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Welcome to a new Yosemite Ranger

A hearty welcome to Ranger Lisa Hendy, the new Emergency Services Program Manager. She just got here in March from Grand Canyon NP. Wow, some tough duties! Maybe I’ll become a seasonal ranger. Ranger Hendy is top notch. She received the National Park Service’s (NPS) 2011 Harry Yount National Park Ranger Award for excellence in the field of rangering.

NPS head, Jon Jarvis and Lisa Hendy

The award is named after the nation’s first park ranger (hired in Yellowstone National Park in 1880) and is the highest honor that can be bestowed on a park ranger today. Most recently, she was a law enforcement ranger in Grand Canyon. In her career she has been at Yosemite before and also worked at  Rocky Mountain, Arches and Yellowstone National Parks.

She told me she will try to get the YOASAR website updated. The last rescue documented was in June 2012.  It’s a manpower resource issue.

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “If your child ain’t all he should be now. This girl will put him right. I’ll show him what he could be now. Just give me one night. I’m the Gypsy – the Acid Queen.” – Tommy, the …

David Lee Roth & El Cap

Our Hamburg office has found an archival music video by David Lee Roth (of Van Halen fame) with climbers on El Cap and the Washington Column. The song is “Just like Paradiise.”

Enjoy.

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “Just do it.” -Nike 

*MrHalfDome™ – Rick Deutsch – www.HikeHalfDome.com

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome…

John Muir’s walk to Yosemite

Muir walked from SF to Yosemite in 1868. True. Walked. This walk was duplicated by Peter and Donna Thomas of Santa Cruz in 2006. I’ve mentioned them before but now you have a chance to hear how they did it.

The Thomas’ wrote a book (I have assigned copy) “Muir Ramble Route: Walking from San Francisco to Yosemite in the footsteps of John Muir.” It’s full of detailed info. They did a ton of research to get it right. Muir wrote some about the trip but they had to dig deep. Some neat maps included. Yes, YOU can do this walk if so inclined. Learn how.

They will be at select REI stores in the greater Bay Area soon.  Talks are free and at begin at 7pm. Call to register to make sure you get a seat. I’ll be at the Saratoga one…tomorrow.

Feb 21: REI Saratoga; Feb 23: REI Berkeley; Feb28: REI Marina

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao-tzu, circa 500 BCE

*MrHalfDome™ – Rick Deutsch – www.HikeHalfDome.com

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome…

Marketing Yosemite

Jeff Hentz, Executive Director of Destination Yosemite/Mariposa County Tourism Bureau, at the Bay Area Travel & Adventure Show in Santa Clara. He moderated and spoke on a panel of “Driveable Destinations” experts. Kings Canyon/Sequoia and Lodi were also represented.

Unrelated thought worth quoting: So my darling and I make love in the sand. To salute the last moment ever on dry land. Our machine it has done its work played its part well. Without a scratch on our body when we bid it farewell. Starfish and giant foams greet us with a smile. Before our heads go under we take our last look at the killing noise. Of the out of style. The out of style out of style.” – continuing 1983 (A Merman I Should Turn To Be) – Jimi Hendrix

*MrHalfDome™ – Rick Deutsch – www.HikeHalfDome.com

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome…

BASE jumping at Yosemite – one more

I have no record of the 7 deaths at Yosemite from BASE jumping that Somke referred to….only these 4:

In 1982 Jimmy Tyler, tried a jump off the face of Half Dome. He did it on a cloudy day with a slight wind. The breeze put him into the wall.

In 1988 Mitch Reno did the same and delayed opening his chute and impacted the talus just as his chute was rolling out.

In 1993, when Susan Oatly, jumped off El Cap. She held her head skyward for too long, lost altitude awareness, and backed into the wall in her 15th second of freefall. This jump began the process of insisting people who begin BASE jumping have at least 150 previous parachutes jumps.

The jump that ended it all was in 1999 when 5 jumpers planned a protest jump off El Cap in front of Park Rangers and the media. Jan Davis was the third to go off while her husband down below filmed it. By prior arrangement, Park Service officials agreed not to prevent the jumps but insisted jumpers would be arrested upon landing and their gear would be confiscated. It’s not against the law to talk about jumping …

For Solitude in Yosemite, Go Now!

Today we feature a guest blog from Maureen L. of Oakland. Note: Weather is finally changing with precip coming. Hike safe.

Last Thursday morning, I hiked to Sentinel Dome and saw one other party. There was some packed-down snow and ice at the start of the Sentinel Dome trail, but the trail was mostly clear, and walking up to the top of Sentinel Dome was the same as in the summer.  By early afternoon, there were people at Glacier Point, but nothing compared to the summer!

