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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 13, 2017 - 07:35pm PT
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A big rockfall from Parkline Slab closed 140 between El Portal and Arch Rock on Monday.
UPDATE: 140 reopened on 2017-06-18!
[See the recent posts at the end of this thread.]
Chris Falkenstein has posted several excellent photos of it on the Yosemite Incident Feed on facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10211675273170755&set=pcb.1998205120407712&type=3&theater
Here is the comment I posted:
Great shot of the rockfall source (the arch / overhang above the pine tree). There used to be a (second) big pine tree up there, which is gone now and was likely involved in creating the rockfall. I can dig out some "before" shots showing that tree in place. I also did a climb that we called "Fresh Crack" which went exactly along the left margin of the rockfall. It was originally a seam, but we came back later and it had changed into a 1" crack. The giant flake/block/slab on the right side had dropped 6 inches. I have photos of this as well. Greg Stock, park geologist would likely be interested. All this happened before the plane crash, which was several hundred feet right and at the top of the cliff.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-yosemite-national-park-rockslide-closure-20170613-story.html
https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
El Portal Road (continuation of Highway 140) is closed due to a rockfall
The El Portal Road (continuation of Highway 140 into Yosemite Valley from El Portal) is closed due to rockfall. Access to Yosemite Valley is still possible via Highways 41 and 120 from the west. Call 209/372-0200 (then dial 1 then 1) for any updates. [2017-06-13, 8:30pm]
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Jun 13, 2017 - 08:09pm PT
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Wow!
No cars pasted? Good!
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
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Jun 13, 2017 - 08:24pm PT
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Crane Creek to Foresta dirt road : )
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BruceHildenbrand
Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
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Jun 13, 2017 - 08:53pm PT
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Did someone yell "rock" before it started coming down? I also hope if anybody was climbing in the area they were wearing their helmets:-)
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Jun 13, 2017 - 09:08pm PT
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now that's a trundle!
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Q- Ball
Mountain climber
but to scared to climb them anymore
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Jun 13, 2017 - 09:38pm PT
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A fellow Tennesseean on why he drove into a rock fall! Classic, it is actually me if you were curious. "I didn't even see that thang..." ; )
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gBmE92n5mEI
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cragnshag
Social climber
san joser
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Jun 13, 2017 - 11:57pm PT
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Dang! I'm glad it didn't go when we were on it... (edit) Here is Clint's route overlay photo that ended up on my computer.
I was a bit spooked out when leading the Snaggletooth corner, worried that the cooler-sized blocks stuck inside might come out. Looks like the coolers should have been the least of my concerns.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 14, 2017 - 04:17am PT
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Here's my version of outlining the source of the rockfall.
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Ryan K
Gym climber
the pit
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Jun 14, 2017 - 06:48am PT
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Awesome pictures, thanks for sharing.
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gstock
climber
Yosemite Valley
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Jun 14, 2017 - 07:10am PT
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Wow, Clint, thanks for those photos and insights - just what I was hoping to find here! I would love to hear more about the change in crack width that you observed, and to see your pre-rockslide photos in hi-res.
Here are some additional photos of the cliff and rockslide source area that I took from a helicopter on Monday late afternoon.
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BruceHildenbrand
Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
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Jun 14, 2017 - 07:25am PT
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It looks like there is still some loose stuff up there especially up and right of the fracture.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jun 14, 2017 - 07:34am PT
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When it comes to Yosemite...climb them now, mourn them later. Don't be on Moby Dick when Boot Flake goes.
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cragnshag
Social climber
san joser
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Jun 14, 2017 - 07:54am PT
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Greg- a few feet to the right of the seam (that turned into a 1" crack) and in the lower area of white rock, was a brand new 3/4" crack that was as deep as I could see and roughly paralleled the widened seam for a ways. This new crack was more or less perpendicular to the face of the slab and had super sharp square edges. It appeared sometime after our initial attempt at climbing the seam when it was still a seam.
From your photo and Clint's overlay it appears that the location of the main separation of the lower end of the slab was at the widening seam and not the new crack a few more feet to the right.
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LAhiker
Social climber
Los Angeles
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Jun 14, 2017 - 08:11am PT
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The revenge of the rocks...
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Gunkie
Trad climber
Valles Marineris
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Jun 14, 2017 - 09:49am PT
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Wow. Thankgoodness no one was hurt. From Clint's images and commentary that whole scene is just freaky. Seam goes to 1" crack in a few seasons. I guess not so much expando as it is el slide-o. I guess my question is: were you guys not completely freaked out when you came across this newly formed 1" crack?
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splitclimber
climber
Sonoma County
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Jun 14, 2017 - 10:52am PT
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Wow. thanks for the posts and pics Clint.
looks like the approach trail is mostly intact.
Is stonequest off the right of the rockfall?
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tithaf
Trad climber
Sierra Madre, CA
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Jun 14, 2017 - 11:19am PT
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Am going to lobby Greg Stock to keep a high res webcam pointed at Boot Flake until it comes off ... don't want to miss that and see what's behind it ....
