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gstock
climber
Yosemite Valley
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 17, 2013 - 01:57pm PT
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Hi all,
I'm pleased to announce that, after several years of effort, an updated version of Yosemite's rockfall database has been published as a USGS Data Series Report.
The database, as well as an accompanying report and event narratives document can be downloaded here: http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/746/
The database documents all known rockfalls, rockslides, and debris flows in Yosemite National Park from 1857 to 2011, a total of 925 events. Each entry includes information about event timing, location, size, potential triggering mechanism, and any human or infrastructure impacts. This information provides historical context for ongoing rockfall activity. An associated document provides narrative descriptions of the events, many of which are fascinating to read (at least for me). Here is but one example:
The database contains hundreds of eyewitness accounts from park visitors, employees, and residents, as well as information from internal reports and scientific journal publications. Climbers were an invaluable source of information for the database, so thank you for your reports, and keep them coming!
Thanks also to Luke Lydiard for providing the spectacular cover photo, taken from Middle Cathedral Rock.
As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Greg Stock
Yosemite Park Geologist
(209) 379-1420
greg_stock@nps.gov
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gstock
climber
Yosemite Valley
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 17, 2013 - 02:03pm PT
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Here's another entertaining narrative:
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Jun 17, 2013 - 02:46pm PT
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haha, great line from Dick Ewert!
It's cool to see that you were able to find and interview eyewitnesses to some of these rockfalls in the past.
Thanks for putting together these interesting data and sharing the stories, too.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Jun 17, 2013 - 03:34pm PT
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Correction, found it!
"According to Park Geologist Greg Stock: A medium-sized rock fall occurred from the west face of El Capitan above El Capitan Gully, reported by numerous climbers and visitors who witnessed the event from El Capitan Meadow. A sizable dust cloud was produced as debris fell down the upper, lower-angle part of the west face. The source area was near the lip of the west face, northwest of climbing route "Lurking Fear" and southeast of KP Pinnacle. All of the debris stayed within El Capitan gully. Snowmelt was a possible trigger."
http://vimeo.com/4917718
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Jun 17, 2013 - 04:06pm PT
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Excellent. Thanks for all you do, Greg.
john
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Dr. Christ
Mountain climber
State of Mine
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Jun 17, 2013 - 04:12pm PT
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Love it!
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Jun 17, 2013 - 05:53pm PT
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Thank you Greg!
This is a spectacular depth of information.
I immediately looked up the 1872 quake (Lone Pine) which killed some 27 people sleeping there in adobe shacks that night and apparently raised Mt. Whitney twenty feet at once -- a year before it's First Ascent.
For years I had been looking for information about the toppling of "Eagle Rock" in the Valley, even asking at the great research library there, and finding very little.
You did it! You came through with the information. Exactly what I needed, including quotes from Muir. Now I finally know where Eagle Rock was, off of Union Point. And of the other massive rockfalls that night from Sentinel, Liberty Cap and the also no-longer-with-us "Pelican Peak."
This is great because it fleshes out events showing the huge quake's magnitude (greater than the famous San Francisco quake of 1906) from these rockfalls over a hundred air miles away from the epicenter.
I'm really excited here because I'm writing about this massive Sierra event for a major piece in the American Alpine Journal for next year, and you have given me the best, most colorful and accurate info yet found.
Thank you. Thank you!
Doug
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Jun 17, 2013 - 08:37pm PT
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bump. Cool
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
climber
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Jun 17, 2013 - 09:54pm PT
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(This rock) [It] was 1500-ft-high + (was) capped by a large stone somewhat like an eagle with wings outspread Any hope of finding a photo (or drawing) when it still stood?
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KitKat
Trad climber
Strawberry
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Jun 18, 2013 - 03:35am PT
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Greg, Thank you so much for your hard work! This is an invaluable source of information.
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Fletcher
Trad climber
The great state of advaita
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Jun 18, 2013 - 04:09am PT
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Wow, very interesting and enjoyable tales here! Thanks Greg!
I'm looking forward to Doug's article too.
Eric
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Jun 18, 2013 - 11:15am PT
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rSin, excellent info for you here: http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/geology_of_yosemite_valley/
The last stage of glaciation reached only top 1/3 the height of El Cap and barely passed its toe as well. When you are up high on El Cap, it becomes really obvious that the upper reaches did not get planed off like the lower parts and must have been untouched for quite a bit longer.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jun 18, 2013 - 12:07pm PT
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Peter, are you saying the glaciar was 1000' thick and had a 1000' terminal face
like a tidewater glaciar?
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gstock
climber
Yosemite Valley
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 18, 2013 - 12:26pm PT
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The last major glaciation in Yosemite, known locally as the "Tioga" glaciation, terminated just west of Bridalveil Fall and covered only the lowest part of El Capitan (about 4% of the face). You can see still see some glacier polish on the first pitch of Mescalito/New Dawn, and on the ledge at the base of Pine Line.
Earlier glaciations were larger, extending as far downvalley as El Portal and covering most or all of El Capitan.
In this recent revision of the Yosemite glaciation series, the far left panel represents Yosemite Valley as it might have looked several million years ago before glaciation; the middle left panel shows the largest glaciation perhaps about 800,000 years ago; the middle panel shows the Tioga glaciation about 20,000 years ago; the middle right panel shows the Valley after deglaciation about 15,000 years ago; and the far right panel shows Yosemite Valley today.
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Don Mellor
climber
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Jun 18, 2013 - 02:13pm PT
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I saw that one happen on El Cap from Middle Cathedral. It would have been mid/late October 1976. It was huge. A few days later as we walked to E Butt, the dust was like snow on the ground. We ran through it, leaving footprints in the powder.
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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Jun 18, 2013 - 04:37pm PT
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Greg, what's your take on whether it makes sense to make a list of loose blocks on popular routes, then close the routes for a day and trundle them? Is this a "sisyphian task" - ie, it never ends and more death flakes will just be produced, or could the routes be cleaned up? If it makes no sense, because flakes are coming off all the time, then so be it. Note the recent post about a death flake on the Nose. I remember a different death flake, way up around the glowering spot I think, that's no longer there. But maybe there is no end to it.
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Jun 18, 2013 - 04:41pm PT
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People take care of stuff like that at local crags. They don't let loose blocks hang around if they can help it. Something like El Cap just takes more planning and organizing. It's not going to fall like a house of cards if we do a little house keeping. Nothing can be done about the truly unpredictable big stuff like ceilings blowing off for no apart reason other than the weight of the rock, or huge dihedrals collapsing. Those go with the risk of being on a big wall. It's the little stuff that we need to get organized about. There are just too many people in harms way these days. If you want real adventure, go to Baffin Island.
What's the story about the block that killed the English climber on the East Buttress recently? Did anyone know it was there? It's a popular route, correct?
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RP3
Big Wall climber
El Portal/Chapel Hill
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Jun 19, 2013 - 12:31pm PT
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Congratulations Greg! Very well done.
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