The Daily Times

Yosemite National Park considering safety of crowded Half Dome trail

In an easy drive from Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, Yosemite National Park surpassed 4 million visits last year, almost half a many as Great Smoky Mountains National Park. However, much of the visitor pressure is in the Merced River valley which Half Dome overlooks.

In 1874, the slick dome was described as “perfectly inaccessible.”

In 1919, the Sierra Club installed the first cables along the 400-foot final ascent so that visitors without rock climbing experience could hoist themselves to the summit.

The Associated Press reported in a story about the options in the Half Dome Trail Stewardship Plan which will be open for public comment until March 15.

Five people have died on the trail since 2006.

The granite rock becomes very slick when wet and the Park Service says it usually can get no more than 45 minutes notice of a fast-moving rainstorm which allows the Park Service time to get about 400 people off the mountain top safely.

Rain was a factor in nearly all of the five deaths.

It appears likely that a 400 limit daily lottery might be instituted again this year or hikes to the top banned in an effort to save the protected area for future generations.

Some who have been to the viewing area the size of 17 football fields atop the monolith are determined to keep the stunning views of Little Yosemite Valley, El Capitan available to all.

Nothing flat about the new airless vehicle tires that are due this summer

By late summer Michelin is expected to introduce an airless tire which the military has been testing for several years. Michelin had a couple of the tires made at its South Carolina plant at a recent car show in Philadelphia.

The radical new “see through” tires have a band of rubber tread on the outside wrapped around open flexible spokes located around a center circle of the deformable wheel.

What an impact on the future. No more flats, no air valves, no repair kits, no air compressors at service stations. Like anything new, there is a down side. The spike strips that law enforcement often put across the highway to stop fleeing criminals won’t work against the new tires.

America’s addiction to professional sports is no small part of economy

The Feb. 13 issue of Forbes magazine calls attention to the emphasis of professional sports in American life.

The magazine states that the total earnings — salary plus endorsements — of the National Basketball Association’s top 10 earners surpass the profits of Sunoco or ALCOA.

It lists the top 10:

1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, $53.2 million.

2. LeBron James, Miami Heat, $49 million.

3. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic, $28.9 million.

4. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat, $27.7 million.

5. Carmelo Anthony, New York Nicks, $26.5 million.

6. Amar’e Stoudemire, New York Nicks, $26.2 million.

7. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics, $26.2 million.

8. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder, $24.5 million.

9. Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs, $23.3 million.

10. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers, $22.4 million.

The pay is big but often the years are short, especially in the National Football League where injuries, such as that of Peyton Manning, quickly ends a playing career or leaves injuries that hamper a normal life.

But, do you suppose they might need a water boy?

New gadgets stress imagination

New gadgets and helpful items become available by the arm load.

If you are into remodeling and protecting your home investment, maybe a $55 per gallon odorless paint would be helpful. It is a one-coat paint based on new technology and dries within an hour. It is the first new paint since latex arrived in the 1950s.

For those of an inventive nature, a new desktop printer allows one to create their own design on a PC, press print and create your own hard plastic coffee cup or any small item that will fit into the 5x5x5-inch diameter chamber. The 90-pound, microwave-size machines sell for $5,000 — must have been made for Starbucks-priced coffee cups!

Don’t feel shortchanged if your dentist no longer X-rays your teeth. A new alternative offers up to 10 times the resolution with none of the radiation. The OCT is the first hand-held scanner than can simultaneously image both your teeth and gums. When the near-infrared beam shines into the mouth, software maps the reflected light and forms a 3-D picture, revealing cavities, gum disease, surface irregularities and other signs of tooth decay.

And they are getting the lead out of hospitals. The lead regularly used to protect patients from potentially harmful X-rays is also some of the most toxic stuff around. A new type radiation shield uses a nontoxic, nylon-based compound mixed with small amounts of tungsten that stops X-rays like lead does but without the environmental hazards. In addition, manufacturing Thermocomp is a much simpler and less-expensive process than creating a lead shield.

Dean Stone is editor of The Daily Times.

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