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carlaftw
Trad climber
San Jose, California
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Jun 14, 2017 - 02:16pm PT
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Were there any previous cases of rockfall from this same outcrop?
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 14, 2017 - 02:35pm PT
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I made this overlay on Greg's photo, which shows a few more things, such as the location of Stonequest,
and the former location of Teter Tower, which fell off in the 70s/80s (I haven't checked the rockfall database to see if there is a likely corresponding entry).
The location of Teter Tower is somewhat vague in the Roper guidebook,
but cragnshag and I saw the bolt ladder on the wall next to where it used to be.
carlaftw,
In the past, there have been several rockfalls which have impacted 140.
Most recently, in January 2017 from only 50' or so above the road at the road cut above the Parkline pullout (just 80' up the road from the current rockfall).
It was probably affected by the fire just above it in October 2014 from the plane crash.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2747502/Rock-Slide-on-HWY-140-in-Yos
And other rockfalls impacting 140 but not from Parkline:
 2016-11 just a big boulder
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2897702/140-closed-another-bouldering-opportunity
2006-04 Ferguson Rockslide downstream from Cedar Lodge where the stoplights, bridges and one-way road are now
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/219054/Hwy-140-Update
1982-04 from above/right of the Cookie (well upstream from the Arch Rock entrance station).
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1485313/Elephant-Rock-talus-field
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Jun 14, 2017 - 02:43pm PT
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Who is gonna get to that new corner first? Rematch? Hehe
That is a proper trundle, bravo.
Thanks for the report!
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gstock
climber
Yosemite Valley
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Jun 14, 2017 - 02:52pm PT
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Clint and I are making good use of each others photos. Here is a "before-and-after" comparison of the rockslide source area, with the slab that fell colored yellow; the "before" photo on the left is by Clint.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 14, 2017 - 02:54pm PT
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Great work, Greg!
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Jun 15, 2017 - 06:20pm PT
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There is a big downside to this rockfall...the commute from Mariposa and especially from El Portal just got extended by a huge factor.
The mileages and times are right off the Google machine.
Say you work in Yosemite Village or the Lodge - here's what you'd be looking at now.
Mileage from El Portal to Mariposa 28.2 miles/44 minutes
Mileage from Mariposa to Fishcamp 40 miles/55 minutes
Mileage from Fishcamp to Yosemite Lodge 34 miles/68 minutes
Total mileage El Portal to Yosemite Lodge 103.2 miles/2 hrs 47 mins
The normal El Portal to Yosemite Lodge run is listed as 15.5 miles/35 minutes.
Good luck with all that, guys.
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john hansen
climber
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Jun 15, 2017 - 06:23pm PT
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Can you get around it if you take the Foresta road to 120?
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stunewberry
Trad climber
Spokane, WA
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Jun 15, 2017 - 06:39pm PT
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In Greg's picture a couple of posts up, there is in the two before photos a very faint line left of the fallen block and parallel to its edge, outlined with a few blobs of munge, which I presume to be a crack. The munge blobs are gone in the after shot (along with a lot of blobs reduced in size or gone above and right of the rockfall and further left). The fall line couldn't have wiped out the blobs, and it's unlikely they shrank because of the very wet winter. What causes munge to die back in a wet winter? And, if that is a crack, there may be more rockfall on the way "soon."
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WBraun
climber
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Jun 15, 2017 - 06:47pm PT
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Mileage from El Portal to Mariposa 28.2 miles/44 minutes
You don't go to Mariposa.
You take Triangle road across to 49 to Oakhurst then 41 to the park .....
Or ... park car at Foresta.
Walk/run or ride mt bike up/down forest road aprx (5 miles) to get to work from El Portel.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 15, 2017 - 09:19pm PT
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stunewberry,
In Greg's picture a couple of posts up, there is in the two before photos a very faint line left of the fallen block and parallel to its edge, outlined with a few blobs of munge, which I presume to be a crack. The munge blobs are gone in the after shot (along with a lot of blobs reduced in size or gone above and right of the rockfall and further left). The fall line couldn't have wiped out the blobs, and it's unlikely they shrank because of the very wet winter. What causes munge to die back in a wet winter? And, if that is a crack, there may be more rockfall on the way "soon." That is indeed a (shallow as I recall) thin crack that peters out into face climbing.
The before shot was taken in 2011.
We climbed that crack in January 2013, and a few munge blobs magically disappeared in the process....
The (vertical) crack does not appear to me to be a big rockfall risk at present,
because it does not have an attached huge flake to the right applying torque.
The fresh corner just to the right, where the rockfall originated has a crack extending higher.
This crack probably prevents the fresh overhang on the right from applying torque to the thin vertical crack we are discussing.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Jun 15, 2017 - 09:52pm PT
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Triangle road across to 49
DOH! Shoulda oughta thoughta that.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Jun 17, 2017 - 12:00pm PT
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Yosemite Incident Feed
(provided by neebee, from Chris Falkenstein)
FROM NPS/Friday
Yosemite crews have been hard at work this week. Last night they completed blasting of the large boulders and clearing debris from the El Portal Road. Today they installed K-rail to temporarily replace the missing guardrail. Tonight, a contractor is on site preparing an emergency sewer line bypass in the event that it becomes necessary. Early Saturday morning excavation and assessment of the sewer line will begin. Once the sewer line has been excavated it will be assessed for damages to the line. Depending on the size of the damage park crews may be able to effect repairs. Otherwise more substantial repairs will be contracted to an outside vendor on an emergency basis. The regional office contract staff are on standby to get this in place if needed. Also, tomorrow, U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highways engineer will do a geotechnical assessment of the up and downhill slopes. This assessment will see if additional engineering work is needed to guide repairs or, once the sewer is repaired, crews can move to a temporary gravel road.
We still do not have an estimate for when the road may open to either administrative or public traffic. Depending on the exact location of the sewer line under the road, the excavation may eliminate the possibility of even one lane of traffic until repair work has been completed.
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On-Site Flasher 69
Sport climber
Riverside
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Jun 17, 2017 - 09:15pm PT
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Hwy 140 is open into Yosemite!!!!
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BruceHildenbrand
Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
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Jun 18, 2017 - 12:21am PT
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The pad people aren't going to be too happy about this!
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kaholatingtong
Trad climber
The real McCoy from the inside of my van.
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Jun 24, 2017 - 08:22am PT
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Another rockfall and 140 closed again ? Damn!
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Jun 24, 2017 - 08:58am PT
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^^^^Quote: "Just climb some slab, we generally have those..." (Your recent post on another thread.)
Surely you're not referring to yet ANOTHER SLIDE which just happened today?
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Jun 24, 2017 - 09:08am PT
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Who's gonna get the FA on that new corner?
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Jun 24, 2017 - 09:14am PT
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the area under the slab that came off is pretty well "pre-weathered". Do you reckon (Greg) that there was little contact on the face before it came off?
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Jun 24, 2017 - 09:14am PT
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YOU da man with the right name, Bruce. YOU do it!!
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kaholatingtong
Trad climber
The real McCoy from the inside of my van.
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Jun 24, 2017 - 10:36am PT
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Unless the rumors in the kitchen are false, I am infact talking about another slide, I iust havent had the chance to investigate more yet, figured word would be out here first...
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WBraun
climber
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Jun 24, 2017 - 11:08am PT
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140 IS open.
A few small rocks fell down earlier and were cleared .....
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cragnshag
Social climber
Gilroy
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Dec 10, 2018 - 03:30pm PT
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An update to the June 12, 2017 rockfall on Parkline Slab:
Another chunk peeled off sometime between June 12, 2017 and last weekend. The left side of the release is the thin 10a crack which was the leftmost crack in the vicinity. This crack was spared in the 6/12/2017 rockfall event. I took a photo from about 80' below the bottom edge of the release and climber's left of the debris path.
The new concrete barrier wall on the road in the debris path has 3 or 4 big spalls where decent sized rocks had impacted sometime since the construction finished. Maybe some chunks from this later release caused those spalls?
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clarkolator
climber
Flatlands of Yolo
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Dec 10, 2018 - 05:42pm PT
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Be careful up there right now. I was up there at the start of the first rain in October, and the first rain after the Ferguson fire, and there was lots of rockfall. Really shouldn't have been there.
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cragnshag
Social climber
Gilroy
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Dec 10, 2018 - 06:34pm PT
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The fire scorched quite a bit of the landscape below and on Parkline Slab itself. There are blackened munge blobs hundreds of feet up the cliff.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 11, 2018 - 05:19am PT
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Wow, Bob.
Looks like we got in some first and last ascents there, before the rockfalls!
I see the fire cleared out some brush.
Is the poison oak coming back strong yet?
Clint
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gstock
climber
Yosemite Valley
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Dec 11, 2018 - 11:42am PT
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Cragnshag, that rockfall occurred at 11 am on November 24, 2018, on the tail end of a 24-hour storm. The volume was about 18 cubic meters. I suspected that the block that fell was bounded on its left side by an existing crack, so your photos and descriptions of that crack are really helpful.
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cragnshag
Social climber
Gilroy
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Dec 11, 2018 - 11:48am PT
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Not much regrowth yet. Some PO here and there, some grass, and a few of the burnt trees have sprouts coming up from the base.
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cragnshag
Social climber
Gilroy
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Dec 11, 2018 - 12:01pm PT
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Hey Greg, that 10a crack continues up a ways past where the block released, then peters out into face climbing. I don't recall if there are any more horizontal cracks leading right from the upper portions of the pitch. Maybe Clint remembers?
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| Messages 1 - 47 of total 47 in this topic |
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