Yosemite: Wow!

A LITTLE HISTORY & SUCH

The word Yosemite means “among them there are killers.”

Despite the mean name (which is a bastardized Native American word used to describe the The Ahwahneechee, who lived in Yosemite for thousands of years before they were violently displaced by European settlers in the mid 1800s), Yosemite is a 12, 000 square mile natural wonderland known for its waterfalls and bears, but which also boasts beautiful meadows, wondrous peaks and valleys, an abundance of wildlife, and many places to witness the gentle ebb and deadly flow of the Merced River.

Once a long, treacherous journey by horseback or stagecoach, Yosemite is now visited by nearly 4 million people each year. Although it's just a very small portion of the park, most of the park's visitors are there to visit Yosemite Valley. Consequently, the valley has a LOT going on.

In addition to free shuttles to destinations throughout the valley, there are complementary museums, movies, and tours to enjoy. Information abounds at the museum and visitors center. From its Native American inhabitants who migrated between the valley and the mountains there for thousands of years, through the European trappers and miners who claimed it, on to Yosemites's present incarnation as a year-round, international tourist destination, they cover it all.



I was interested to learn that the U.S. Army laid down the blueprint for modern-day park management. Until 1913, the Army-including around 500 Buffalo Soldiers (so-called by the Native Americans they fought either because of their tireless strength in fighting, their hair reminded them of the buffalo's pelt, or some combination thereof) - took care of Sequoia and Yosemite. At the time, there were plenty of outlaw types roaming the land, and the soldiers had what it took to keep order.


Just as state and national parks were hitting their stride and being a park ranger was becoming an official job, World War I was underway, and there was difficulty finding men who fit the bill. It was in Yosemite in 1918 that Clare Marie Hodges became the first female ranger in the U.S., prominently adding herself to the list of many pioneering women there.

But I digress.
















You can also visit an old cemetery, photography shop and gallery (Ansel Adams, of course), and supermarket/tourist knickknack haven in the village. Be warned, though: the valley has NO GAS, and the few gas stations within the park (all about an hour round-trip from the valley) charge you dearly for it. Fill up in one of the towns before you get into the park!

Probably the easiest and most popular "hike" there is to lower Yosemite Falls. I put hike in quotations because it's really just more of an easy walk. Yosemite Falls is the tallest in North America, and to stand at the bottom of that force is a truly awesome thing. What's even more awesome is stepping off the main trail into the woods and, after a five minute scramble over a few (somewhat slippery) rocks, you can view the ENTIRETY of the falls, and encounter almost nobody. Very peaceful. It's especially refreshing on hot days. The wind and water drop the temperature to where it's almost downright chilly. Careful with your cameras!

















Hiking to the top of the falls is something we didn't get to do this trip, but I've heard that the ideal thing to do is camp at the top to enjoy the beauty at the top in relative seclusion the next morning. Camping by the waterfalls and at places designated 'wilderness' within the park require a special permit. Click here for more information.

Although the valley is by far the most popular and a great place for first-timers to visit, get out of there at least a little bit and explore some of the other landscapes and views the vast park has to offer. There are over 60 properties within the park listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and countless places of loveliness to be awed by.

One spot that you MUST visit (though it won't cut down on crowds) is Glacier Point. Right out of the parking lot you'll see simply breathtaking panoramic vistas along the 1/4 mile walk to Glacier Point which overlooks the valley, including unrivaled views of the Vernal and Nevada Falls. It's an excellent place to get the lay of the land and get a feel for what's out there.

WHERE TO STAY

Hotels

If you're looking to stay in a hotel, there are a number of them within the park. The ones in the valley fill up first, and all of them require WAY advance reservations for the spring and summer months. You can find everything from "fancy camping" to luxury accommodations here.

There is also an abundance of hotels, motels, and timeshares located just outside of Yosemite National Park (your paid entrance to the park is good for 7 days). To find out more about places to stay outside of the park, visit Yosemite.com.
















Camping

If you're willing to stay a ways outside of the valley, there are plenty of walk-in campgrounds that should be able to accommodate you. There's also wilderness camping, with a permit.

