The dogwood blossoms have faded. They are still nice higher up though.
Yosemite Falls are cooking pretty good right, now as is Bridalveil.
No crowds while we were there (9:00AM-4:30PM)
All this will change Memorial Day weekend, of course!
The new admission fees being extorted in order to get into your park are criminal, IMHO.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
Can you still drive through for free after dark?
I don't know--I'd suppose so if it's really late. I just obtained my geezer pass --- a senior lifetime pass for all National Parks for ten bucks. Normal admission is sure steep with the new price schedule. Yeah, extortion. That's the word.Originally Posted by Bill Burk
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
They're pretty good at spotting that slip-thru trick nowadays. They'll either get you on the way out or check for you illegally camping, unless you have already driven clear thru the Park in the wee hours. I've got my Geezer Pass anyway, but at the moment am more concerned about the mosquito forecast up high, since the road passes will be open soon.
the pass was open as of last week, good light on the granite.
I can report that we encountered no skeeters in the Valley, nor Wawona. Kind of eerie, really.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
I'm lookin for an early season altitude tune-up weekend hike, maybe up Virginia Lks, maybe above Tioga, or maybe just east to Carson-Iceberg. Recovering from
a nasty bout of shingles and need to get back in shape.
OUCH! My condolences. Shingles are no fun!
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
The week before Memorial Weekend has always been a nice time for the Valley -- calm before the storm!
It was $30 to get in a few weeks ago. I had 4 teenagers with me. If I had taken them to the movies instead it would have cost more! And since I drove the kids to Santa Cruz first to check the campus out, had a couple motel nights, had to feed them, etc, the trip cost about $1200 for the week (about 1100 miles). So the entrance fee was a very small percentage of my costs. Now the 4 nights camping in the Valley took a bigger bite! But all-in-all, an excellent return for my bucks. A free shuttle system, well maintained trails, clean bathrooms, roads in good shape, and still the same free wake-up service in the campgrounds (garbarge truck).
Yes, Yosemite Valley can be a bit of an amusement park at times (with Half Dome being the "E-ticket" ride), but it keeps the pests out of the wilderness! That just adds to its value!
"Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China
Sounds like an interesting and fun time, Vaughn!
Just a note for you Sierra junkies...Tioga, Sonora, and Ebbets passes are currently closed due to snow. NWS forecasts are calling for chances of snow up high into the next week. As of this writing, there's been no info on when the passes might open. If I hear anything, I'll holler.
I sure am glad I have my multi-agency Geezer pass! That little card has saved me a bundle!
--P
Preston-Columbia CA
"If you want nice fresh oats, you have to pay a fair price. If you can be satisfied with oats that have already been through the horse; that comes a little cheaper."
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