Badger Pass ski conditions

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK’S BADGER PASS SKI AREA – BEST SKIING CONDITIONS IN 19 YEARS!

The popular family ski resort has received more than five feet of new snow in the last two weeks, creating fantastic skiing and riding conditions.

“We are experiencing the best conditions I have seen in the last 19 years, and we are excited about the opportunity to open early with great snow,” said Colin Baldock, General Manager of Recreation for Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, the authorized concessioner. “New snow in addition to the hard work of our mountain operations and grooming teams allows us to open earlier than planned.”

Pre-season pass deals are available now through December 19. For the full 2010-11 season pass and lift ticket rate schedule, please visit www.YosemitePark.com

Pre-Season Pass Rates:

•Adult - $319.00 ($492 starting 12/20)
•Youth/Senior - $279.00 ($492 starting 12/20)
•Child (7-12 years of age) - $179.00 ($192 starting 12/20)

Courtesy shuttle buses from Oakhurst to Badger Pass Ski Area are available on the weekends to make it convenient for guests to relax and enjoy a day of fun in the snow. The complete shuttle schedule is available by phoning A Bed of Roses Bed and Breakfast at (559)642-6975.

Wilderness permits at Badger Pass will be available beginning December 11 at the Badger Pass Ranger Station. Glacier Point Road is groomed and available for cross-country skiing. All other wilderness trails remain unbroken.

Starting December 2, the Snow Report will be updated daily and is available by calling 209-372-1000. For road and weather information, call 209-372-0200.

Half Dome Cable Update

Yosemite National Park Announces Changes to the Interim Program for Half Dome Cables Day Use Permits. Permits to Ascend Cables will be Required Seven Days Per Week

Yosemite National Park announces that Day Use Permits to climb the Half Dome cables will be required seven days per week for the 2011 summer season to increase visitor safety on the cables.

Over the past several years, the popularity of the hike has resulted in large numbers of people using the Half Dome cables, particularly on weekends and holidays. Saturdays and holidays averaged 840 visitors per day, while peak days saw up to 1200 people using the cables. These large numbers of hikers generated significant safety concerns and there was a fatality and serious injuries sustained by park visitors due to these crowded conditions.

The park instituted an interim program for climbing the Half Dome cables in 2010 to address these serious safety concerns. Day Use Permits were required to use the cables on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays during the 2010 season. Although the interim program worked well on the permit days, visitor use on the cables during days in which permits were not required reached peak weekend levels, analogous to peak days before permits were required.

Therefore, to address the consistent crowded conditions on the Half Dome cables, Day Use Permits will be required seven days per week for the 2011 summer season. The Half Dome cables are generally in place from mid-May through mid-October, depending on snowpack and weather conditions.

The Half Dome Day Use Permits will be available starting March 1, 2011 for climbing the cables in May and June, 2011. Subsequent permits will be available at the beginning of each month for permits three months in advance. Reservations for a permit can be made through www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Each person climbing the Half Dome cables will be required to have their own permit. Up to four permits may be obtained under one reservation. The permits are free, however, there is a non-refundable $1.50 service charge for each permit obtained.

During this interim program, visitor use and impacts are being monitored.
Yosemite National Park Rangers are studying visitor use and safety, assessing the visitor experience, and compiling data that will be analyzed by park managers. An Environmental Assessment process for a long-term plan for the Half Dome cables began public scoping in spring 2010.

A visitor use study on the 2010 Half Dome Cables Day Use Permit is available at http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/half-dome-cables.htm.
To learn more about the Half Dome hike please visit http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/halfdome.htm

First Snow 2010

We had our first real snow a few nights ago. We woke up to a winter wonderland. It was so beautiful. But, along with the beauty of the winter comes some work. The storm was initially windy and then it dropped a bunch of wet snow. When we went out to feed the petting zoo we found several large limbs from an oak tree had fallen onto the goat fence and partially on their house. The goats were fine but, I can imagine the panic they must have felt when that tree limb came tumbling into their pen. They were probably peacefully asleep in their little pole barn house when it came crashing down. We spent most of the morning cutting and removing the tree from the fence and clearing their pen so they could move around again. Billy Bob was taking full advantage of the fact that the fence was down. He kept escaping and running amok. He got into the feed bin and ate his fill of chafhaye and pig food. Scruffy is too tall to jump over so he stayed in the pen and tattled on Billy Bob. We finally were able to repair the fence enough to keep Billy Bob inside. When the weather clears up we'll finish the tree removal and fence repairs. In the meantime we'll sit here, watch the snowfall and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate in front of the fire.

