Loop Road

Dancing with the Stars on...haven't seen this in awhile...dont know who's left.

Don't know what to post about either!

Well, a post card pic..from yesterday..this view all cloudy today.

Well, wait, the 66 million wildlife aficionados in yesterday's post did give me pause, and I thought to see how many a year frequent the Valley (3.5 million)...and finding that I found the answer to question asked of me by tourist yesterday...they wanted to know how the Plan was going...well, it's stalled I explained....the Plan was rejected because it didn't articulate exactly how the Merced would be affected by people, and most importantly, how many people. I was pretty close...this from the NP Y. site...

quote

This project was originally intended to address various rehabilitation needs, road surface improvements, and fulfill additional drainage needs. Since then, the most recent Merced Wild and Scenic River-related court decision has directed the National Park Service to prepare a new, valid comprehensive management plan for the river.
In the absence of a user capacity management framework and the river values that such a plan would identify, the full construction planned for this project will be postponed.

unquote

This "Project"...a small part of the Plan...concerns the Loop Road...the roads in the Valley.

Oh, I think I figured out what rip rap is...it's the 'diversion dam'...and it's all over both sides of the Creek...and a lot of the places on the Merced...it diverts the river and creek from eroding their banks...rip rap has the look of an ocean break water...just a jumbled wall of rocks. The rip rap here is so old that the lichen have blended the stones in with everything else.

I did a little eroding my own self, looking one way, and slid off the path edge, taking out a clump...and nearly my knee! There are use paths all over, all along both sides of creek and river...and while not a lot of people use them, or even know of them...enough do that I see them on my walkabouts all the time. The walks are hardly secluded! Though, often enough, they are...

They have once a month an open house meeting, anyone can come. I have a mind to take the evening off from work and go!!

Here's a little list of...doubts...

Tourist buses and parking.

Food service for tourist bus passengers.

Restroom facilities for same.

If all park employees are moved out of Valley...

Employee buses parking.

Food service for employees.

Restroom facilities for same.

Private car parking for same.

And if they put new employee housing in Foresta, El Portal...or somewhere...

Bus parking.

Car parking.

Food service.

Restroom facilities.

The restroom facilities may seem spurious...but I have in the back of my mind the Tiki Temple...which I think is receiving offerings from the outlying porta potties and such.

What I cant help but notice, is that as soon as bus riders arrive, they go to the restroom, then they want to eat. And likewise before they leave.

Just as true I suppose with passenger cars.

Town wise, I think the Valley has almost as many facilities as Mariposa! It's big. And I'm not including the tourists! Watching traffic in Mariposa is 'bout the same as watching traffic in the distance from the Creek.

An eighteen wheeler was parked all day along Chapel Way...it's still there.

DavidDavid

Tree in the Door

Nov. 19, 2007