Yosemite - Firsthand report from Shutdown Day 2

DO

Dogmobile

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Seeing as its extremely hard to get the real story on what exactly shutdown means, I thought I'd post my experience. The situation is changing day by day, so don't assume anything, but don't stay home and mope either!

Drove through the park west to east this afternoon (Oct 2), entering at Arch Rock and exiting at Tioga Pass. Signs but no barricades and no rangers at either entrance. I saw only one ranger the entire way, driving down Big Oak Flat Rd. Fewer than 10% of pull outs were blocked off, and people were stopping to enjoy the scenery in all the usual places - as long as you don't leave your vehicle and take off hiking I saw no evidence that you couldn't enjoy the drive as usual. Traffic was maybe a little lighter than a normal fall weekday afternoon, but there were plenty of people doing the same as me. I did not go into the Valley so can't speak to that, but if you need a Valley fix there are pullouts with good views of the Valley from Ge Big Oak Flat Rd., and of course there's Tunnel View.

USFS campgrounds easy of Tioga Pass wee OPEN (Tioga and Ellery at least, and I would guess others too). Aspens are just a hair before peak at 8000-9000' (lots of yellow but not much red yet). It's a great time to visit this area.

Seeing Tuolumne Meadows without its usual fringe of cars was a highlight of the trip.
 
Interesting. So many USFS campgrounds are actually run (basic maintenance, fees, etc) by the big concessionaires so maybe they won't shut.

I just got back from S UT and people were really pissed, since it's a long way to get there, and many of the non-Fed accommodations are lackluster.

Also just read about some people who got jammed on a CO River trip. Yikes.

But OTOH maybe some opportunistic types will get nice accommodations when things (unexpectedly) reopen, or get to the front of the line for spaces on river permits, climbing permits, Ahwahnee rooms, etc. I sure feel for the poor folks who paid for nice Nat'l Park vacations only to get screwed.

Rob
 
Glad to hear some USFS campgrounds are open. The best ones over here have shut down, right at peak leaf season (hurting TONS of small businesses and families too since most schools have a Fall break week this coming week).
I'll be in Colorado looking for camping middle of next week so I'm hoping it's over by then or that some of the USFS campgrounds in N Co or southern Wyoming are open. I don't mind boondocking but that's what everyone else will be doing to if everything is closed.

:d7:
 
USFS campgrounds at Whitney Portal...all CLOSED, and actively patrolled. Whitney Portal Store is open, and there are plenty of people going up the mountain despite not being able to collect their permit, but there are also some sitting at the store moping instead.

Alabama Hills...OPEN, but there are a lot of people packed into nooks and crannies so you might have to search a bit for a spot.

Also, should have mentioned this sooner, but BLM has gated the road to the campgrounds in the Merced River canyon below Briceburg, so they are CLOSED.
 
This sucks. I have a question for anyone who camps at USFS cg's often. Some where I am going are left open in the off season, with free camping but no amenities (No restrooms, no hosts, no water, no anything). What's the concensus on whether they would close those, since they are already basically closed?
 
In theory, the reason they are closing facilities is because there is no one to maintain them (clean the restroom, etc.), so facilities that are normally unmaintained should be unaffected by the shutdown.
 
Dogmobile said:
In theory, the reason they are closing facilities is because there is no one to maintain them (clean the restroom, etc.), so facilities that are normally unmaintained should be unaffected by the shutdown.
Click to expand...


You mean like the Vietnam Memorial in DC that now has a fence and someone to keep people out?

Mike
 
Here in Tahoe the Zephyr cove area is run by concessionaires and is still closed. The marina is making all the boats leave their births. The paddle wheel boat can't run and the campground is closed.

Thanks for sharing about Yosemite. Sounds like it is a possible trip. I thought that because Tioga and Ellery are National Forest they would be closed.
 
Saw several CG's closed along Sonora pass that are normally open this time of year but others were not blocked off. Most were ran by a concessionaires.
Oh well.
I can see a huge park, but BLM stuff? Most BLM is low maintenance. They just loose. The price to maintain vs. entry fees will be basically moot. Over a long period might be another issue but they still have to take care of the place. Probably cost more to do the shutdown than to just continue as normal when dealing with the small time stuff. Big time parks...that's a different story. They have huge budgets for all sorts of stuff that has nothing to do with camping or thoroughfares.
 
So how do you close BLM land? I'd guess that it's just a liability thing, where if someone gets hurt, they can't sue and say that it was because there was no on there to tell them not to look down into the active geyser, or pet the nice fluffy wolf.


Herb
 
According to some BLM websites they are closing areas with storm related flood risks and seasonal severe weather risks, high fire danger and cultural sites (petroglyphs) as they now lack staffing to monitor visitors regarding backcountry ORV activities, campsite locations, campfire restrictions and disturbing ancient petroglyphs. I some areas, no onsite presence to discourage intentional or accidental game taking adjacent to legal fall game hunt areas is also an issue. No doubt some of the closure locations may be questionable regarding the above concerns. Hope the closures ends soon.
 
The only BLM lands I've seen closed are campgrounds that have a gate at the entrance. Dispersed camping is still alive and well in all the usual spots.
 
We were thinking of heading over to the Mammoth area and I was trying to get information on FS campgrounds which might still be open even though we usually boondock. (However, we do like to stay at the Convict Lake FS campground and having dinner at the resort restaurant across the creek.) I figured that calling the FS office in Mammoth wasn't going to work since they have been shut down. So I got on the Mammoth Lakes tourist office website and discovered that every FS campground in the Mammoth area is now shut down for the season.

It was mentioned that these campgrounds are operated under a contract with a concessionaire which should allow them to stay open. However, I've learned that the Antideficeincy Act which was passed in 1870 prohibits the government from incurring monetary obligations when there is not approved budget in place. Hence, all of the campgrounds operated directly by the FS or a concessionaire are closed.
 
I was surprised Baker CG at Kennedy Meadows was closed as were a few more along the way. Douglas was open and a couple of others. 108 is unreal right now and the fall colors are out.
 
Yosemite update: Just drove back over Tioga Pass east to west. Squeaked through just before they closed Tioga Rd for the upcoming storm, so the road was REALLY deserted this time :)

USFS campgrounds east of Tioga Pass are now closed, as were pretty much every federal campground I saw on the East Side. In several cases I talked with federal employees who said seasonal closures and seasonal layoffs happened a couple of weeks earlier than usual this year due to the shutdown.

On the plus side, I was motivated to suss out some awesome new (to me) boondock sites. And, as daveb says, fall colors over there are spectacular right now.
 
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