By Greg M. Stock — YOSEMITE — There were many large and consequential rockfalls in Yosemite in 2017, with a record 85 events (including rockfalls, rockslides, and debris flows) documented. The cumulative volume of these events was about 36,800 cubic meters. Although this is not the largest annual volume recorded, greater volumes in previous years were typically dominated by one ...

YOSEMITE — Tuolumne Winter Rangers Laura and Rob Pilewski’s latest blog post from the field: Tuolumne Meadows Winter Conditions Update for January 24, 2018 New snow [as of Jan. 24): 6 inches Total settled snow depth: 10 inches (at 8,600 feet) High temperature: 45°F (January 23) Low temperature: -5°F (January 21) Ski Conditions and Weather This was the first week ...

WASHINGTON, DC — A new superintendent will soon take over the leadership of Yosemite National Park. Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced that he has selected Michael T. (Mike) Reynolds to be the superintendent of Yosemite. Reynolds, a 31-year NPS veteran and a third-generation NPS employee, grew up in Yosemite and later returned to the park as ...

YOSEMITE — National Park Service employees will be back on the job in Yosemite National Park now that congress has agreed to fund the government for a few more weeks. All NPS services were halted on Saturday morning, including the staffing of the Visitors Centers, entrance gate fee collection and information, campground reservation management, trash collection, and maintenance of such ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — Poet Heinrich Heine said, “Where words leave off, music begins.” And this is also where Circle of Hearts comes in. Be it for sickness, while regaining wellness, or even on the threshold of death, a group of local women are opening their hearts and singing together for others, to provide love and comfort in transitional times. The ...

It had been 27 years since I walked the area around Foresta, not since I was assigned as a Strike Team Leader on Structure Protection at Foresta and El Portal on the lightening caused A-Rock Fire that burned 17,700 acres and 45 structures back in 1990. I was way overdue to spend some leisurely time exploring the waterfalls, old barns, ...

YOSEMITE — As we head into the first full day of the government shutdown, employees in Yosemite National Park are busy implementing the guidelines set out by the Department of the Interior as to how the Park will operate going forward. The gates are open, but there is no National Park Service (NPS) staff on duty for the most part. ...

YOSEMITE — With the failure of U.S. congressional leaders to reach an agreement and stop a government shutdown, the situation in Yosemite National Park remains unclear. Despite dozens of phone calls, emails and texts to Park officials in Yosemite throughout the day, no one has yet responded to our repeated requests for detailed information on closures and services, or the ...

We sure got in a good workout with the over 3,000′ elevational gain on this hike and saw Yosemite from some famous viewpoints along the way. Stanford Point, Crocker Point and Dewey Point delivered many ooohs and awes. Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: 10.40 Miles Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous Elevation Range: 4,384′ – 7,387 Date: January 12, 2018 Maps: El ...

YOSEMITE — Tuolumne Winter Rangers Laura and Rob Pilewski are celebrating their seventh season in the park. Here’s their third blog post of the season. Tuolumne Meadows Winter Conditions Update for January 10, 2018 New snow [as of Jan. 10]: 14 inches Total settled snow depth: 10 inches (at 8,600 feet) High temperature: 47°F (January 7) Low temperature: 17°F (January 7) ...