up to the 21st Annual Mariposa Storytelling Festival. The festival brings together some of the most renowned storytellers from across the country to perform for 3 days in Mariposa and Yosemite. This years featured storytellers are Patrick Ball, Milbre Burch, Lyn Ford, Andy Offutt Irwin,…

  • Hetch Hetchy Tunnel Work Completed

    The Hetch Hetchy Pedestrian tunnel from O’Shaughnessy Dam to Wapama and Tueealala Falls is open again after a small cave-in this winter. Visitors are still being asked to use caution over the next few days while construction crews remove equipment from the site.

  • Happy Anniversary

    Happy anniversary to my wife Tania. Today we’re celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary. Tania – Thanks for putting up with all my wackiness and for being so supportive. Thanks for bringing me 2 great kids who love Yosemite as much as I do. All this wouldn’t have been possible without you. Here’s to many…

  • Tuolumne Meadows Winter Conditions Update

    If you spent the whole winter at Tuolumne, you’d be excited to see a flock of Bushtits, too. From the winter rangers: _______________________________________________ March 5, 2008 Weather: (February 27 to March 4) High temp: 61° (Feb 27) Low temp: 4° (March 4) New Snow: 0” Total settled snow depth: 58” as of March 5 Ski…

  • Photo Yields Surprise for Sierra Researchers

    Researchers in the Sierra have stumbled across something they thought had been wiped out decades ago: a wolverine. San Jose Mercury News: “A research project aimed at martens has turned up a bigger prize: a picture of a wolverine, an elusive animal scientists feared may have been driven out of the Sierra Nevada long ago…

  • Photo of the Lake

    Loyd gets really mad when I do these Photo of the Day rip-offs, but my team of attorneys assures me that I can legally call them anything other than “Photo of the Day”. “Blue Mono Lake” — photo by davidkiene via Flickr

  • Snowpack

    Some snow info from NPS — “Park staff have completed the March 1 snow surveys. Both the Tuolumne and Merced drainages are approximately 120% of average water content, and over 100% of April 1 average. The lower elevation locations are particularly impressive, with most courses under 7000 feet showing more than 125% of April 1…

  • Snowmen, etc.

    I made a photo set of local snowpeople this winter. My favorites were the damaged mutants. I don’t know why, I just like ’em. Maybe you will, too. Link to slide show Photo by Brian via Flickr