Yosemite in April?

[Chris Strobel]

Hi guys.Long time no post.The misses and I have a week off starting April 24th.We were thinking maybe of going to Yosemite.We went two years ago in the middle of July and stayed in upper pines campground.It was crowded, very hot, very smokey, and just not that fun.I only took a point and shoot camera with me cause we were with a group of people.I got this picture of halfdome from glacier point with the little p&s and am intriqued with the possibilites of taking the 8x10 and 4x5.This time it would only be her and I, and she's very patient when it comes to me setting up large format shots.Would the end of April be a good time to go, and what would be good for lodging?last year we were in a tent and got no sleep because every 30min someone was yelling at the top of their lungs "BEAR BEAR" sheesh!I know some of you go quite regularly and a couple people here I believe live pretty close by.Any tips would be really appreciated.Thanks!

Chris

http://www.pbase.com/cloudswimmer/image/82225379/original.jpg

[wfwhitaker]

It's been a long time since I've been, but when I lived in California, late April and early May were when I most liked to visit Yosemite. The waterfalls are full and the summer crowds haven't yet descended.

Stay where you can afford to stay. Neighbors are always a crap shoot. I liked the cabins at Curry Village. The Lodge is nice if you can get a room and have the money. The Ritz, er..., the Ahwahnee has always been out of my budget.

[Drew Wiley]

I have just returned from my propety near Yosemite. The poppy bloom at the moment
in the lower canyons is a once-in-a-lifetime event. How long it will extend I don't know, but due to a wet cold March, the flowers are exploding all at once. Entire canyon walls on the Kings, San Joaquin, and Merced rivers are in bloom thousands of
feet up and mile after mile. So when you go, Yosmite Valley itself might not be the
prime attraction. Drive downstream too. Two weeks ago I flew smack over Yosemite
Falls, which still had a magnificent ice cone at the bottom, though that if proably gone
now. But you picked a nice time, when things are still lush, the falls are roaring, and
the summer mobs, smog, and heat haven't arrived yet.

[Vaughn]

The end of April can be beautiful...might still get a snowfall at night...who knows! A couple mid Aprils ago, there was a snow over night with warm days (realizing that I am from a place that the upper 60'sF with the sun out and no wind is considered a hot day!

The weekends can still be a bit more crowded in the Spring. I do not know about campground/room availability in the Park in late April. I think someone showing up on a weekday morning would be able to get a campsite, though the reservation system might all be booked up.

Vaughn

I was in Yosemite a couple weekends ago -- the Merced Canyon below El Portal was incredible covered in poppies in some areas -- and looked like it still going to get better.

[Chris Strobel]

Wow....a very nice image with that P&S....love the warm tones. Now you got me wanting to go there too. Please post next time when you get the shot finally on 810/45. Good luck.

Remember, a photographer must always be prepared (no excuses in place like Yosemite..... should be the 11th commandment).

Thanks, it was pretty funny, I was up at the lookout tower about an hour before sunset with all these people with their very expensive DSLR's.They would arrive, set their tripods up and spend about 2 minutes snapping away, then pack up and leave.There I was with my little point and shoot on a 2 inch plastic REI tripod sitting on the wall.I justed waited and watched as hoardes of people repeated the above procedure with their DSLR's.Finally as the sun was almost gone and half dome just lit up like a candle I started a series of brackets with the self timer.Half dome was just spectacular in that light.After I made half a dozen exposures I looked around and it was just me and one other lone photographer with his Nikon D200.All those other people had missed out.I did not see one large format camera on that whole trip.In fact not even a medium format camera.So I guessed mid july is hibernation time for large format photographers in Yosemite.Best part of the trip for me was visiting the Ansel Adams gallery.The guy working there pulled out a lot of very fine photographs from his back room for me to look it.Some mind blowing work.Very inspirational.

[Harley Goldman]

End of April can be beautiful. The waterfalls should be full and if there is an early bloom, you might see some dogwoods. The park is full, but not crammed. The campgrounds are not at summer zoo levels yet. The loud elements from the central valley generally don't brave the cool nights until later.

You should see several other LF people around.

[Vaughn]

I was working at the gas station on the South Rim in Grand Canyon Nat. Park back in the 70's. During an afternoon thunder storm a station wagon pulls in with a pissed-off father and a carload of wife and kids...probably just drove the 60 or 80 miles up from Hwy 40 "to let the kids see the Grand Canyon". The wife was very quiet -- I think I know who suggested it.). "Nothing to see." says the man in disgust.

