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I don't believe there are any examples of any trail quota being expanded or rules relaxed. That is what has me so frustrated -- I am afraid they are cutting off access for thousands of people, and that access will NEVER be returned.
We only want there to be quota if the is a reason based on harm to the resource or danger to the visitors. We should see no relaxation in a quota unless public interest drops to make the quota unnecessary, the increase in traffic is necessary to provide for the good of the resource or safety of the visitors
, or unless we have "paved paradise and put up a parking lot" and need new rules. The cables are of course a pavement and parking lot.
I just don't understand why so many here continue to swat this idea down. ...why so many are so sure all the Half Dome hikers are flipflop tourists who need to be "protected" from all risks.
It would be so easy to encourage the park service to just try it -- for just one week ...even for a day. What could that hurt? I am baffled.
If it would be so easy, why don't you try to make a complete statement of what the rules and enforcement would be? Then we could consider if it were "easy" or believable and how many parking lot attendants it would take to make it work and how many parking lot attendants we want in the wilderness.
You might also take a look at the reasons for dismissing "Control Timing of Use" in the EA (Half Dome Trail Stewardship Plan EA) at page 2-14 available at:
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=347&projectID=29443&documentID=44771Dale B. Dalrymple