Fall Colors In Yosemite

Driving up to the Sugar Pine Cabin you'll see the most magnificent colors in the Maples and Dogwood trees. Fall is nearing it's end. The colors are brilliant, the sound quiet,the lake peaceful and the animals getting ready for winter. This peaceful setting will be covered in white snow soon enough and then our winter season begins!! Get out the snow shoes, sled,warm clothes. The fun begins!!

The local ski resort "Badger Pass" will be open soon which offers skiing,tubing,snow shoeing,cross country skiing. There is a wonderful ranger Snow Shoe hike you can join at the Badger Pass ski resort. It's about a two hour hike with a big group of people. It's alot of fun. They take lots of stops to see some of the most beautiful scenery that you wouldn't ever see on the road. The ranger talks about the history and animals on the way.

Check out our winter specials at www.abedofrosesbandb.com/. And the cabin at www.sugarpineatyosemite.com/

Come on up and join the fun :)

Spring cleaning

We've been getting ready for spring and the tourist season around A Bed of Roses Bed and Breakfast. We pull weeds, mow the lawn, clean out the animal pens, freshen the garden beds as well as the rooms and the common areas. The decks and stairs will be getting a fresh coat of paint as soon as the last rains dry out. We cleaned out all of the kitchen drawers and cabinets. After getting inspiration from HGTV we decided to paint the lower cabinets black to give it a more sophisticated look. We like it, what do you think?

More Fee Free Days at Yosemite

WASHINGTON – To mark the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day and to celebrate the launch of the Obama Administration’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced a schedule of free admission days to many of the lands managed by Interior.

All national parks, national wildlife refuges, and many areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management will offer free admission on June 5-6, August 14-15, September 25 (Public Lands Day), and November 11 (Veterans Day).
These dates are in addition to the previously announced free admission at all 392 national parks April 17-25 as part of the celebration of National Park Week.

“President Obama has made connecting Americans to the outdoors and our history a fundamental goal of the conservation initiative announced at Friday’s White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors,” said Salazar.
“The Interior Department was proud to host that conference and will be even prouder to host Americans who want to get outdoors to visit their public lands.”

Snow?

Wohoo, we were getting ready for spring and winter is trying to sneak back for a couple of days. If you'd like to see some snow, you can stay at A Bed of Roses Bed and Breakfast or Sugar Pine Cabin at Yosemite.

Tonight: Rain and snow likely. Snow level 5700 feet lowering to 5100 feet. Cloudy, with a low around 29. South southwest wind between 5 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of around an inch possible.

Wednesday: Snow showers. High near 38. Southeast wind 8 to 16 mph becoming southwest. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Wednesday Night: Snow showers likely, mainly before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. West northwest wind between 3 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Thursday: A 30 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. West northwest wind around 9 mph. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 27. North wind between 7 and 9 mph.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 53.

Friday Night: A slight chance of rain and snow. Snow level 5600 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday: A slight chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32.

Sunday: A slight chance of rain and snow. Snow level 5400 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 49.

Sunday Night: A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30.

Monday: A slight chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 50.

Monday Night: A slight chance of rain and snow. Snow level 5300 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.

Yosemite Half Dome cable permits for May and June available March 1st

Click on the link below for an article about the permits.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2010/02/yosemite-half-dome-cable-permits.html

Lincoln Exhibit coming to Oakhurst

Traveling exhibit details the President's life

Mark your calendar for the "Abraham Lincoln: Self Made in America Learning Station Exhibition" provided by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, in collaboration with the American LIbrary Association and with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The exhibit will be on display at the King Vintage Museum in Oakhurst March 5 through April 1.

"The Abraham Lincoln: Self Made in America Learning Station exhibit" will follow the journey taken by Abraham Lincoln from frontier obscurity to our nation's presidency and will be documented through a combination of images, objects and the written word. There are seven Learning Stations in the exhibit and each one show artifacts of his life as a Self Made man - Father, Husband, Lawyer, Politician, Commander-in-Chief and much more. In addition to the Learning Stations, there is an eighth learning station created by the Museum to tell the story of the Yosemite Grant and why Abraham Lincoln is important to our area.

In addition there are special teaching trunks available during the exhibition for use by schools or civic organizations. Two teaching trunks will remain forever at the Museum as a valuable asset for use by teachers and their students. All who visit the exhibition will enjoy the rich history of our 16th President and the teaching trunks will give generations an opportunity to explore his life for years to come.