For some reason he did not want to stick around to 15 minutes or so until the storm broke up -- the best time to see the Canyon! I guess he wanted to make sure he wasted his time.

Vaughn

[Keith S. Walklet]

Lovely capture. You can almost make out Ansel on the Diving Board making his iconic image of Monolith.

As for a return visit in April, it will be pretty. Fresh leaves typically emerge the last couple weeks of April and the first two weeks of May, along with the dogwood blossoms. Waterfalls will be picking up.

Your vantage point from Glacier Point would only be accessible via snowshoes or skis that time of year, although, it was April 16 when Ansel and his clan made their way to the Diving Board for his image. I've seen a video transfer of the 16mm movie Virginia made of the ascent, with them postholing through waist-deep snow up the Grizzly Peak gully.

Pack for any kind of weather. It seems that April is usually when the last big snowfall of the season always lands, although it is usually cool, but comfortable in daytime.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I was in the valley last weekend. I stayed at camp 4 the walk in camp. $5.00 a night is the best deal in town! It was not too crowded and it was only in the mid 30's at night. No bears and great light during the day. High was in the low 50's. I was there with my 8x10 and saw no other Large Format shooters. You are right we all will not go in the summer and if we do it is to the high country. While you are there check out the Yosemite Renaissance show that is at the museum gallery until May 3rd. Several of us have works on display. I'm going back up on e last time the weekend before. Vaughn is finishing a carbon workshop on the 18th and I hope to meet up with him.

Jim

[Chris Strobel]

How hard of a hike is it to the diving board?What kind of shape would one need to be in to get a C1 and a Ries up there?Where does one find a map or directions to the diving board?Also isn't Camp 4 the climbers camp?When do these guys start climbing El Cap and Half Dome, I would be interested in taking a telescope and watching these guys.Always had a fascination with big wall climbing.

[Keith S. Walklet]

The diving board is a vertical gain of about 3,000 feet, almost like getting to the rim of Yosemite Valley. There is no official trail, just climber paths. I spent the night up there once unexpectedly over the 4th of July weekend because the final approach is so sketchy that I didn't want to risk going off trail in the dark. Covered myself in rain gear tried to sleep. Had mice and ants crawling on me all night. But it is an awesome view. It seems most climbers go the route up Grizzly Peak gully, but I never have. Instead, I typically take the Mist Trail, circle around from the top of Nevada to Lost Lake, or the gully between Liberty Cap and Broderick, which is an adventure.

At Lost Lake, skirt the south side and then head up the slabs to the base of the rounded portion of Half Dome and across, thrash through the manzanita and up to the Diving Board. It is a grunt, to say the least, and there is no water at the top.

April visits to that spot would really depend on snow skills, endurance, and appetite for adventure.

The attached image is one of my favorites from my many visits.

[Ron Marshall]

How crowded are the high country camps during May-June, September? I was there in mid-April a couple of years ago, and the valley was already bumper-to-bumper.

[Keith S. Walklet]

The High Sierra Camps, (if that is what you are curious about) don't open until late June in a low snow year, July in a heavier year) and are fairly full. Individuals can sometimes fit themselves into gaps, since most people are moving from camp to camp, and some camps are larger than others. Likewise, campgrounds in the high country don't open until after the Glacier Point and Tioga Roads open, and NPS gets the water and sewer systems inspected/running. September is a better option for both High Sierra Camps and campgrounds. It is the very end of the season, but the visitation has usually eased a bit and the light is better.

[Chris Strobel]

The diving board is a vertical gain of about 3,000 feet, almost like getting to the rim of Yosemite Valley. There is no official trail, just climber paths. I spent the night up there once unexpectedly over the 4th of July weekend because the final approach is so sketchy that I didn't want to risk going off trail in the dark. Covered myself in rain gear tried to sleep. Had mice and ants crawling on me all night. But it is an awesome view. It seems most climbers go the route up Grizzly Peak gully, but I never have. Instead, I typically take the Mist Trail, circle around from the top of Nevada to Lost Lake, or the gully between Liberty Cap and Broderick, which is an adventure.

At Lost Lake, skirt the south side and then head up the slabs to the base of the rounded portion of Half Dome and across, thrash through the manzanita and up to the Diving Board. It is a grunt, to say the least, and there is no water at the top.

