Admin
Trail Wise!
Posts: 486 
|
Post by Admin on Jul 7, 2015 14:44:43 GMT -8
Might be a bit more crowded now that the San Francisco Gate has an article describing it as " The Best Trailhead in America!". It might be terrific but (sour grapes warning:) a few years ago I drove up from Mono Lake just for a look-see. I simply could not find a place to park! But Yosemite is a big place, I went elsewhere. |
|
|
|
Post by High Sierra Fan on Jul 7, 2015 18:13:15 GMT -8
Well with at least six separate routes out of there there'd be some spread. That none of them are titled "Tuolumne Meadows" will probably cull the herd a bit as well. :D
[He writes in hope as he's just under two weeks out from heading up Rafferty etc.)
ETA: Damn they name them all plus the others spread along Tioga Rd. Score a point for Wilderness Permit reservations.
|
|
toejam
Trail Wise!
Hiking to raise awareness
Posts: 1,795
|
Post by toejam on Jul 7, 2015 18:24:56 GMT -8
I think we should perpetuate this myth!
|
|
speacock
Trail Wise!
I'm here for the food...
Posts: 378
|
Post by speacock on Jul 9, 2015 18:56:14 GMT -8
It snowed on Tioga today.. woo hoo. I still haven't put away my snow shoes. Hope springs eternal.
|
|
|
|
Post by OddBall on Aug 18, 2015 9:53:23 GMT -8
I was wanting to plan a trip for mid September for my Meetup.com group but I ended up changing to Iceberg Wilderness because I wasn't certain on how to handle the reservations. I really envy John Muir in being able to explore Yosemite before there was a dang highway going through the middle of it. If I had my pickings I would eliminate most everything in the valley and only allow tour buses up the road. The couple of times I've been to Yosemite valley it's like a carnival and it boiled my blood to think I was just as much a part of the circus as everyone else. On a side note... I've signed up for the restore Hetch Hetchy valley (John Muir campaigned to have it preserved like Yosemite but lost). It would be awesome if they would drain the reservoir and just let nature do it's work and only allow hiking trails in the area. One can dream right? |
|
|
|
Post by High Sierra Fan on Aug 18, 2015 10:47:15 GMT -8
I've come to LOVE that just about everyone thinks that 1.4 square miles at the east end of Yosemite Valley is THE Yosemite National Park (or, for that matter, THE Yosemite Valley). The Valley's small amount of development is a part of the park service mandate (and inscribed on the Yellowstone's Roosevelt Arch: ""For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People""): the parks aren't nature reserves after all, and at way under 1% of the entire land area the Valley is a small enough portion in any case. Oh and with 94.45% of the park designated federal wilderness? no dang highway going up the middle of the vast majority of it... and I HATE tour busses.  "reservations", with endless trailhead possibilities wilderness permit reservations are a convenience but not much of a necessity except for those target locked on one single route (and even that route being one of the heavily used few: Happy Isles, Lyell Canyon, Rafferty Creek, Cathedral Creek, or Sunrise and being more than a small party: I've done walk up to even those since a big chunk of the TH quota is not reservable and left for walk ups, and that's improved this year with the addition of a park "exit" quota so the number of through-hikers simply heading OUT of the park on the JMT from the park's trailheads is restricted: leaving more of the quotas for people intending on enjoying Yosemite, not racing to leave it, so at the wilderness office at Tuolumne I saw openings for same day permits out of Lyell!).. For campgrounds the ones out of the valley don't take reservations with the exception of half of Tuolumne Meadows, Crane Flat, Hodgdon and Wawona. www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm |
|
speacock
Trail Wise!
I'm here for the food...
Posts: 378
|
Post by speacock on Aug 18, 2015 12:28:22 GMT -8
HSF. Good! summary of the stuff about the Valley. I have soo many to send that bit to. Thx
All of the Sierra National Parks are foot friendly - albeit a bunch of them show up at times where I might want to go.
Yosemite has a connector road from the Valley to Tuolumne thence to US 395. Good forward thinking to put Tioga Pass there. Except for fires, the only human impediment to nature along the road is how far some upgraded troglodyte can heave a water bottle. I suspect nearly 100% of the people are passing through and only stop at turn offs for a quick picture out the widown.
Kings has a 50 mile dead road end that provides good foot traffic access for those that can. I suspect that many don't take the road because it just goes 'nowhere'
Sequoia has only the very western edge available to cars.
Mineral King has a killer road with a 25 mile access to a large parking lot. A dozen ways from the parking lot to have fun up higher.
The idea of maintaining the rest as wilderness (More than 99% for feet) is an idea that everybody has to insure is timeless.
But I also agree we need to provide for the less fortunate's enjoyment as well.
Most can be thrilled and amazed by less than 200 acres (Disneyland had 16.2 million guests in 2013). Those who have seen 'The Valley' and 'The Meadows' and the dead ends, the Sherman, and the hotel are probably satisfied they have seen it all. From a loss of wilderness viewpoint, that is a cheap date, actually.
|
|
