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Half Dome cables update 2/17/2012

The webinar summary by NPS from last week is not completed yet, but there were over 60 people on-line. They will be answering the remaining questions in writing and sending a complete report to all registered participants as well as posting the webinar Q and A on the Half Dome EA page. I’ll provide it here.

The head ranger managing the cables is the Wilderness Manager, Ranger Ed Dunlavey.

Ed’s a great guy and has been a big help in interpreting the new procedure. He was on the webinar and will be contributing to the Q&A. Only 3 months until the first group can go up in 2012. Time to get serious about getting back in shape if you gorged on Oreos all winter.

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “Hooray I awake from yesterday; alive but the war is here to stay. So my love, Catherina and me decide to take our last walk, through the noise to the sea. Not to die but to be re-born. Away from a life so battered and torn.” – 1983 (A Merman I Should Turn To Be) – Jimi Hendrix 

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

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half …

Half Dome cables Webinar recap

Today’s webinar was a great outreach by the park to present the 2012 process and a bit of the Environmental Assessment segment of the Half Dome Stewardship Plan. We had overwhelming participation. So much that the phone line burped and they had to set up one with greater capacity. I don’t have the total count but I’d guess about 40 callers. Usually, the CISCO webex system has audio right from the presenter to avoid the phone jam. Dunno why not this time.

The NPS people on the call were the big kahunas for the cables project. Remember these names: Echo Davenport, Planning Compliance Mgr; Ed Dunlavey, Wilderness Mgr; Mark Marschall, former Wilderness Mgr and Cables lead; Mark Fincher, Senior Wilderness Ranger.

To refresh you, 2 of the guiding numbers are the PAOT – persons at one time on the cables and the times for free flowing conditions. Past studies revealed that a PAOT of 30 would result in an easy down in case of an emergency and 70 would be the bare minimum for perceived safety. Also, the goal is 23 minutes for an UP unimpeded ascent and 19 mins DOWN.

This slide was given and explained away.

 …

Half Dome Cables Webinar

CALL TO ACTION

 You have a date this Friday at 1 pm Pacific time. I will take some credit for asking the park to host a webinar on the cables. So they are doing it. It will be dedicated to answering YOUR questions about the 2012 Half Dome cables permit lottery plan and the Half Dome Trail Stewardship Plan Environmental Assessment.

This is not an open house. No, there will be no long formal presentation or room full of people on site. Plan on about 3-4 key managers in an office. There will be a facilitator just to keep things going. This will be ALL HALF DOME. If you give a plug nickel about the cables, you must show your interest. I have many questions and decided not to submit my formal comment to the EA until near the end of the period. I’ve requested a hard copy of the 132 page EA (checking the mailbox daily) so I can mark it up like I did in college. I think much will come out in the weeks ahead.

I’ve gotten to know several of the rangers involved and they are really trying to balance many concerns.  There will be opportunities …

Half Dome permits update Feb 5, 2012

Friends of the Big Rock. More info is trickling out of the NPS with guidance about the Half Dome permits. A bit of expansion on the 2012 process: The park is really trying to cut down on scalping, so it looks like EACH person in a party MUST arrive at Checkpoint Charlie to show their permits to the Ranger. They must be with the designated Trip leader in order to proceed. A bit of a hassle if folks walk at different paces.

Also, the 50 extra permits will not be a sure thing. They will monitor the usage and increase or DECREASE the number depending. But if 2011 was any indication, there will be plenty to go around. Also, they are encouraging you to cancel through recreation.gov and get your $5.00 per permit refunded. If you take permits and give them out on the trail, then accept $5.00 in return (the permit fee), they consider that selling. When your permits for a given date are cancelled, they will be put into the pool for that date. No word on how the lottery will be consumated – a computer or 4 rangers over a long table?

So it’s going to be hard to …

Half Dome cables update 2/3/12

**Permits required for Half Dome in 2012 via lottery in March. Read <HERE>.**

Fresh info from the park. It looks like the permit system will require ALL in a party to be with the “Trip Leader” when their permits are checked at Sub Dome. In the past, the group could travel at different paces and as long as each held a bona fide permit, they could proceed. To help curb scalping (thanks, guys), they will requiring the Trip Leader (or alternate) to have  an ID with all his/her kittens by his side at Sub Dome for the checkie-check.