April visits to that spot would really depend on snow skills, endurance, and appetite for adventure.

The attached image is one of my favorites from my many visits.


Keith, how many hours does it take you to get there.Sounds like more than a casual stroll with a Ries slung over ones shoulder.Do they happen to have Sherpa rentals up there :)BTW nice image!Teases you a bit wondering whats over that boulder eh!

[Keith S. Walklet]

When I was buff, it would take me three to four hours to get there. I'm sure in my present squishy condition, it would be more like five to six. So, not a casual stroll, no. But, if you know someone who is strong and eager, you might coax them into being your Sherpa. Though I don't know for certain, a call to the mountaineering school (cross-country ski school this time of year) might help track down someone local to assist you.

And that boulder is the diving board. In fact, I can see the crack in your photo if I am not mistaken. So, what's over the boulder is a doozy of a 3,000 foot step straight down to Mirror Lake.

In one of Ansel's early images titled On the Heights made the same day as Monolith, it shows Virginia perched on the edge of the cliff.

See attached screen grab from your snap.

BTW, which P&S were you using? The image looks to be HDR, but regardless, it is nice and sharp for what I know to be a telephoto image from Glacier Point.

[drew.saunders]

I first visited Yosemite in April of '02. Over four days the weather went from almost summer-like on the first day, to two days of spring, then it snowed and I had a little winter thrown in to top it all off. The falls will be quite full and the tourist levels will be lower than summer. If you're lucky, you'll get there before the mosquitoes start to hatch.

None of these are LF, even though I brought the Tachihara and shot a few polaroids, I mostly shot 35mm: http://www.stanford.edu/~dru/yosemite2002/

[John Kasaian]

April is a fine time. My Cub Scouts will be cleaning up Cascade Picnic area on the 4th. I chose April because the moquitos don't seem to be in full force yet, usually anyway!

BTW, A low snowfall is expected tonight--there is lots of lightning in the mountains Norht of Fresno right now.

My favorite place to camp in the Valley is the Housekeeping Camp (Camp 16.) Not really camping unless you consider DP camps "camping" but if you get a river site there is nothing like waking up at first light with the Merced a stones throw from your front door/flap. I wouldn't trade that for a suite at the Ahwanee.

If the Glacier Point road is open, consider Bridalvail campground up near the South rim. It is a nice campground and usually not as crowded in the Summer (and you've already got most of the elevation behind you for exploring the South rim when sugar anting around with a big heavy camera!)

I wouldn't plan on Tioga until the road is open.

Sonora Pass has in the past openend before Tioga. You might consider an "end run" around to 395 and Virginia Lakes. Last Spring I went there and it was still snowed in big time. I'm not an expert but the thought of avalanche did cross my mind, so I made a retreat to the Whoa Nellie Deli and enjoyed an excellent lunch instead. :)

[Chris Strobel]

BTW, which P&S were you using? The image looks to be HDR, but regardless, it is nice and sharp for what I know to be a telephoto image from Glacier Point.

It was a Canon S3 I borrowed from my mother, zoomed all the way in of course.No HDR, just played with the shadow/highlight adjustment in photoshop.Prints ok on an 8.5x11" piece of paper, and of course I have a zillion different versions.I don't have a lens long enough for my 8x10 nor 4x5 to recreate the shot from Glacier nor an open road to get there, so thats why I'm exploring the diving board.I know its a cliche shot, but when I was at the AA museum there, I saw a big color diving board shot hanging there done by I think Michael Frye, and it was just awesome.I never tire of that shot.There is a big Ansel Monolith photo hanging in the local Mcdonalds fast food here, and I often go eat there just to look at it and the other Ansel prints they have hanging up.I'd like one hanging in my house, but can't afford Adams or Frye :) The widest lens I have for the 810 is a 240mm G-Clarion, is that going to be wide enough for a monolith clone shot?

[Eric Leppanen]

The widest lens I have for the 810 is a 240mm G-Clarion, is that going to be wide enough for a monolith clone shot?In The Making of 40 Photographs, Ansel says he used a 6.5 x 8.5 inch Korona camera and "a slightly wide-angle Tessar formula lens of about 8 1/2 inch [216mm] focal length" set at f/22 for his Monolith shot. Sounds like your 240mm will be just fine.

