ENP 19.8 Yosemite: Scratching The Surface: Geology & Rock Climbing In Yosemite National Park

Description: This episode, number eight in our Yosemite National Park series, is for the geology geeks and climbing enthusiasts. If neither of those monikers interests you right now, just wait: you’ll want to pick up a rock hammer or clip yourself to a rope by the end of the show -- possibly both! To start, Bryan chats with Park Geologist and Ranger Greg Stock on the forces that shaped Yosemite’s stunning scenery and the toll our warming climate is having on the park. Then, Danielle dives into mountaineering with Dave Bengston, director of Yosemite Mountaineering School, to learn about the highs and lows of this perennially popular park activity.

Discussion includes the following:

0:01 - Introduction to the episode’s guests: Yosemite’s Park Geologist and Ranger Greg Stock and Dave Bengston, director of Yosemite Mountaineering School, plus Danielle reads a sweet note from a listener.

2:54 - Bryan exposes a geologist’s best-kept secret and gets to know Greg Stock

4:08 - Fatal rockfalls and shifting attitudes toward climate challenges drive the National Park Service to hire a geologist for Yosemite National Park

5:44 - A geological timeline: The formation of Yosemite’s iconic granite peaks El Capitán, Half Dome, Cathedral Peak, Lembert Dome, and Pothole Dome

7:26 - The Merced River

8:10 - A closer look at the processes of exfoliation, glacial erosion, and rockfalls

9:41 - The dynamic, year-round forces that trigger rockfalls

12:29 - Quantitative rockfall hazard risk and assessment and front-country campsite safety; an incident at Curry Village (2008)

15:20 - Yosemite’s fading ice: The Lyell and Maclure glaciers

16:38 - Replicating John Muir’s 1872 Maclure glacier survey

18:22 - The alarming truth about the future of Yosemite’s glaciers

19:51 - Greg tips his rock hammer to John Muir

22:23 - Hiking, rappelling, and taking modern measurements in the backcountry

24:39 - Dome upon cliff upon dome: Greg shares his favorite Yosemite memory

26:24 - Danielle dives into mountaineering at Yosemite and gets to know Dave Bankston

28:48 - From climbing to skiing: Four seasons of activity

31:18 - Universal language: Yosemite’s international mountaineering appeal

32:22 - Coming to terms with climbing lingo

33:20 - Newbies and indoor climbers welcome!

37:25 - Outdoor climbing vs sport climbing

38:56 - The perfect climbing spots for every level: From Toulumne Meadows, Swan Slab, and Puppy Dome for beginners to pitch climbing on East Buttress for intermediate climbers and El Capitán for advanced climbers

41:51 - All about pitch climbing

44:26 - Mountaineering School: Screening process

45:12 - Mountaineering School: Classes, climbs, and conditions

47:41 - Mountaineering tips for families

48:30 - Female climbers on the ascent

49:05 - Plan ahead for peak season climbing

49:51 - Free Solo Climbing

51:57 - A trip up Mount Conness: Dave shares his favorite climbing memory

For complete show notes, visit everybodysnationalparks.com.

If this is your first time tuning in, go back and listen to the other episodes in this Yosemite series including our trip report, a conversation with park naturalist Eric Westerlund, musician and historian Tom Bob sings for us while recounting the 1903 camping trip with President Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir, and a wonderful conversation about Antal Adams' legacy. Episode 19.5 features park ranger Shelton Johnson and his alter ego Sergeant Elizy Bowman, a Buffalo Soldier with the ninth cavalry in Yosemite. Episodes 19.6 and 19.7 discuss visiting Yosemite in different seasons and planning your trip.

Listen to the the complete Yosemite Series:

19.1 Yosemite: Trip Report

19.2 Yosemite: Curious Characters In Nature - Parasitic Plants, Psychedelic Salamanders, And A Yodeling Ranger

19.3 Yosemite: John Muir And Theodore Roosevelt Camping Trip Told Through Song, An Interview With Tom Bopp

19.4 Yosemite: Ansel Adams’ Legacy

ENP 19.5 Yosemite: Ranger Shelton Johnson On The Buffalo Soldiers And Diversity In The National Parks

ENP 19.6 Yosemite: Things To Do By Season With Yosemite Conservancy And Yosemite Hospitality

ENP 19.7 Yosemite: Plan Your Trip With TripPossible

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