Announcing the 2010 schedule
for the
Yosemite Series of Photography Workshops!
by

Phil Hawkins
Award-winning Yosemite photographer for 28 years

The finest photography workshops in Yosemite;
week long and weekend workshops in all seasons!

see:

-and-

Now available!
Photo prints of Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada!

Go Here for the on-line store for photos from YosemiteFun.com
Now you can purchase prints from Phil Hawkins Photography in a huge variety of sizes and finishes.

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New! Just Added!
(7/21/10)

Yosemite Family Portraits

This kind of special family portrait utilizing studio lighting with remote power, softboxes and reflectors is available to visitors who want special documentation of their visit to the park. I will go to any location within Yosemite; Your campsite, favorite trail, Merced River, Ahwahnee Dining Room and of course Half Dome in the background, any of the waterfalls, whatever in any season. Locations in Tuolumne Meadows involve an extra $100 charge. Folks sometime bring whole extended families and photographing any combination of family members is OK. The shoot itself has no restrictions and I’ll shoot any combination of people you want. The session should last several hours, we’ll have a blast and you’ll have high-quality studio portraits captured in magnificent Yosemite National Park.

See http://philhawkinsphoto.com for details; click on "index" and then "Yosemite Portraits"

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Traffic Delays on highway 41

Beware highway 41!!

I just spent a week dealing with the construction on highway 41, and it's a nightmare!!! Between the Wawona Hotel and Glacier Point Road, there are multiple areas where the asphalt has been ripped out and dirt remains. These dirt sections have developed washboard patterns that will rattle the fillings out of your teeth, not to mention what it's doing to your suspension.

Now, for the worst part. Traffic delays cannot be avoided. They have been averaging 30 minutes or less during the day but this is the case AT EACH OF THE 3 MAJOR AREAS OF CONSTRUCTION! So, it might take you 90 minutes to go from Glacier Point Road to the south exit! Now for the bad news; At night it is much worse; especially if you are coming down from Glacier Point at about 9 to 10pm. On GP road, traffic is being let out 10 cars at a time, then stopped again. It took 1 hour for us to go 500 yards to get on 41!!!!!!!!!! Bottom lline, it took my workshop students, who were staying at the Tenaya Lodge in Fish Camp, from 9:30pm until 11:50pm to get to their room! The idiots from Granite Construction (the major construction company) who manage the traffic flow on this project have no idea what they are doing, or worse, do not care. Nighttime delays can run hours. Come into the park on 120, 140 or Tioga Road (east gate).

Delays will be experienced in both directions, so just be prepared. Bring a book, camera, snack... prepare to hang out and be patient. This work can only be done during summer (dry conditions) and has been needed for many years. When finished, the road will be a thing of wonder!! New gutters, reconstructed turnouts, improved banking, all is going in.

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Best Waterfall Conditions in Years

From an NPS press release: – "The park’s waterfalls, expected to peak the first week in June, are at full capacity with this being the best waterfall year in five years."

The Glacier Point Road Project is scheduled to begin work on May 10, 2010, Monday thru Friday, with up to 30-minute delays and no weekend or night delays. They are repaving the road, which desperately needs it.

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TARGETED SPEEDING ENFORCEMENT

The Official Announcement- "Over the next several months, rangers in the Valley and El Portal will be conducting targeted speeding enforcement aimed at reducing speed-related traffic issues on the roadways. Speeding vehicles are the greatest threat to people and wildlife in the park. Moreover, this effort is in response to requests from the community indicating a desire for increased speed enforcement to better provide for the safety of pedestrians, motorists, and wildlife. Citations will be issued where warranted. Remember that the people who use these roads most often are your neighbors, coworkers, and friends; help keep them safe by driving defensively and in compliance with all posted speeds and regulations.

Targeted speed enforcement is a proven effective method for achieving these goals. By publicizing these enforcement and education efforts, the National Park Service believes motorists can be deterred from speeding. Additional area specific reminders are outlined below." (Ed. Note - That's Yosemite Valley and El Portal- duh)

Editor's Note- I can tell you from personal experience that Wawona will be in this list... It has always been a speed trap and will continue to be so. OBSERVE THE SPEED LIMITS! This is one thing that Yosemite Law Enforcement does not take lightly. They are hard-core and will stop you even if they THINK you are speeding. I was recently stopped on the portion of highway 41 south of Tunnel View and accused of doing 50 mph in a rather curvy area in which it is physically impossible to be going that fast. I was definitely doing maybe 40 or so, but not 50 as he said. We had a rather contentious exchange, and he let me off with a warning, but then came back and said "You've had two warnings up here in the last 18 months" (true) !!! They KNOW you driving history before they even pull you over.

Now, having said all this, most of the time if your driver's license, insurance and registration is in order and you were not driving over 10mph over the limit, and you have nothing outstanding (failure to appear, etc.) they'll give you a warning. But that's not guaranteed, so best thing is to just watch your speed.

One spot in particular to watch yourself is coming out of the tunnel at Tunnel View. I have to agree that speed enforcement is really needed here, as people come FLYING down that hill and come out the tunnel through those cross walks at 40 and 50 mph. I have witnessed an LEO sitting in the parking lot catching people left and right coming out of the tunnel.

