| Outdoor Writers Recognize Yosemite Outdoor Adventures |
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This fall, the Outdoor Writers Association of California
awarded Yosemite Outdoor Adventures a grant to help
further our field seminar program. Sponsorship from a
professional organization like this means a great deal
to us, and will help us in meaningful ways.
To celebrate, we have posted our Winter 2008 Outdoor
Adventures on our website, and the printed catalog will
accompany the upcoming journal. Take a peek at next
year's offerings or call
209-379-2321 for more information. We
hope to see you
out on the
trail with one of our superb naturalists this
winter.
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| Ski Ostrander |
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As part of our commitment to promote stewardship in
Yosemite, YA operates the Ostrander Ski Hut each
winter to encourage ski touring and snowshoeing in
Yosemite.
We are currently taking reservation requests for this
winter. The hut will provide a warm fire,
bunks, and kitchen facilities to backcountry users
December 21, 2007 - April 6, 2008. Due to the
popularity of this location, reservations are awarded
based on a random lottery system. The lottery will be
held on November 20, 2007 and requests must be
received in the Yosemite Association office no later
than November 19, 2007 at 4pm.
The Yosemite Association and the National Park
Service have entered a new agreement for Ostrander
operations beginning this year that will help assure the
use and enjoyment of the Ostrander ski hut into the
future. The agreement requires the Yosemite
Association to pay the full costs for Ostrander
operations, a significant portion of which has
previously
been covered by the National Park Service and the
talents of others in the community. The new overnight
rates will now cover the total costs to manage and
operate the hut.
Weekdays (Monday - Thursday) - 30/person/night ($25
for YA Members);
Weekends (Friday - Sunday) - $45/person/night ($38
for YA Members).
Please call The Yosemite Association at
209-379-2646 Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm to request
an
information packet or email: eshockley@yosemite.org.
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| More Tales of a Low-Rent Birder on Sale Now |
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More Tales of a Low-Rent Birder brings together
twenty-five recent essays that originally appeared in
major birding publications. In these pieces, Pete
Dunne ranges from wildly humorous to sadly elegiac,
as he describes everything from the "field plumage" of
the dedicated birder to the lingering death of an
accidentally injured golden plover. Running like a
thread through all the essays is Dunne's love and
respect for the birds he watches, his concern over
human threats to their survival, and his tolerance, even
affection, for the human "odd birds" that birding
attracts. Truly, these essays offer something for
everyone interested in birds and the natural habitats
our species share.
More Tales of a Low-Rent Birder by Pete Dunne
Sale Price $13.95 (originally $18.95)
Visit the Yosemite Association store and type "Birder"
into the search bar for more information.
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Projects and Planning for Yosemite |
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If you've been to the park recently, you've probably been
greeted by bright orange signs and traffic delays.
Crews are working hard to resurface sections of the
Big
Oak Flat Road, rehabilitate the Valley Loop Road, and
rebuild a stretch of the El Portal Road along the
Merced River. All of these projects aim to benefit the
park and its visitors, and all of them began with a great
deal of preparation.
There are currently a number of planning projects
taking
place in Yosemite which range from developing
management plans for Tuolumne Meadows and the
Tuolumne River to replacing substandard employee
housing at Hodgdon Meadows. Two project proposals
for Yosemite are open for public review and comment
until November 2, 2007:
the Hetch Hetchy Communications System Upgrade
and the Tunnel View Overlook Rehabilitation
Environmental Assessment.
To learn more about park projects, visit the Yosemite National Park Planning page online, or
attend an Open House in the park to learn more from
project specialists. The next Open House is
Wednesday, October 31st from 1 pm to 5 pm in the
Auditorium behind the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center.
If you are curious about how roadway construction or
weather conditions will affect your visit, be sure to call
the park for current road conditions before your drive.
Dial 209-372-0200 and press 1 twice for the most
recent report.
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