The museum hours for the exhibition will be Monday-Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. with the weekday mornings devoted to school tours. The cost for admission to the museum is $3.00. School tour reservations are a must and space is still available.. Contact the museum at kingvintagemuseum@sti.net or call 559-658-6999 or 559-676-3370 for more information or to make reservations for school tours.

Why was the Oakhurst museum chosen? In the early 1860's influential Californians started visiting Yosemite National Park. They decided that they wanted this land of beauty to belong to the state of California. During the Civil War, this group petitioned President Lincoln to grant the Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove to the state of California. In the middle of the Civil War, Lincoln took time on June 30, 1864 to sign the legislation, known as the "Yosemite Grant". Ultimately this land went back to the Federal Government, but the Yosemite Grant Act was seen as the beginning of the State of California Park System enjoyed today.

The entire community of Oakhurst will be celebrating this Exhibit with some "historic" events and everyone is invited to attend.

The list of events follows:
January 31 "Gone with the Wind" at the Met Cinema hosted by Ladies Tea and Jousting Society. "Gone with the Wind" inspired costume contest with awards.

February 12 Abraham Lincoln Gala Birthday Celebration. Kickoff celebration hosted by the Museum and the Oakhurst Chamber.

February 14 Valentine Chocolate Extraordinaire Dinner at ECCO celebrating "The Lincoln Marriage" hosted by the Wild Wonderful Women.

March 5 Opening Night Preview of the "Abraham Lincoln: Self Made in America Learning Station Exhibition" at the Museum by ticket only.

March 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28. 7 p.m. "Abraham Lincoln Assassination" Drama at the Golden Chain Theatre. 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. on Sunday.

March 12 Ragtime Festival at Fresno Flats Historic Village and Park 2 p.m. to 5 p.m..

March 13 Ragtime Festival at Golden Chain Theatre 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

March 19, 20, 21 "Civil War Living History" at Oakhurst Community Park. Produced by the National Civil War Association in conjunction with the Museum and the Chamber of Commerce.

Friday, March 19 "Education Day" for Students.

March 21 3 p.m. Oakhurst Community Band Spring Concert: presents "Remembering Lincoln" at 2 p.m.

The museum is a women's, men's and children's vintage clothing and accessories collection dating back to 1790 including military uniforms and war memorabilia. During the Abraham Lincoln Exhibition the feature exhibit in the museum will be "Journey through Life in the Nineteenth Century". The collection will feature artifacts from the late 1700's through the 1900"s plus some of the military and children's collection.

For more information about the events contact the museum kingvintagemuseum@sti.net or call 559-658-6999 or goto www.LincolnOakhurst.com. or www.kingvintagemuseum.org.

Half Dome Permit Information

The following information is from the NPS website. For more information you can find FAQ's at http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hdfaq.htm

Permits to hike to the top of Half Dome are now required on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays when the cables are up. This is an interim measure to increase safety along the cables while the park develops a long-term plan to manage use on the Half Dome Trail.

Beginning in 2010, all people using the Half Dome Trail above the subdome must have a permit in possession on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays when the cables are up. A maximum of 400 permits will be issued each of these days. (Before the permit system, fewer than 400 people used this trail on weekdays, while about 800 people used this trail on weekends and holidays, on average.)

In 2010, permits are available up to about four months in advance to one week in advance only through the National Recreation Reservation Service (NRRS). Permits are not available in the park or on a first-come, first-served basis. Demand for permits will be very high; availability may last only a matter of minutes on the first day permits become available. Each permit has a service fee of $1.50 (which covers the cost of NRRS processing the permit; Yosemite does not receive any money).

Note: Backpackers with an appropriate wilderness permit can receive a Half Dome permit when they pick up their wilderness permit with no additional reservation required. Rock climbers who reach the top of Half Dome without entering the subdome area can descend on the Half Dome Trail without a permit.

The Half Dome Cables are usually in place and available for use the third Friday in May, conditions permitting. The last day to use them usually is Columbus Day Monday. We can not guarantee the cables will be available on any given date. If you choose to get a permit for dates in May or October, there is an increased chance the cables will not be in place.

If you are unable to hike Half Dome for any reason (including weather, cables not available, illness, etc.) on the day you have a permit, you will not be able to get a permit for a different date.

Web Cam

Here is a link to our local web cam. It is positioned just south of the Highway 41/49 junction. It is located about 5 miles south of A Bed of Roses Bed and Breakfast at a place called Deadwood. This is one of the highest points in the town of Oakhurst so if there is snow anywhere it will be here. The bed and breakfast is at a slightly higher elevation so we may have snow even if there is no snow on Deadwood.

Check it out:

http://www.sti.net/webcam/index.html