Firefall in Yosemite

[tgtaylor]

On my first trip ever to the park I was driving a stake bed truck from the east bay loaded with, ironically, Kodak disposable cameras and film to the parks commissary. This was right before a major holiday, I forget now which, and the park needed the film and cameras for the expected park visitors. That was back during the UPS strike and I was working as a salesman for a courier company but did long distance deliveries when it got real busy. After I delivered the kjodak stuff to the commjssary I stopped at Yosemite Falls and walked back in and took a drink from the ice cold falling water which is supposidly quite pure after falling several thousand feet.

But the actual “Yosemite Experience” is personal – at least for me it was. It wasn't the occurrence set out above but for me it came during my first multi-day backpack in the park. Heading to Vogelsang I think I took a wrong turn and ended up in this beautiful wilderness meadow looking up to a 2000 foot climb that appeared to be straight up. That's when it came upon me- the beauty of the landscape and the wilderness of it with no other person in the area. It was exciting!

Thomas

[John Kasaian]

IMHO, Yosemite needs to be a multi day experience, just to let the beauty "sink in."

[Drew Wiley]

You actually drank out of Yosemite Creek at the waterfall, Thomas? Yecch! Lucky you didn't get giardia. The water might be OK coming down early season from Mt Hoffman above Hwy 120; but the eight miles of trail below the road to the edge of the valley sees a lot of neophyte hikers; and gosh knows what else might feed into that creek from campgrounds. For a number of years I shared an office with a fellow whose license plate read, YOSMTE CRK. Every summer he went with some pals to the same secret campsite upstream from the road while the creek was still running. There are no official trails upstream. He past away two years ago.

[Mike in NY]

Thanks for posting the falls, Thomas. I've traveled in 30 states, but have never made it to Yosemite. Like others, it's on my list, but I don't do well with crowds. As for safety in the field, the only "duh" thing I've done was when I was canoeing in the Croton River, photographing ospreys. The Croton is a small tributary of the Hudson River, near where I live, and I know its ins and outs. I decided I wanted to go to a wetlands about a mile down the Hudson, to photograph herons and egrets. So I went out into the currents of the Hudson; no big deal if you know the tidal schedule (the tides still impact the river flow that far north). Now if you know the Hudson, you know it is incredibly wide at places. I noticed a barge off in the distance, but didn't give it any thought until I saw its wake coming at me a minute later. I was parallel to it and knew to turn into it, but I was in my long canoe, not my kayak, and didn't know how the canoe would behave. I had a few seconds to decide whether to quickly pack my camera in my waterproof container and then in the remaining second turn into the wake, or to take the additional seconds to position the canoe and take the risk of not packing the camera, or try to make a break for it and paddle for shore. It was a split second decision; I packed my camera, and then made for the shore. Too late; the wake was faster than me, and swamped the canoe. Thank god nothing was damaged but my ego as a few people on shore watched.

[Vaughn]

IMHO, Yosemite needs to be a multi day experience, just to let the beauty "sink in."

I like the old story about the Yosemite ranger who was asked what to do in the Valley if you only had an hour to spend there. Story goes that he replied that he'd go down to the Merced River and cry. I grew up camping in the Valley and up at Tuolumne Meadows, so no sudden realization...just a growing love. I did not start backpacking until my teens.

It helps that for a couple decades, a good friend and curator for the Ansel Adams Gallery lived behind the gallery and I had an open invitation to visit...even to bring my boys. Half Dome visible from the deck while Yosemite Falls boomed behind us. I'll be there in April (27th) for a show opening at the gallery...always nice at that time of year. I have given a few workshops at the gallery in April -- snow, rain, and sun in the same week!

I have worked a summer on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, spent some time in Zion, many trips to Death Valley, and of course Yosemite Valley -- always places to go to easily get away from the tourists...even at these high-visitation Parks.

[Drew Wiley]

I routinely "commuted" between summer backpack trips on the east side of the range over Tioga Pass to my mountain property south of the Park, which means I'd go right through the lower end of Yosemite Valley. I rarely stopped. Too eager to get a good shower, clean my gear, and rest my feet for a few days before returning to work here on the coast. But I once darn near dove into the Merced near the meadow just to avoid getting run over. All the cars insanely whizzing by honking. Why do they even bother coming. Rush to see this, rush to see that ... see nothing, really. Totally different than my experience on the upper Merced (Lyell Fork) three summers ago - nobody in sight for an entire week out of the two-week trip; pure water. Mile after mile, lake after lake, with no sign of human presence at all - no footprints, no campfire rings, no trails, not even any trail "ducks", no gum wrappers, no rangers or lazy obese bears. Just some broken obsidian chips from ancient bighorn sheep hunters. Even the eagles and dragonflies were almost tame. That's my idea of "Yosemite".

[Mike in NY]

At least I don't have to go to Yosemite to see bears. I had one in the back yard last September. I came around a corner of the house and nearly bumped into it. I don't know which one of us was more startled. Everything I've ever learned to do when confronted with a bear went right out of my head. I yelled a stream of profanities, turned and dashed for the back door.

[Vaughn]

...Even the eagles and dragonflies were almost tame. That's my idea of "Yosemite".

I backpack in the Yolla Bollys for that.

We hold our family reunions up there (and it is Bigfoots, not Bigfeet).

[Drew Wiley]

"Bigfoots" ... Reminds me of an old joke. How do you know the toothbrush was invented in Mississippi? Because it's called a toothbrush and not a teethbrush.

[John Kasaian]

Lots of damage from the heavy snow and windfall in Yosemite Valley. Both Upper and Lower Pines are closed while they're removing dead trees. The lavatories and Curry tents appear to have gotten hammered pretty good as well
https://abc30.com/weather/delays-can...amage/5190817/