The damage to Highway 120 (Big Oak Flat Road) is shown above. The National Park Service says the closure of the road between Foresta Road and El Portal Road is “indefinite” after this Jan. 22 rockslide severely damaged it. National Park Service | Contributed It hadn’t rained in Mariposa County in about two months, but last weekend’s deluge caused enough headaches to make everyone remember how damaging Mother Nature can be.

Rain started falling on Friday, let up some on Saturday and early Sunday, and pounded the county again Sunday night and Monday. Rainfall totals were impressive, and the high country got some muchneeded snow.

Rainfall totals were impressive, to say the least. The National Weather Service (NWS) reports that Jerseydale got 8.11 inches of rain from all the storms. At Briceburg, 5.76 inches fell, and Cathey’s Valley got 2.19 inches.

Wawona got 6.96 inches of rain, and Yosemite Valley totaled 5.11 inches. In Mariposa, the NWS reported a total of 3.32 inches of rain from the first storm. No weekend total was available from the Mariposa reporting station.

Th southbound view of the damage to Highway 120 (Big Oak Flat Road) is shown above. The National Park Service says the closure of the road is “indefinite.” National Park Service | Contributed The problems associated with that storm were proportionately high as the rainfall totals. On Jan. 21 alone, there were 10 calls to the sheriff’s department. A tree was across Indian Peak Road, a boulder was on Triangle Road.

There were rockslides on Bear Valley Road, Hornitos Road, and Incline Road. Culverts were clogged, and bridges were blocked by downed trees.

The storm has now passed, and the weather forecast indicates that it may be a while before any more rain falls in Mariposa County. The NWS predicts highs near 70 for the end of the week and upcoming weekend. No rain is expected for the next 10 days.

Two traffic accidents are being blamed on last week’s rainfall, as well. On Jan. 19, a 53-year-old Woodland Hills man lost control of his car on the wet road near the Briceburg Grade.

According to the California Highway Patrol, Shahin Jahanibigloo slid off the road, hit a tree and overturned before rolling down the hill. He and his passenger received minor injuries.

On Jan. 21, 22-year-old Katie Loftis of Mariposa lost control of her Saturn sedan on Darrah Road. The road was wet and slick, and she hit the embankment and overturned. Loftis had three juvenile passengers in the car at the time of the accident. One of those received minor injuries. Loftis and her two other passengers were not injured.

Yosemite National Park officials are dealing with an “indefinite” road closure on Highway 120. A rockslide on Jan. 22 has closed the highway, also known as Big Oak Flat Road, from the Foresta Road junction to the El Portal Road junction. There is currently no access to Yosemite on Highway 120, but the Highway 140 entrance is not affected.

The most devastating impact of last weekend’s storm was the death of a Yosemite National Park employee. Ryan Hiller, 27, was killed when a tree fell on his tent cabin on Jan. 21.

According to the National Park Service, the initial investigation indicates that a thunderstorm moved through the valley, carrying with it strong winds. The wind toppled a tree that landed on Hiller’s tent cabin in the stable complex, causing “traumatic injuries.”

Yosemite spokesperson Scott Gediman said Hiller was currently employed by Delaware North Parks and Resorts and had worked last summer for the Yosemite Protection Division in Little Yosemite Valley. Hiller was involved in many Half Dome emergency responses, and was to begin working at Badger Pass this winter.

“We extend our condolences to the Hiller family, friends and co-workers here in Yosemite and in his home town,” Gediman said. Hiller was from Chapel Hill, NC, and would have turned 28 this month.

On Friday, Jan. 27 at 3 p.m. there will be a gathering to honor and remember Hiller. It will be held at Valley Visitor Center where there will be flag ceremony and group photograph taken for the Hiller family. Immediately following, refreshments will be offered in the East Auditorium for folks to gather and share stories about Hiller. Uniform for the day will be winter Class A, if available. In lieu of flowers the Hiller family has asked that donations be sent to Friends of Yosemite Search and Rescue (YOSAR).