Similarly, if you don't mind staying outside of the park, Yosemite.com has the info.

The campgrounds that take reservations can and should be reserved 5 months in advance. It's an online system that leaves something to be desired. Check their site for more info. Here's how it went for us: We got on the website, fingers poised for clicking, at 6:50 AM. At 7:00, sites became available and we clicked away. At 7:00:07, we blinked disbelievingly at our screens when we saw all sites were gone.

If a reservation hasn't been completed within a certain amount of time, it reverts back to the system, then gets snatched up immediately. With the system as it is, many people change campsites everyday for multiple nights. We managed to get one night in one spot, the next night in another site, nothing for nights 3 and 5, but another site for night 4 which we had to cancel (for a $10 fee) since we had nothing for night 3. Bah. Not to mention, moving camp every day is a big ol' pain. We decided to try our luck at a walk-in camp.

















Camp 4

We headed to Camp 4, the fabulously located walk-in camp popular with climbers and car-loving bears, which is run like a medium security prison. If you're willing to put up with what can be a 4-hour ordeal, and are okay with sharing the fire pit, table, and general area with people you don't know to get a site in the pulsing heart of the valley, this is the spot for you. Get there early. Mid-week might be a little easier, but when we went on a Thursday, there were plenty of people in line who didn't get in.

Here's how it's different from other campgrounds I've been to: Every site holds six people, and every day they fill up those sites. When people check out, that opens up new spaces. It's not like other "first come first served" spots where you grab a site that may hold up to six but there are only two of you and it's yours. If there are only two of you, you're sharing a space with four others. If you are in a larger party, you may be split up into different sites, 'cause that's the way the cookie crumbles. In that regard, it's a pain.

Getting in can also be annoying. Here's how that worked: A couple of us arrived at 7:00 AM to stand in the line. The first day we did that, we didn't know that EVERYBODY IN YOUR PARTY MUST BE PRESENT, WITH PHOTO IDs. So, we left, gathered the troops, and went back the next day. The rangers show up at 8:30 to tell us how many spots there are, count off the people in the line, then- very slowly- start the checking-in process.

When we arrived at 7:00, there were about 20 people in line ahead of us, which seemed very promising. Despite signs that you may not hold places in line, those 20 turned into 50 by the time the ranger showed up. I felt my blood pressure rise in direct correlation with the increase, particularly as the one person in front of us magically multiplied into a family of 12 by 8:30. Luckily for them, we (just barely) secured spots, so it was unnecessary for me to open up my can of whoop-ass.

Once they counted the people, the rangers made announcements about NOT leaving the line, or, they'll give your spot away. Then they tell you that you need your license plate number ready when you get to the window. That, of course, sent representatives of each party running to their cars. The ranger then actually gave their spots away, despite protests of "but you said to go to the car…" from their friends and families. Luckily, there were enough people to have a mini-revolt, and those people (including 2 in our party) got their spots back. It was then another two hours of a creeping line, waiting to get checked in. Everyone camping gets a tag which goes on his or her tent, and they WILL check.

Word to the wise: Don't buy a ticket off of anyone, or try to sneak people in. Unlike every other campground I've ever been to, the rangers come around several times throughout the day and night counting people, checking tent tags, even looking in tents. A couple of guys there while we were got fined $175 each for using another person's tag.

Not to discourage you…it's a beautiful campground from where you can see part of Yosemite Falls, and its location is central without being in the highest-traffic spot of the valley. Just across the road is a calm section of the river with a little beach and picnic area, in the parking lot begins the hike to the top of the falls, and the lower falls hike is minutes away. Camp 4 is also one of the places included in the National Register of Historic Places for its significance in rock climbing. Once the hassle was over, I really liked it!

Yosemite is just one of those places that you've got to get to. It's-quite literally- AWESOME.

As with anyplace in nature, just remember not to do stupid things. The river can be dangerous, rocks get slippery, and falling down a waterfall will kill you. There are bears there...don't eat crackers in your tent.