Ansel also says that "the image is especially effective in a very large (40x50 inch) print." Perfect for an 8x10!

[Keith S. Walklet]

I know its a cliche shot, but when I was at the AA museum there, I saw a big color diving board shot hanging there done by I think Michael Frye, and it was just awesome.

If you make the effort to get there, there is nothing cliche about it. It is an amazing spot. Even if you leave your camera at home, you'll never forget being there.

While Michael has many nice images, I believe the image of the diving board that inspired you is a color poster by Fred Leykham. He hiked up there with Charlie Cramer in the late 1990s and made that photograph with his 4x5 Linhoff.

In addition to Fred's poster, there is a 40x50 print of the same image in the Mountain Room Restaurant, too. It's interesting to note that Charlie's image from the diving board made the same day is quite different...a tightly framed image of a small pine growing out of the face of the cliff. Very Charlie.

And to clarify road openings a bit. The Glacier Point Road usually opens a week before the Tioga Road, which NPS tries to get open for Memorial Day Weekend in a normal snow year. Heavy snowfall years, it opens later. Then the campgrounds, etc. have to prepped and inspected before opening, water turned on...So, at best, the earliest camping on either of those roads is typically sometime in June. It varies year to year.

[QT Luong]

That's right, camp 4 is used by climbers (and as such has been designated a National Historic Landmark). The height of the El Cap wall climbing season is usually in May-June, when the weather is stable but not yet too hot, however, depending on the conditions, people sometimes start in April (that's when I climbed El Cap the first time). Half-Dome's face is usually climbed in summer, as it is higher and north facing.

I remember being impressed by the Half-Dome from the diving board image in the Ansel Adams gallery. It was in the back of the gallery, facing a window in the left. There was a bit of snow at the base of the Half-Dome face. It would seem that having a bit of snow there help delinate the face, which is why Ansel Adams would have gone up there in April, right ?

By the way, Keith's image, when seen large in the Mountain Room is also pretty impressive. It's difficult to appreciate the rock texture and the flowers in the crack on the jpg.

[Chris Strobel]

I remember being impressed by the Half-Dome from the diving board image in the Ansel Adams gallery. It was in the back of the gallery, facing a window in the left. There was a bit of snow at the base of the Half-Dome face.

Yes thats the one.I could have sworn it said Frye, but you guys are definately more in the know and my memory ain't what it use to be.I appreciate greatly everyones responses and tips so far.I always learn something when I frequent this site.Its been an invaluable resource since I switched to large format a few years ago.Thanks everyone!

[Keith S. Walklet]

[/QUOTE]I remember being impressed by the Half-Dome from the diving board image in the Ansel Adams gallery. It was in the back of the gallery, facing a window in the left. There was a bit of snow at the base of the Half-Dome face. It would seem that having a bit of snow there help delinate the face, which is why Ansel Adams would have gone up there in April, right ?


That would be the one. Fred's image has some lovely clouds and rich color. In addition to the snow, I wonder if Ansel might also have been interested in the angle of the light in April. At that time of year, the light rakes across the face at a fairly low angle as it comes out of shadow.

[QUOTE]
By the way, Keith's image, when seen large in the Mountain Room is also pretty impressive. It's difficult to appreciate the rock texture and the flowers in the crack on the jpg.

Thanks for the kind words. It was so pretty, I've often thought of going back again.

[Songyun]

Can anyone tell me what is it like to sleep in tent cabin (without heater) in Curry Village in the middle of May?

[QT Luong]

That would be the one. Fred's image has some lovely clouds and rich color.


Wasn't the color quite comparable to the image posted in this thread ? It looked to me like it was shot late in the day.

Curry Village: I assume it would be the same as sleeping in a tent in May. Just fine with a decent sleeping bag.

[Keith S. Walklet]

[/QUOTE]Wasn't the color quite comparable to the image posted in this thread ? It looked to me like it was shot late in the day.


It is warm, but appears to have been a more subdued than direct sunset light. I don't recall the details. There might have been some haze to the west or simply they departed the ridge before the really intense light that happens at the end of the day. Still, the overall color of the rock is rich and varied, which is a nice surprise given its monochromatic appearance from a distance. I looked to see if Fred's poster was on-line, and it doesn't seem to be anywhere. It is a wonderful image.

[QUOTE]Curry Village: I assume it would be the same as sleeping in a tent in May. Just fine with a decent sleeping bag.