Also, they will be encouraging permit holders to cancel permits via recreation.gov for the refund and NOT give them out along the trail. They say that if you ask people to pay the $5.00 fee, that is considered “selling” the permit. The cancelled permits will go into the pool of lottery permits to be drawn each day – in addition to the 50 planned. Those numbers could go up or down based on actual numbers doing the hike. Remember, last year it averaged only 200+.

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “Well, the rain exploded with a mighty crash …

More access to Half Dome??

Blog reader and Half Dome lover,  Mason Harrison, has taken the Half Dome cables story to another chapter. He has been successful in getting local Congressmen to support his idea to keep the HD cables up and not subject to any restrictions.

In fact, he convinced California 4^th District Congressman Tom McClintock, to send a letter to the Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on Jan. 25, showing support for erection of a third cable. DOI is the parent organization of the National Park Service. So the fun is just beginning. Read the whole Sonora Union Democrat’s story <HERE>.

McClintock carries a lot of clout – this is getting interesting.

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “Blinded by the light. Wrapped up like a deuce, another runner in the night.” – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band 

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

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome…

Associated Press Article on Half Dome Permits

This article by AP writer Tracie Cones of Fresno just hit the wires. I talked to her last week. I’m glad she is raising visibility nationwide to the Half Dome situation. Seems like the Wilderness Watch guys have woken up.

A couple of items needing correction:

1. “It would allow 300 people a day past a check point two miles distant beginning in 2013.”

As the crow flies it’s about 2 miles from Happy Isles to the top…but really a 7+ mile hike on the trail. You can go a couple different ways up so it could range from 14.5 to 16.5 round trip.

2. “In 1874 the slick dome that rises 5,000 feet above the valley floor was described as “perfectly inaccessible.”

Actually Josiah Whitney released a book in 1869 that had that phrase.

3. “…….and 20 years later designated 95 percent of Yosemite, including Half Dome and the well-worn eight-mile trail leading to it, as land that should not be altered by the hand of man.”

Actually, half of the trail to the top is NOT in wilderness…..roughly only the part above Nevada Fall is in the Wilderness….generally the top of the edge of the cliffs above the …

Half Dome Trail Stewardship Plan Webinar

On February 10, 1 pm PST the park will host a webinar on with a presentation on The Half Dome Trail Stewardship Plan Environmental Assessment. There will also be opportunities to ask our Wilderness Manager and project managers questions about the plan and the 2012 interim permit system.

To register for the webinar visit yose.webex.com. They  will also have an Open House on Feb 29 to rehash the same.

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “There’s an old piano and they play it hot, behind the green door. Don’t know what they’re doin’, but they laugh a lot, behind the green door. Wish they’d let me in so I could find out what’s behind the green door.” – Jim Lowe 

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

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome…

More info on Half Dome permits

I did a little probing and it looks like ONLY the TRIP LEADER permits are non-transferable. So if you win the lottery you could actually bring 5 total strangers or give them away (selling is taboo). The name down as the Trip Leader or alternate must go see the ranger at Sub Dome. I assume the trip leader will download a piece of paper that will serve as the “permit” then make copies for the rest. So try to get 6 permits and give them to fellow blog readers. You can even just put a sign on your back and do the hike…sooner or later a nice person will give you an extra permit.

There is some confusion if all in the party have to arrive at the Ranger at Sub Dome at the same time. That was not the case in the past.

The Jan – Mar Yosemite Gazette is out. They are available around the Tahoe-Yosem area. I also get a couple boxes znd put them at South Bay REI’s and coffee shops. If you want one, email me and send a buck for postage. I wrote a piece on the deaths in 2011 at the park. …

Half Dome Stewardship Plan EA released

The Half Dome Stewardship Plan Environmental Assessment is out.  Go to the link <HERE> to see the 132 page document. Page down to the PDF link below the “Document Content.” Bottom line – NPS recommends 300 permits (including Wilderness Permits) per day via lottery and NO allocation for commercial guide services. Let’s all read it, digest the impact and comment per their directions.

The 5 Alternatives suggested are:

Alternative A – No restrictions

Alternative B – 400 people per day

Alternative C – 300 people per day  ****Recommended****

Alternative D – 140 people per day

Alternative E – Remove the cables

We can comment up to March 15. The plan would then incorporate comments and get signed off to be effective in 2013.

I’ll need to see how this website/blog can assist in 2012 like I did the last 2 years. Seems if a person is down as TRIP LEADER he can get permits for a total of 6 people. Then if not planning to use all of them, they could give some to other friendly Blog readers. The Trip Leader  would need to go and show their ID as Trip leader, but the other 5 should be …