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Anastasia
climber
Not there
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Jul 29, 2008 - 01:03pm PT
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Hey people,
Any updates? Many of us here are wishing you the best outcome.
AF
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Brendan
Trad climber
Yosemite, CA
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Jul 29, 2008 - 02:57pm PT
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Here is a well informed local's scoop: please refer to the government sites below for continuously updated and accurate information. If you are planning to come to Yosemite soon to climb or hike, you might want to reconsider and come another time. Smoke has been present around the valley for the last two months, but we are getting particulate concentrations that we haven't seen in a while. If you are interrested in more info about the Telegraph fire, definetly check out the main site devoted to california fire. Here they have maps of the fire, fire reports and road reports.
http://www.fire.ca.gov/index_incidents_others.php
Highway 140 is currently closed 7/29, 11:30 AM because they dumped retardant on it yesterday 7/28, but I imagine it will be open soon since the fire is spreading mostly north. El portal and Yosemite Valley do not have power, but PG&E are working to get generators up to satisfy demands. To the best of my knowledge, Tuolumne has power but smoke and ozone are serious issues up there if you are outside exerting yourself.
Here is a blog and tons of pictures taken by the Air Resource specialist for Yosemite, Dr. Tarnay:
http://web.mac.com/ltarnay/LeeSuzieHome/LeeSuzieHomeBlog/Entries/2008/7/26_Telegraph_Fire.html
Here is the official Air Quality website for Yose Natl. park made by Dr. Tarnay. Definetly check out the ozone and particulate concentrations (little images on the right side of the page) if you are comming to the park. It might only be able to be accessed via the LAN connection at the park? but give it a shot, it is a great resource
http://www.yose.nps.gov/yosenet/AirQuality/default.htm
As far as the Cedar logde goes, they don't have power, but it is still standing and not in any immediate threat from the fire. If there is any danger, it iwll be evacuated. Plus, there is a large bend in the road, and the physical topography is not condusive toward the fire very quickly toward it (unlike to the north of Telegraph/midpines).
Mariposa seems to have luckily missed most of the devestation, with a huge thanks due to the tireless efforts of the heroic fire fighters from all over that have come to help there. Midpines lost several structures, but since the fire is spreading north, much of the concern has shifted to coulterville and other towns north.
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Spencer Adkisson
Trad climber
Reno, NV
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Jul 29, 2008 - 03:17pm PT
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So if the fire is burning on both sides of the Merced, and partially or completely blocking 140 and the Yosemite NP entrance is it possible that friends/family/people could be trapped in the valley?
Werner, Brendan, what's the prognosis? Any evac plans?
Hoping for the best.
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Buju
Trad climber
A Sandbar
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Jul 29, 2008 - 03:26pm PT
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hey brendan!
Does the government have a website detailing the Schuhplattering conditions!
come up to tuolumne!
-rog
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Brendan
Trad climber
Yosemite, CA
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Jul 29, 2008 - 03:35pm PT
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If you have friends or family inside of the park, they are totally safe and fine. They can exit the park via the road through wawona, highway 41, and head back west to the south of the fires, or head out the east side over Tioga road (120) to Mono lake/Mammoth. If you go out this way I highly suggest getting fish Tacos at the Mobil station! mmmm fish tacos should ease the pain of poor air in Yosemite.
120 should still be open heading west toward san fran. Considering the speed at which the fire is spreading to the north though, it may not be in a few short days. If this happens though, 41 and 120 to the east should still be open to evacuate the valley.
There is still a pre evacuation notice to Coulterville and a few other towns to the north. As I update this today, 8/1, many of the midpines residents have been allowed to go back into their homes and begin living there again. The fire is largely contained and the air quality is highly improved. To stay up to date with Evac plans or any info, check out the CAL fire site above.
Rog- there is 90% chance of delicious bratwurst with a 46% chance of scattered Schuplattering and Liederhosen.
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Spencer Adkisson
Trad climber
Reno, NV
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Jul 29, 2008 - 04:10pm PT
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Good to know. Thanks
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
Castle Rock
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Jul 29, 2008 - 06:02pm PT
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OK, good deal, that north side of the Merced was logged off about a hundred years ago, so not much to burn compared to the South side.
You can see an old logging skid on the side of the hill if you look up at the top of the mountain directly across from Cedar Lodge.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 29, 2008 - 06:04pm PT
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"there is 90% chance of delicious bratwurst with a 46% chance of scattered Schuplattering and Liederhosen."