That's accurate. Perhaps a bit warmer in the bag since you're on a mattress, but I find the air temperature when you crawl out is generally cooler since there is a larger space for your body to heat. So I've gotten used to adding a fleece hat to my bedtime attire.

For the most part, the employee tents on that side of the valley are unheated and inhabited fairly early in the season. Back when I worked in housing, we began to set up the employee camps beginning in mid-March.

[John Kasaian]

Can anyone tell me what is it like to sleep in tent cabin (without heater) in Curry Village in the middle of May?

It depends on the weather in May!

Actually May is pretty mild in the valley. Mornings can be chilly----but that makes the morning hot coffee that much the better:)

I'd suggest a tent/cabin-oid at Housekeeping though. They allow campfires which adds to the evening ambience, several sites front the river and you're far away from the boulders which seem to be dropping into Curry from Glacier Point a wee bit too often these days.

[tgtaylor]

The biggest bears I've ever seen in the Sierra Nevada are usually on "patrol" in Camp Curry at 3am.

[Chris Strobel]

The biggest bears I've ever seen in the Sierra Nevada are usually on "patrol" in Camp Curry at 3am.

When I was there it wasn't the bears that were the problem, it was the humans yelling at the top of their lungs 'BEAR BEAR BEAR' then turning their headlights on in their vehicles, honking their horns, and banging pots and pans, at 3am, at 3:20am, at 4:00am, etc.etc..There is no amount of money you could pay me to repeat that stay in upper pines campground.I was severely sleep deprived the whole trip :(

I'm wondering, is it a similar situation at night at the camp Curry tents?

[John T]

Yes, but part of it is the time of the year. The heavier tourist season is the heavier bear season. Earlier, or later in the year, less bears and less people who panic. Go in February and early March-no bears and very few people. Of course you may freeze your butt off.

But I knew a person who was there in January and said that somebody was doing the "Bear Scream" because he heard something moving "out there". I guess this proves that you can't always escape the ill-informed

[QT Luong]

> Still, the overall color of the rock is rich and varied, which is a nice surprise given its monochromatic appearance from a distance.

That's what struck me most in that image too. I thought that there must have been some special light conditions, but after looking at the image posted here, maybe an after sunset would do the trick all the time.

> There is no amount of money you could pay me to repeat that stay in upper pines campground.I was severely sleep deprived the whole trip

Many of the regular (mostly climbers) that I knew prefered "private camping" for that reason. Each seemed to have their own secret spots.

[Chris Strobel]

Well here it is from a distance (zoomed out) about 10 min. after the zoomed in one.The two lone clouds are gone as well as the sun pretty much.That window of time of about 20min before the sun was completely gone was very beautiful up there.

http://www.pbase.com/cloudswimmer/image/82034409/original.jpg

[Keith S. Walklet]

QT, the color is in the rock and visible in open shade, and with color balance set properly, it shows up in all its glory. Still, it looked as though there was some warmth to the quality of light in Fred's image.

Chris, my sympathies. Any tent in the valley shares the same qualities with regard to noise. The bears are everywhere there are people, and if everyone puts their aromatic ammenities and food "icons" in the bear lockers, there is less chance of being disturbed. I can honestly say that it has gotten better with NPS education and enforcement of the stricter bear regulations, but we're talking lowest common denominator here. With 4 million people visiting each year, even if 99% follow the rules, that means 40,000 didn't. With a margin of error that big, things can go sideways pretty quick. You might consider ear plugs for the noise. They work well for snoring tentmates, too. And beer works, too.

[QT Luong]

With the face in open shade, the sky would be way brighter. That's why I thought it was an after-sunset. No direct sunlight (like in open shade), but with brightness of sky reduced and some warm tones.

[Keith S. Walklet]

That would make sense. There is a nice layer of clouds in the image, particularly over Echo Peaks. I don't remember how much clear sky there is, if any. I think it was more overcast than clear. I remember looking at the image and recalling my telling them that it wasn't a place I would want to be in the rain since so much of the final approach is walking on the slabs. Obviously, that tidbit didn't phase them. It was a perfect day to make that image.

[Jim Graves]

You might consider ear plugs for the noise. They work well for snoring tentmates, too. And beer works, too.

