YOSEMITE STATUS: OPEN, SORT OF : LODGING, DINING.

Byline: Janet Fullwood Scripps-McClatchy Western Service

The rush is on for lodging reservations in Yosemite National Park, which reopens this weekend following a 10-week closure due to damage from winter storms.

``We have a lot of availability ... through March 20, but after that it drops off rapidly. Beyond Easter, the majority of availability is for (unheated) canvas cabins at Curry Village,'' said Keith Walklet, spokesman for Yosemite Concession Services, which manages lodging facilities at the park.

The early January storms that swept Northern California flooded buildings, swept away campgrounds, toppled employee housing and fouled water supplies at Yosemite, which is visited by more than 4 million people annually. Emergency repairs have been made, but complete restoration of damaged infrastructure - estimated to cost $178 million - is expected to take years.

Flood damage has dramatically reduced lodging and campground capacity in the valley. Of 495 units at Yosemite Lodge, 246 - including all the cabins - are not expected to reopen this year, or maybe ever, Walklet said.

The landmark Ahwahnee Hotel, which did not suffer flood damage, was to reopen to full capacity Saturday. Opening day for the Wawona Hotel, in the southern sector of the park, is March 20.

Visitors planning to camp in the park will vie for about half the nearly 900 or so campsites in the Yosemite Valley; more than 400 taken out of commission by the floods will remain closed - some permanently, said Kendall Thompson, public information officer for the National Park Service.

In addition, Thompson said, ``some trails will be closed or partially closed due to bridges being out - specifically, the Vernal Falls and John Muir Trails, because of damage to the footbridge.''

As repair work continues, the park is preparing to implement a reservation system designed to limit the number of visitors during peak summer months. The program will go into effect in May. In another change for visitors, entrance fees are being hiked from $5 to $20 per car.

One final word of warning: Park visitors planning a spring trip should be prepared for delays on Highway 140, serving the Arch Rock Entrance. Due to construction, traffic on the route will be restricted until Memorial Day.

Here's a status check on park services and facilities:

The 123-room Ahwahnee Hotel and its dining room were to return to full operation Saturday.

Curry Village opened Friday with a limited number of wooden cabins and 427 unheated canvas cabins open to the public. The cafeteria will serve breakfast and dinner, and the Mountain Shop and gift shop will be open. The Hamburger Stand and Pizza Lounge will open March 29, while the Ice Cream Patio will resume service May 24.

Yosemite Lodge opened with reduced room inventory at noon Friday. All cabins, as well as guest rooms in Pine and Oak cottages, are out of service. The cafeteria will be open for three meals daily, while the new Mountain Room Restaurant (formerly the Mountain Room Broiler) is expected to open March 26. Each table in this remodeled facility will feature a view of Yosemite Falls.

Contractors are working on the new Garden Terrace (formerly the 4 Seasons) and the Environmental Shop (formerly the Indian Shop), both of which are expected to open in mid-April.

Housekeeping Camp is expected to be in full operation by April 18. Sixteen units were removed, leaving 266 units.

The Wawona Hotel opens in full operation with 105 rooms March 20.

The White Wolf, Tuolumne Meadows and High Sierra Camps are still beneath an above-average snowpack; no opening date set.

Recreation

Downhill ski operations at Badger Pass will not resume this winter, but the cross-country center will remain open until the season ends March 30. No retail or transportation services are available.

The ice rink at Curry Village is closed for the season.

Park tours began Friday, with services initially limited to two-hour valley tours. Operations will expand to meet demand and as additional destinations, such as the Mariposa Grove, reopen.

The Yosemite Climbing School opens April 12.

The Yosemite Valley and Wawona Stables will remain closed this year, but the Tuolumne Stables will open on a date to be determined.

Bike rentals at Curry Village and Yosemite Lodge will be available starting April 1.

Raft rentals will be delayed, if offered at all. A survey of the Merced River channel first needs to be completed.

Photo walks will resume on a Monday-through-Thursday schedule, beginning March 17.

Due to damp conditions, the golf course at Wawona is not expected to open until May.

Campgrounds

In the Yosemite Valley, the Upper and Lower River campgrounds were washed out by flooding and will not reopen this year.

The Upper Pines campground reopened Saturday with 238 sites available.

Lower Pines, with 172 sites, will partially reopen this summer, as will North Pines. The Sunnyside walk-in campground reopens this weekend with 35 sites, each accommodating six campers.

Outside the valley, the Hodgson Grove and Wawona campgrounds are in full operation.

Seven other campgrounds at higher elevations will open in late spring or early summer, once the snow melts. Historically, opening day falls any time from late May to early July, about the same time the Tioga Pass opens.