I can live with it, as long as there's no chance of yodelling or alpenhorns.
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Jul 29, 2008 - 06:12pm PT
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Thanks Brendan -- all that is really useful.
Anybody know of a live webcam up in Tuolumne? Or, any up-to-date first-hand reports about the smoke up there?
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Domingo
Trad climber
El Portal, CA
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Jul 30, 2008 - 12:36pm PT
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Important things to know right now:
-El Portal is off the grid again. We were only supposed to be off from 9am to 12pm today while they hooked up a third generator to bring power to the Valley. However, power went out around 2am this morning. I'm not sure what that means for us or for Yosemite's power supply. Again, anyone with a corded phone is reachable; the land lines are fine.
-140 will be closed indefinitely. The fire chief is pretty concerned about the Cedar Lodge/Incline area, and they have a base of operations stationed at the weird square jut-out of the 140 (just west of the rockslide).
-You can see the old logging skid using the Google Maps satellite feature. There's talk of backburning from there. There's a lot of concern about a geographic feature called "Ned's Gulch"; though the area was pretty logged 100 years ago, Ned's Gulch wasn't. It's basically a dense, very steep thicket that connects to several other dense, steep thickets (causing a domino effect that would be bad news bears for Highway 120 and other areas north of the current fire).
-As long as the fire isn't raging on both sides of the highway, El Portal will still have Sal's on Thursday. (Maybe those of you outside EP don't realize how important this is...)
Keep in mind that the steepest, densest terrain was never really logged, and it's become a series of nasty looking corridors are hard to cut firelines in. That's not to say they can't backburn or stop the fire from spreading this way: Mariposa County's been blessed to get so much support for this fire (for example, Greece sent firefighters) and they're doing an amazing job given the rate of spread.
Rog (!!!!) - I've got a good friend hanging out in Tuolumne for a week so I'll be up there this week/end. Will I get the privilege of seeing your delicate, flowing locks, or are you going out of town? Should I bring a Bob Seger CD?
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Prod
Social climber
Charlevoix, MI
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Jul 30, 2008 - 01:04pm PT
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Will I be able to drive to Yosemite next Friday August 8th?
Prod.
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Domingo
Trad climber
El Portal, CA
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Jul 30, 2008 - 01:26pm PT
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Depends on the wind, Prod. Probably, but I'd make a back-up plan just in case 120 and 140 are both closed.
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
Castle Rock
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Jul 30, 2008 - 01:34pm PT
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The mobster that owns Cedar also owns the place upstream near El Portal, and half of the Camp Curry Company if i trust the rumors, so he has major $$$ to slip the Chief.
The N. Fork Merced could be a vortex, but it is a rather short drainage.
Did theyget the new bridge in at 140?
I bet they never though about getting fire trucks over the first POS they put up, doh!
Neds is right upstream of the Rodgers Slide, there is a house over there, but that shoud be easy to protect.
No water in the river, but plenty in McClure, over...
Maybe this will finally get rid of that dang bear that keeps stealing my food at Indian Flat every night at 3:00 am.
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Domingo
Trad climber
El Portal, CA
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Jul 30, 2008 - 01:57pm PT
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Dr. Rock:
Luckily, they got the new bridge in so firetrucks can come and go. They suggested there's still enough water in the river to fill choppers with.
There's a lot more fuel on the south side of the road but all in all it's presumed to be more protectable. There are a lot of houses on Incline (north of the river) that they're concerned about, as far as I know.
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Majid_S
Mountain climber
Bay Area
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Jul 30, 2008 - 02:01pm PT
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Any recent photos from 140 fire ?
What is the update guys ?
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 30, 2008 - 02:34pm PT
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They know target shooting caused it because they talked to the guy who started it.
Peace
Karl
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Ouch!
climber
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Jul 30, 2008 - 02:40pm PT
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John Moosie
climber
Beautiful California
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Jul 30, 2008 - 02:51pm PT
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LOL, That must have been one of those 2.4 million dollar indestructo outhouses the military contracted for. The only thing it wont withstand is a direct nuclear blast.
Piton, yer gonna need a bigger gun. haha
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Mr_T
Trad climber
Somewhere, CA
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Jul 30, 2008 - 03:00pm PT
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Since the Foresta area burned up in the 90's, is that going to make somewhat of a barrier to the north east?
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