One problem with beer ... the 3:30 a.m. trek to the restroom in which you see something big moving out there and hear a panicked "BEAR, BEAR, BEAR" scream ... only to realize it's you doing the screaming.

I'd stick with a couple of ounces of 151 Rum ... same effect as the beer without the 3:30 trek. Of course, you have to be careful with 151 Rum ... you could end up missing the sunrise shots ... in fact, you could end up missing sunrise AND sunset shots.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

One problem with beer ... the 3:30 a.m. trek to the restroom in which you see something big moving out there and hear a panicked "BEAR, BEAR, BEAR" scream ... only to realize it's you doing the screaming.

I'd stick with a couple of ounces of 151 Rum ... same effect as the beer without the 3:30 trek.

Jim, that is why I switched to wine! Of course at the Renaissance opening I drank to much wine and made a visit to my neighbors tent steps at 3:30 AM. Hell, I didn't know anyone was in there!!!! Don't eat yellow snow!

Jim

[Eric James]

Chris, The backpacker's campground behind the stables is quiet but you can only stay there for one night, and only if you are going to or coming from the backcountry. (You must be in possession of a wilderness permit.) I've stayed there a half dozen times (mostly during the fall) and there was never anyone else using the site. Another trick for a good night's sleep is to use earplugs. (Of course you'll want to be very strict with your bear precautions.)

If you plan to get back to this site by the Four Mile Trail you may encounter some deep snow. I hiked to GP from the Valley in May of 95 and was in up to my waist for a couple hundred meters - I was probably well off trail.

Keith, Beautiful shot!

[dsphotog]

Conditions are great in April, but I'd try to avoid the crowd of Easter week...Ooops, I mean Spring break. Vernal & Nevada Falls will be flowing very well, take trash bags to help keep you & your gear dry on the Mist trail.
Take lots of film!
David Silva
Modesto, Ca

[Brad Rippe]

HI Chris,
I was up there for the Yosemite Renaissance opening last month and took a hike up the Snow Creek Trail. During the hike, we kept hearing loud thundering sounds. It turns out these were snow avalanches caused by the warm weather. It was happening every 15 minutes or so from the cliffs of Half Dome to Clouds Rest. I was lucky to get one on film, here I am setting up the 4 by 5 wondering if the photography gods were with me.

Be careful if you go up the John Muir Trail. Last week a friend got hit in the arm from a falling ice chunk. She was very lucky.

You should go anytime. 5 minutes on any trail and you're alone, especially until the schools get out.

-Brad

[Keith S. Walklet]

Neat catch Brad!

That image reminds me of one I snagged April 1 many moons ago when my friend and I climbed to the top of Half Dome. The cables weren't "up" yet, instead laying flat on the rock, with the top fifty yards or so buried under the snow.

We were on our way up and heard a thunderous roar and I turned around in time to see this avalanche coming off Clouds Rest. I quickly set up my 4x5 ... ;-)

Actually this was a grab with my 35mm.

Eric, thanks for the kind words. Your suggestion of the backpackers camp is a good one, given the constraints. Outside of QT's buddies' sneaky spots, it is probably the quietest of the campgrounds in the valley.

[Chris Strobel]

Ok I'm dying to see Keith's Half Dome shot.I checked the Ansel Adams gallery online photos for sale but didn't see it available.Is there anywhere online to see it?

Chris

[tgtaylor]

The diving board is a vertical gain of about 3,000 feet, almost like getting to the rim of Yosemite Valley. There is no official trail, just climber paths...

At Lost Lake, skirt the south side and then head up the slabs to the base of the rounded portion of Half Dome and across, thrash through the manzanita and up to the Diving Board. It is a grunt, to say the least, and there is no water at the top.


Keith,

Would that be taking the saddle between Mt. Broderick and the Diving Board, bearing straight east until you hit the finger coming down from the Diving Board and Half Dome, and then up that finger to the Diving Board? I'm asking because on my map (1:24000) it appears that would be the easiest route and it doesn't indicate any vegetation beyond Lost Lake.

Also, is it doable without ropes or climbing gear? Once on the finger, it looks like a fairly easy climb of about 500' to the Diving Board. But the section between the finger and the saddle is much steeper climb of about 400' over a much shorter distance.

Thomas

[Chris Strobel]

Keith,



Also, is it doable without ropes or climbing gear?

Thomas

This IS hiking right?

[Chris Strobel]

Keith,



Also, is it doable without ropes or climbing gear?

