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Merced River Plan – Preferred Alternative – Salient Item 3 – Lodging

Under the preferred Alternative #5, lodging facilities will be modified at Yosemite. Since it is in the Merced corridor, the Merced High Sierra Camp will be reduced in capacity from 60 beds to 42 beds. So that means access to the multi-day hikes will be impacted. Housekeeping will have 34 of the 266 units removed. Curry Village will grow from 400 units to 453. These will be made up of 290 soft sided tent cabins and 163 wood sided ones. The 18 units at the Stoneman House and the 47 cabins with bath in Curry will be kept.

The hanta-virus prone signature insulated tent cabins are gone, replaced by hard sided ones. As if anyone would want to stay in them after the 2012 tragedy. No changes at the Ahwahnee (123 rooms), the Yosemite Lodge (245 rooms) and the Wawona Hotel (104 rooms).

In other news the 2^nd Sierra snowpack survey was done and we’re now at 93% of normal in the Sierra. After a jamming December, January has been kinda dry. Less snow means less waterfalls but improves the odds that the cables on Half Dome will get put up on May 24 as planned. …

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Thoughts on the Yosemite Hanta Virus Outbreak

Note: I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV

2 dead from inhaling the virus contained in mouse droppings. CA Public Health and the Center for Disease Control are all over this problem. It could be a very big problem. It’s confirmed that 4 of the 6 victims (so far) stayed in the Signature Tent Cabins. There are 91 of these units. They are way nicer than the cheaper canvas tent cabins. The 2 types  look alike from the outside but the Signature ones have inner insulated walls. They also have a 110-volt power outlet (2 receptacles) to charge up your gizmos. The canvas ones only have one overhead light bulb. A furnace in each Signature unit provides heat on cold nights. I stayed in one in February, 2010 when we attempted to photograph the glow on Horsetail Fall (it was overcast).

The Signature cabins are separated from the canvas cabins by a one-way service road that runs out of the east end of the Curry Village parking lot. Maybe 30 y ards apart.  In the same complex are wood sided cabins and large shower/toilet buildings. The historic name for the area is “Boystown.”…

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2 Extra Tent cabins to transfer Aug 21-23

 

Need a tent cabin for Aug 21-23??   Let me know.. I have booked 2 extra 4-person Curry tent cabins and now do not need these. Can transfer to your credit card if you want. $153 a night for 4 humans. If not I cancel 8/13 at 7 pm PDT. – Rick

MrHalfDome™ – Rick Deutsch – www.HikeHalfDome.com

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome

 

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