I had a wonderful hike in the Mariposa Grove on Tuesday.  I ate lunch by myself on the porch of the Mariposa Grove Museum. No tram tour noise. Not many human voices.  Instead, chickaree scolding, birds calling, pileated woodpecker drumming. Near the parking lot at the end of my hike, I heard several owl hoots close by, though didn’t see it.  Many, many more cars/people by mid-afternoon, but parking lot nowhere near full.

The park is set for the winter, but all roads are open. The sky is incredibly blue, in contrast to the haze in the Central Valley and the murk we have in the Bay Area.

Cold in the morning; frost on …

Brits on a mission

The United Kingdom’s mountain Search and Rescue force is an all-volunteer group. There is virtually no government funding and dedicated men and women give of their time and money to help others.

In 2009, I learned of a fund-raising project called “360 to Yosemite.”  This was to be a fund-raising effort organized by 3 men from Wales, UK. I contacted Dave Fildes to offer my support since I only live 5 hours from this great American  National Park. I felt qualified to help get them to the top. The name of their effort came because all three were turning 60 that year!

Their goal was to hike to the summit of the Park’s signature landmark, Half Dome and promote the effort to sponsors and individuals to obtain money for their home Search and Rescue teams.  Dave joined with Harold Burrows and Roland Layland and agreed to my leading them.

We agreed to meet at the Fresno, California airport and I had arranged an interview on a live local TV station the next day. As things turned out, their plane connections were completely disrupted by a monster thunderstorm at Atlanta. They arrived a day late and we toured the giant …

Cirque du Yosemite

Dean Potter on video this time. Click <Here>. A few weeks ago, I posted a still of him tight-roping across Taft Point in Yosemite. OK, nice high wire act. I pride myself with living on the edge of my envelope … I think Dean is outside where the stamp goes. Sheeesh.

By the way, the Taft Point hike is a nice easy one for most folks. Park on Glacier Point Road and head towards the edge. For a full day, go along to Dewey and Stanford Points and head west. Lots of neat crags to gawk down.

It took us 7 hours to get to Old Inspiration Point and back to the road. Supposedly where the Mariposa Battalion first saw the valley. They called it Mt. Beatitude. Then they made their way roughly to today’s “Inspiration Point” and down to the Tunnel View area – then over to Bridalveil Fall where they camped. One day I’d like to try to go down Pohono Creek and to the top of Bridalveil Fall.

Gee, just a couple more days to the solstice and the days will begin to get longer!!  Yea!!  Half Dome here we come!

Medical Minute: I’ve been …

Ansel Adams piece on auction

Need a nice piece of art to cover that hole over your mantle? Boy  are you in luck! How about an “original” Ansel Adams?  On Nov. 27, the  Cleveland based Gray’s Auctioneers will hold their 53rd auction of Fine Art, Decorations and Jewelry. This multifarious auction boasts fine art pieces from artists such as Renoir, Albert Bierdstadt and Ansel Adams. Lot 54 by Adams  is titled Monolith, The Face of Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, Calif.,  circa 1926. This lush gelatin silver print is typical of Adams, whose uncanny  eye for composition and ability to place the viewer directly into the imagery  remains unmatched. Pip pip. The photograph is signed ‘Ansel Adams’ on the mount  at the lower right and is estimated at $15,000-20,000. I bet you could get it  home for $14.995! Live online bidding for this auction is offered by LiveAuctioneers.com.  Go ahead, it;s almost Christmas!

Ranger Vickie Mates is leaving Yosemite for parks unknown to me. She served  as the Deputy Chief of Interpretation and Education and has been at the park since 2004. . She is the woman narrator for many Videos including the one shown for Half Dome safety. You can find …

More on the Hans & Alex show

Hans Florine and Alex Honnold are claiming a speed record of sorts. The largest age spread between 2 climbers going up the nose of El Cap under 4 hours. Alex at 26 and Hans at 47 is quite a difference. Like father – son. They said they will try to break the 2-man speed climb in the next few days if the weather holds. Head on up to the El Cap meadow with your lawn chair and binocs. Kinda like watching a movie. In fact they are being filmed so if you can’t be there, save your dinero for the DVD one of these days. There’s one out of the German Huber Brothers when they did it.

Now for some realistic footage of AVERAGE people, take a peek at my YouTube video of going up Half Dome with my head-mounted GoPro camera.  I check the numbers occasionally and over 3,000 have viewed. I think the secret of getting a lot of interest is to put “death” “fall” “accident” etc. in the title. People are really blood thirsty. Well, no gore in mine. Just honest cable pulling.

Production notes: I wanted to get the whole climb in one YouTube session – …