Thomas

:eek:

[Vaughn]

This IS hiking right?

While I have not yet been up to the Diving Board, I have been in the general area. I would not classify it as a "hike"...but as a scramble, non-technical climb, and brush-busting adventure, with a bunch of hiking.

Topo maps -- the green is trees...manzanita fields are often not shown. I am looking at the Google Maps satellite view...looks to be some hefty manzanita!

Vaughn

[John Kasaian]

The biggest bears I've ever seen in the Sierra Nevada are usually on "patrol" in Camp Curry at 3am.

Try cooking bacon some morning near the Mammoth Hot Springs. Those bears make Yosemite bears look like hairy mosquitos!:eek:

[Keith S. Walklet]

I've attached a couple of snapshots from GoogleEarth that show roughly the various routes. It is difficult to tell if I have followed the route exactly, but this is a rough estimate based on my recollection. YRMV!

I am not certain that AA followed the exact route I have outlined in blue, but I suspect he did. They climbed Le Conte Gully. If you google "LeConte Gully Map" there is a description of the route.

The red route is longest, but an easier hike.

The green route is a "short cut" that I have done on occasion and does involve a number of risky maneuvers. It is a classic short cut, in that when you are in the middle of it, you ask yourself, "I thought this was a short cut?" Definitely a difficult option that only experience climbers/scramblers should attempt.

The red trail skirts the south side of Lost Lake, and, as far as I can tell, follows the route I use to get to the top. First climbing slabs as far as I can, then traversing across the base of Half Dome until you turn the corner and wade through a ton of manzanita. Because there is no official trail, there are a lot of volunteer trails, and it is easy to get turned around. That is why I ended up spending the night up there. I didn't want to risk a misstep on the way down. Better my wife think I was dead, than actually be dead.

This is a very strenuous hike due to the elevation gain, no water, exposure. Once you leave Lost Lake, it is a significant elevation gain in a short distance.

[tgtaylor]

Thanks Keith.

It's difficult to make out a route from the Google photos. On my typo (which is from USGS 1929 datum - around the time that Adams was there!) the "easiest" route would be to take the saddle on the west side of Lost Lake at the 6200' contour, and follow that contour west and slightly north where there is (on the map at least) a smaller finger that angles up at about 280 azimuth and then intersects with another somewhat wider finger at the 6500' contour which runs almost due north to the main finger dropping down from the Diving Board at the 6800' contour. It is that 600' between the saddle and the main finger that I am most concerned with. The map is multicolored with lite salmon, I imagine, representing the bare rock, green vegetation, blue water, and a medium brown for (I bet) manzenita. If that's the case, then the manzaneta will be minimal on that route.

I've been somewhat critical lately of shooting the icons of photography. But although the Diving Board falls into that category, it really hasn't been shot all that much - no doubt because of its location. If I can get up there with my hands and feet alone (class 2/3), I'll give the Diving Board a try in the next couple of months.

From what I recall, Adams used a red #29 filter to darken the sky. Although I have occasionally looked for a #29 at local photo supply stores and swaps, I haven't found one. I'll make a more concerted search in the coming weeks.

It will be interesting to take along some infrared!

Thomas

[Chris Strobel]

Yeah thanks for that map Keith!You wouldn't happen to have exact GPS coordinates? :D

[Brad Rippe]

Amazing avalanche photo Keith. It looks huge! It must have been an incredible thing to see. I'd like to see the original.
Very nice work too Chris, let us know how it goes for you.
-Brad

[Vaughn]

I had an LF image accepted to the Yosemite Renassance Competition a few years ago, titled "Confusing the Map for the Territory". Beware of route-planning from topo maps! I have done enough of it in the Grand Canyon, and 10 years as a wilderness ranger in California to know that what is on the map and what is on the ground can be two very different things!

That said,I am happy to note that I got the final word that my carbon printing workshop at the Ansel Adams Gallery, April 14 to 18 is definitely going to happen (still room if anyone wants to sign-up!). So I will get to spend a week in the Valley this April! I doubt I will be leading the participants of the workshop up to the Diving Board, but there are still lots of other great places to go!

