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secondtimer
Trad climber
Bay Area CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 10, 2005 - 04:12pm PT
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I just noticed that Glacier Point Apron is in the "Current Closures" section of the Yosemite web site. They say not to climb there. Is it really closed to climbing? Does that apply to that whole area, or are some parts of the apron reasonably safe? How bad is the risk, really?
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Melissa
Big Wall climber
oakland, ca
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Mar 10, 2005 - 05:41pm PT
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Are you sure it wasn't the road to Glacier Point that was closed? Do you have a link to the closures?
Does anyone know when El Cap, etc. will be open again to foot traffic. The sign said that the road would be closed into May, but we were hoping that they'd let us hike in sooner.
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secondtimer
Trad climber
Bay Area CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 10, 2005 - 06:09pm PT
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>>Are you sure it wasn't the road to Glacier Point that was closed?
The high roads ARE closed, but they were talking about the Apron.
>> Do you have a link to the closures?
http://www.nps.gov/yose/wilderness/climbing.htm
part way down, under "Current Closures"
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Mar 10, 2005 - 06:38pm PT
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The text on the page you cited for Glacier Point Apron just says "not recommended". It's not officially closed. I think it's fairly safe to climb Goodrich Pinnacle and stuff nearby. I wouldn't do Mr. Natural and stuff nearby, though - apparently there is some big loose stuff observed above it.
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Melissa
Big Wall climber
oakland, ca
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Mar 10, 2005 - 06:49pm PT
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Thanks!
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Edge
Trad climber
New Durham, NH
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Mar 10, 2005 - 06:57pm PT
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This is so sad to me. I did a bunch of climbs on the Apron that I would love to see others on as well...
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oaktown
climber
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Mar 10, 2005 - 07:52pm PT
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"Does anyone know when El Cap, etc. will be open again to foot traffic. The sign said that the road would be closed into May, but we were hoping that they'd let us hike in sooner. "
It's closed to foot traffic too?! I can't believe that the entire north side of the valley is inaccessible right now. Surely they'll let you walk in, right?
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Melissa
Big Wall climber
oakland, ca
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Mar 10, 2005 - 08:03pm PT
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Unfortunately, no...There was a ranger posted at the parking zone where the road forks near the cathedrals over the weekend turning back people who wanted to walk over. I guess there's an open pipe trench and they can't police the length of it to keep us all from falling in like lemmings. Does anyone know if they have the road entrance by the lodge/C4 blocked off from foot traffic too?
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oaktown
climber
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Mar 10, 2005 - 08:13pm PT
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Isn't there a trail that goes along the north side from C4? This wouldn't cross their ditch.
The valley's got thousand-foot drops all over the place, and they're worried about us falling in a little ditch??
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Melissa
Big Wall climber
oakland, ca
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Mar 10, 2005 - 08:14pm PT
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ya'd think, huh?
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Larry
Trad climber
Reno NV
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Mar 10, 2005 - 08:53pm PT
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You'd think they might put it on the website, too, eh?
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Melissa
Big Wall climber
oakland, ca
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Mar 10, 2005 - 09:08pm PT
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Maybe it was just last weekend? I honestly don't know. The road is/was definately closed to cars for a while.
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nature
climber
Flagstaff, AZ
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Mar 10, 2005 - 09:14pm PT
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OSHA doesn't regulate 3000 foot deep, naturally caused, glacial valley's but they do regulate 3 foot deep, man created, trenches containing water pipes. Don't hurt yourself out there folks, it's a dangerous world. At least we have OSHA to protect us!
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Matt
Trad climber
moving to the RIGHT
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Mar 10, 2005 - 09:47pm PT
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werner?
anyone in the valley?
will it help me to bring a bike up there, or are they really (somehow?) keeping people out of the areas where the sewageproject has the rd. closed?
that seems both ridiculous and impossible, anyone actually know the scoop?
seems like it might be pretty warm to climb in the lower merced area, and i am over due for some el cap meadow bridge swimming.
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dodangler
Trad climber
truckee
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Mar 10, 2005 - 10:14pm PT
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A bike is a great idea with the road closure. I wish I had one last weekend. I had no problem, parking at the split in the road at the base of Cathedral and walking to the meadow, in fact we saw a ranger drive by with no event. It was actually the most peaceful I've ever seen the meadow. No cars, no dragon, nobody, not even on the captain. Beautiful. Minimal people at the crags in lower canyon made made it a fantastic weekend to be in the valley.
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Matt
Trad climber
moving to the RIGHT
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Mar 10, 2005 - 10:16pm PT
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hey thanks-
how far up do hey start the rd closure- by C4?
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WBraun
climber
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Mar 10, 2005 - 11:35pm PT
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Matt bike would probably be a good idea. The construction company has their own security that patrols the construction area. The weather right now is stupendous. You can’t get it any better than this.
The road closure starts at the camp 4 parking lot and goes all the way to Pohono bridge.
I don’t know what the deal is with people on the road in the closed area, or if bikes are ok there.
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secondtimer
Trad climber
Bay Area CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 11, 2005 - 12:00am PT
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>> The text on the page you cited for Glacier Point Apron just
>> says "not recommended". It's not officially closed.
Good. I was worried about the wording, and didn't know how they word an "official closure." Don't want invoke the "wrath of the ranger." :-)
>>I think it's fairly safe to climb Goodrich Pinnacle and stuff
>>nearby. I wouldn't do Mr. Natural and stuff nearby, though -
>>apparently there is some big loose stuff observed above it.
This is consistent with what I hear from other climbers. The west end seems to be considered more risky than the east end, although the whole area has rockfalls and is more risky than other parts of the valley. A climbing friend told me about an interesting site that gives a map of rockfalls in the valley:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1998/ofr-98-0467/
One graph is sobering. It says we can expect to have two or three rockfalls a year of TEN CUBIC METERS! That's a LOT of rock.
Also, it seems the freeze/thaw cycle that is common in the spring, with lots of water in the snowpack, is thought to be a cause of at least some falls.
Anyone have more info on this?
Thanks, Clint.
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secondtimer
Trad climber
Bay Area CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 11, 2005 - 12:04am PT
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>> The road closure starts at the camp 4 parking lot and goes
>> all the way to Pohono bridge
How long is this "scheduled" to go on?
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secondtimer
Trad climber
Bay Area CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 11, 2005 - 12:18am PT
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>> The valley's got thousand-foot drops all over the place, and
>> they're worried about us falling in a little ditch??
Maybe it would be OK if you rope up, get a belay, and call it a climb? Pipe Trench Crack - one of the longest horizontal cracks in the valley. :-))) # 110 Camalot, maybe, for that big a crack. (That size Camalot is so big it takes two people to set it. And OSHA says it has to be fluorescent yellow so people can see it.)
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