Yosemite FaceLift Report & Video

[Anders Ourom]

It's a little off topic, but I was recently in Yosemite, helping with the fourth year of the Yosemite FaceLift. The FaceLift is the largest climbers' volunteer event in Canada or the U.S., and is organized by the Yosemite Climbing Association (www.yosemiteclimbing.org) and its hardworking Executive Director Ken Yager. The YCA organizes the FaceLift as an Adopt-a-Crag, plus is working to have a climbing museum established in Yosemite.

The FaceLift this year involved nearly 3,000 volunteers helping over five days. About 20 tonnes of garbage were picked up - perhaps 90% is left over from commercial and infrastructure development, and 10% is post-tourist. Most roads, pullouts, trails, campsites, picnic areas, and climbing areas in Yosemite National Park were cleaned up, and everything found was sorted for recycling. The oddest large item was a 1951 Nash Rambler, off a road - there are no records of how it got there.

There were also social events every night, and lots of fun.

The FaceLift was filmed by ABC World News, which did a good article on it on October 8th - see
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 4033&hl=en