Vaughn

[tgtaylor]

Beware of route-planning from topo maps! I have done enough of it in the Grand Canyon, and 10 years as a wilderness ranger in California to know that what is on the map and what is on the ground can be two very different things!
Vaughn

Truer words were never spoken! But barring personal acquaintance with the terrain, a topo and/or another's personal experience, that is all that you have available to plan with. From the map, Keith's route seems to require an 800' steep climb thru manzanita. The steepness of it made me look for an alternative. But on second thought, the manzanita could possibly serve as a foothold. AA's route climbs more (~1800' to reach the main finger) at the outset with some manzanita at the outset. The route I set out has the least climbing with little or no manzanita.

I wonder if rock climbing shoes would come in handy?

Thomas

[Vaughn]

I think ankle support is what will be needed more(andover0the-ankle boots are good for manzanita fields.

Glenn (of the Hoffman/Starr King thread) took me up to Sierra Point awhile back. Not bad except in one place where carrying an 8x10 (45 pound pack and a 15 pound tripod) proved to be interesting. But I was glad to have the ankle support, especially on the way down.

Too bad my two negs from the Point were fogged.

Vaughn

[tgtaylor]

I just estimated the slope of that climb at ~30 to 35 degrees. Call it 35. What do you think: Rock climbing shoes or Vibram?

[Keith S. Walklet]

I've never worn anything but vibram hiking shoes. In the film that Virginia took of the group on April 16, plodding through the snow, I could swear they are in sneakers.

For me, the biggest issues for first timers would be route-finding, confidence navigating slabs, and water.

I mentioned I slept under my rain gear earlier in the post. One of the reasons I bring it along is for bushwacking. A pair of goretex pants does wonders for sliding through manzanita. I like the new zip-off cargo pants even more. They keep the brush from slicing your skin, keep the sun off, and are nice and cool.

But, it was water that was my biggest issue the first trip I made to the lip. The afternoon sun cooks that southwest slope, and unless you get an early start, you get cooked along with it.

[tgtaylor]

Thanks again Keith.

I thinking about camping in the Little Yosemite/Lost Lake region and spend that afternoon scouting a route up. Then making an morning assent to the Diving Board. That way I can leave all my gear at the campsite and carry just a lightweight field camera, holders, tripod and water bottle up. There's probably no water at Lost Lake but the Merced is not far away.

Thomas

[Keith S. Walklet]

Camping in Little Yo would make it a lot easier.

Lost Lake is a boggy lake, particularly on its west end, but it is still pretty large and you can refill your water there. There is a small seep that flows through that gap between Broderick and Liberty Cap, that I am pretty sure comes from Lost Lake. But that's it for water.

You may find some interesting images just working with the backside of Half Dome. Few people see it from that angle. That broad round side is an amazing slab of rock.

[ignatiusjk]

Good luck finding a place since the rock slide. By the way awesome photo of Half Dome. Is their more to the shot it looks like there's more to the photo.

[Tri Tran]

A touch from Yosemite spring break last week. Here's a 20x24 neg taken in Yosemite , Crane Flat. I wish I can scan this print later for you to enjoy.

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/2016/20x24.jpg (http://img6.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20x24.jpg)

[Jim Fitzgerald]

A touch from Yosemite spring break last week. Here's a 20x24 neg taken in Yosemite , Crane Flat. I wish I can scan this print later for you to enjoy.

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/2016/20x24.jpg (http://img6.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20x24.jpg)

Boy, I wish i would have been in Yosemite to see the 20x24 again, Tri. Nice looking negative.

Jim

[Tri Tran]

Hi Jim,
You definitely have to see this beast, is totally difference to the one that you saw last. This can do convertible back and I have another shot taken vertically with no latter needed when you pull the darkslide out ;) . This one nicely fits in my Spongebob backpack so I can hike with it as a short distance. Best.

[tgtaylor]

Hi Tri,

That's a great looking negative!

Jeez, I wish I were up in Yosemite last week to see you work with a 20x24 camera. I try, but I just can't fathom working with a film holder the size of a large picture frame.

Thomas

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Hi Jim,
You definitely have to see this beast, is totally difference to the one that you saw last. This can do convertible back and I have another shot taken vertically with no latter needed when you pull the darkslide out ;) . This one nicely fits in my Spongebob backpack so I can hike with it as a short distance. Best.

Tri, and I thought I was a tough guy with my 11x14 on my back hiking to Mirror Lake! No need for a gym membership with that thing on your back. You know if i had one i would haul it a short distance too. Awesome, Tri. Way to go!

Jim