The Man is watching!

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Gas Prices
(6/23/10, regular)

2.97 in Fresno
3.05 in Oakhurst
Wawona, Crane Flat and Tuolumne 3.85
4.14 in El Portal!!

No one can figure out how they get away with charging so much more at the Shell station in El Portal. The park service is supposed to regulate that, but for some reason they get away with highway robbery.

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Thinking of climbing Half Dome?

Read this article appearing in Saturday's (7/7/07) San Francisco Chronicle: Go Here

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Bear-proof food canisters MANDATORY in the backcountry! The Park Service announced today (5-11-04) revised wilderness food storage regulations in an effort to reduce the number of incidents of bears obtaining food from backpackers in Yosemite’s backcountry. Yosemite’s Bear Council endorsed this recommendation by Chief Ranger Steve Shackelton. Bear-proof canisters are required within seven linear miles of park roads. This includes the Wawona Road (Highway 41), the Big Oak Flat Road (Highway 120 West), the Tioga Road (Highway 120 East), the Glacier Point Road, the Hetch Hetchy Road, and the Lake Eleanor Road. Bear-proof canisters are required within one-half mile of the shoreline of Benson Lake and above 9,600 feet (above tree line). Yosemite National Park still strongly recommends backpackers use approved bear canisters throughout the wilderness. A map delineating the new wilderness areas requiring bear canisters can be viewed at http://www.nps.gov/yose/wilderness/bfoodstoragem.htm. Within the green shaded areas, backpackers are required to store food items, items carrying food scents, and toiletries in bear canisters. National Park Service approved bear canisters are available for a minimal rental fee from wilderness centers, some concession outlets, and the Hetch Hetchy entrance. Approved bear canisters for 2010: Garcia Backpacker Model 812-C Bearikade Weekender MKII (1766 and higher) and Expedition MKII (1766 and higher) www.wild-ideas.net/ BearVault 110b, 200, BV250 and BV300 www.bearvault.com Purple Mountain Engineering (PME) Tahoe Model (conditionally approved) CounterAssault Bear Keg (conditionally approved) Ursack TKO 2.0 Hybrid (conditionally approved) http://www.ursack.com/ BearVault BV350 and BV400 (conditionally approved) Approved panniers (for stock use): DeCarteret Aluminum Stock Panniers Berner Bear Box Bear Aware Panniers Bear Country camping (conditionally approved) ******************************************** Winter Driving Reality! If you are planning a winter visit, please read below... You will not be allowed to proceed without chains or 4-wheel drive. Many people attempt to ignore this admonition, but this friendly-but-serious ranger will make you turn back. In the 20 minutes I stood taking pictures, many angry, expletive-spewing people were turned back. If you do not have 4-wheel drive... ...you can let these enterprising gentlemen install your chains for a fee of $25. Actually, this is money well spent; these guys know what they are doing, which will save you much pain from flapping pieces of chains chewing away at your wheel wells or fender paint, or worse, chains coming off. Plus, they work fast and you don't have to get out and get cold and wet and frustrated. PS: You would not believe what these guys have to go through to get a permit to operate. They must pass a test of installing all the different kinds of chains available. Then, pay a fee... but during a major storm these guys clean UP! ************************************ Chain Designations and Highway Condition ratings: R-1 Park signs read "AUTOS & PICKUPS SNOW TIRES OK". This means chains are required for all vehicles unless they have snow tread tires. (4wdr without snow tires must chain up.) Snow tires must have a minimum tread depth of 6/32 of an inch to be legal. Studded snow tires may be used if the tires are also rated as snow tires, if not, the tires need to be chained up. (Studs do not replace chains!) · Any vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 lbs must chain up. (Usually, large vans on up.) · All vehicles, including those with 4-wheel drive with snow tires that are towing trailers must have chains on one drive axle of the vehicle. · If the trailer has brakes, it must also have chains on one axle. R-2 Park signs read "4W DRIVE WITH SNOW TIRES OK". This means that chains are required on all vehicles. The exception is four-wheel drive vehicles with snow tires on all four wheels. (This is for all 4-wheel drive passenger vehicles with an unladen weight of 6500 pounds or less) · The 4wdr system must be engaged! R-3 Park signs read "NO EXCEPTIONS". This means that chains are required on all vehicles. There are no exceptions. (Yes "ALL" means four-wheel drives too.) Remember, State Law requires you to carry chains in your vehicle when entering an active chain control area. Tire traction devices can be link chain, cable chain and/or spider straps. The weather can change quickly; it was 80 degrees and sunny two days before this shot was taken, April 8, 2001. During Spring, be prepared! This is at the 4,000 foot elevation, just before you get to Fish Camp. ...and then there's this photo taken at the Yosemite National Park boundary on April 21, 2001 on Highway 41. Now, this snow melted rapidly, but for about an 18 hour period chains were required between Wawona and the valley. During the night many people were turned away by the Highway Patrol roadblocks and had to go back to Oakhurst and get a motel room. ALWAYS CARRY YOUR CHAINS until about the first of May. (vwf) :-(

Now available! Photo prints of Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada!

Now available!
Photo prints of Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada!