Massive rockfall - Waterfall route

The sheet is
bounded on three sides by rockfall scars,
and likely displaced during or immediately
after the 22 Oct. 2017 rockfall. This geometry,
combined with a simplified fracture
mechanics analysis, indicates that the sheet
should detach with another 20% of fracturing
along the partially attached side.
Although the 3-D data do not allow us to
predict exactly when this will occur, they
do define the precise location and volume
of this future rockfall.

Three Yosemite National Park employees were honored on July 4th by Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke at the 73rd Honor Award Convocation Ceremony in Washington, D.C. Park Ranger Jesse McGahey, Park Ranger Philip N. Johnson, and Firefighter/Paramedic Nick Bliss received the Valor Award of the Department of the Interior for heroic actions, courage, and professionalism exhibited in the line of duty.

On September 27, 2017, the park received a 911 call of climbers injured in a catastrophic rockfall event originating from the South side of El Capitan. Due to a high potential of additional rockfall events off of El Capitan, Park Ranger McGahey was inserted to the scene of the injured parties via helicopter short haul and was the first Ranger and Park Medic on scene. One patient had been helped out of the zone of immediate danger from an additional rockfall. Ranger McGahey worked to stabilize and package the patient, who was suffering from life-threatening injuries.

You may encounter Valley District Ranger Jack Hoeflich directing traffic, patrolling Yosemite Valley via bicycle, taking ambulance calls, acting as Search and Rescue duty officer, performing a rescue on Half Dome, giving directions to a lost visitor, or mentoring a new ranger. He is a federal law enforcement officer, park medic, structural and wildland firefighter, technical rock rescue instructor, helicopter and swift water rescue technician, horse patroller, and more. In 2007, he received a valor award for a heroic actions while rescuing a gravely injured climber from the face of El Capitan. Other rangers look at him and wonder, “how is he so good at all that stuff?” For all this and more, Jack is the recipient of the 2017 Barry Hance Memorial Award.

The Barry Hance Memorial Award is a peer-nominated award that is named in honor of Barry Hance, a long-time employee of Yosemite National Park who died in an avalanche while plowing the Tioga Road in 1995. Recipients of this prestigious award are employees who exemplify the qualities and attributes of Barry Hance. These include teamwork, a positive attitude, concern for the public and fellow employees, public service, and a deep love for Yosemite National Park.