Government Shutdown and Yosemite

Wondering if the national parks like Yosemite will remain open and be a free for all like the last shutdown or if parks will be closed altogether. Read an article that Arizona will use funding from the AZ Lottery to keep the Grand Canyon open and operating in the event of a shutdown. Anyone hear anything for Yosemite?

Kevin DeWeese wrote:

https://amp.fresnobee.com/opinion/editorials/article279389894.html

From last week, haven't seen any update yet from nps

Thanks Kevin.

Hey guys,

I have firsthand personal beta from the government shutdown on October 1st, 2013. I was doing my most recent solo of El Cap [or maybe my LAST solo of El Cap, haha!] and was up on the Truck Stop bivy on Horseplay. I had read only a day or two before on Tom Evans' El Cap Report that the government might "shut down". I didn't give it much thought, until I heard the ranger's bullhorn from down in the meadow that morning:

"YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK IS CLOSED! STOP TAKING PICTURES! GET BACK IN YOUR CAR, AND LEAVE THE PARK IMMEDIATELY!"

They left me alone on the wall because I was pretty high up, along with a few other parties on the wall. I think if you were still fixed to the ground, they would have called you down. So the trick is, if you want to climb El Cap in October, get up there NOW, and get blasted! I know one Euro guy phantomed the wall, coming in after the shutdown to work on Free Rider top down. I asked him where he had parked, and he said in the meadow. I wonder if they towed his car because he parked there after the shutdown? They didn't tow anyone else's cars who were already on the wall.

After my wall, I rappelled Lurking Fear with my Junk Show, which of course is too big to get down in a single carry. I remember hiding behind the bear boxes for fear of being spotted, waiting for my ride from Kate and Sonya back to my storage locker. They allowed them into the park to pick me up, and they also allowed people to travel through the park to the East Side, although you weren't allowed to stop and take pictures. Sheesh.

We did return successfully a few days later to retrieve the last of the stuff without any issues. I felt pretty alone up there, but I later learned that YOSAR had retained a skeleton crew, and that they were keeping an eye on me.

I sold my house over the phone when I was up on the wall, that I jointly owned with the Head Nurse. After I got down, I signed the paperwork over the fax machine in Mariposa.  We were supposed to buy a house together, and the Head Nurse later told me she bought it on her own and I wasn't invited!  Ha!  I was a little upset at the time, but it all worked out for the best.  

Anyway, get up there!  It sure looks like the shutdown will happen! 

We don’t know what’s going to happen. In the past they have closed the park and locked the gate, and they have closed park facilities but left the gate open. If we had to guess, I think that it’s fair to say that this administration would be more proactive about avoiding the damage and bad behavior that were reported last time and therefore lock the gate. But that’s just a guess and as far as I can tell, they haven’t telegraphed what the decision will be this time. 

Ross Exlerwrote:

We don’t know what’s going to happen. In the past they have closed the park and locked the gate, and they have closed park facilities but left the gate open. If we had to guess, I think that it’s fair to say that this administration would be more proactive about avoiding the damage and bad behavior that were reported last time and therefore locking the gate. But that’s just a guess and as far as I can tell, they haven’t telegraphed what the decision will be this time. 

The selfish side of me would want it to remain open,  but yeah. Didn't get a chance to visit Yosemite during the last shutdown, but if JT was any indication, it was pretty wild the amount of damage and trashing that occurred. 

They won't lock the gate, because you will always be allowed to drive through the park to the east side. 

Kevin DeWeese wrote:

bloviating

mybloavie of the day:  How about start the wall before Oct 1, and leave a note on your car that you are going deaf and your cell phone is unreliable.

There was a mad dash of parties hopping on wall routes the days before the 2013 shutdown, no idea how that worked for them. 

I was the last one in camp 4 (except Werner), the rangers spotted me smoking a joint. For safety sake they told me I could walk around the (completely empty)valley for a few hours to sober up. A little bit of threatening to "throw the book" at me had proceeded that, however. Pretty nice of them in the end.

Edited for name dropping

There you have it. Let's see if the shutdown can be avoided altogether. 

https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/government-shutdown-will-close-americas-national-parks-impede-visitor-access

Looks like shutdown is imminent.  

Amy guess how long the shutdown could last?  I can't recall how long the previous shutdown lasted. 

Jplotzwrote:

Looks like shutdown is imminent.  

Amy guess how long the shutdown could last?  I can't recall how long the previous shutdown lasted. 

Google is an amazing thing...

And indeed, there were no more shutdowns — at least for a couple of more decades, when President Barack Obama faced a Republican-controlled House in 2013. The longest one, however, was also the most recent, when the government shut down for a full 34 days 

Looks like shut down will be averted. The 45-day spending bill was passed by congress. Just needs signature now.