Stolen gear

Hello Folks,

This is my first post here. I've never been a resident of the Yosemite area but have been visiting the park and area often for three decades. Normally I just use your site to pick up intertesting information however I had some expensive gear stolen in the park last week and thought it worthwhile to let you locals know what happened in the remote chance one of you sees my climbing pack in particular.

I'm a long time landscape photographer of the Sierra and was working the park last Thursday late afternoon May 18 just before 7pm at Valley View. At the time it was jammed with photographers and others catching late afternoon light. As I drove up a vehicle in the center parking spot pulled out so I moved in. Other vehicles were parked behind the regular spots as I'm sure all of you have seen during such periods. I got out of my Subaru, took a quick image informational pic with my digicamera, walked to the right side looked a few moments then walked backed to my car and drove off. All told I was out of my car less than a minute and my car was always in view of where I stood. I habitually tend to be considerable aware of my car and gear.

When I had gotten out there were a couple of younger males, teens to twenties in maybe t-shirts and long pants that were about one of the cars parked in the open space right behind where I was at. After getting out and looking around, I later recall they had been looking directly at me. An hour after I drove off I noticed my climbing pack in the back seat was missing and came to imagine what happened. A rear window behind my driver's seat was open and I susppect one of them reached in and grabbed my pack quickly while I momentarily looked out towards the Cathedral Rocks area. A rather brazen example of car clouting serious theives would never had chanced but apparently not so for these young punks.

We just don't expect thieves to try stealing things in such an exposed situation where the person is so close. Of course my looking away for the ten seconds was apparently all they needed. Expect they were disappointed when all they found inside were parts of my large format gear. The camera on tripod was on the back seat too but they were extremely lucky to just snag what they did since I came right back. I reported the theft to the park's law enforcement desk office who are working on the case.

I lost a couple of expensive large format lenses on wooden lens boards and a red bellows (accordian-like piece). I am not well off financially so this really hurts. They would likely have little clue what my gear was for except that is was for some kind of expensive camera. Thu may have tossed the stuff in the bushes. If so there is a slim chance someone my come upon a piece. What is more likely to show up some time is the one thing they would be able to use. A Black Diamond Stone L40 climbing pack. It uses easy to notice orange pack cloth with a black 4 inch swath down the middle of the back. Lots of straps on it too as well as my name in a marker that will likely be blacked out. In the mean time I'll be watching eBay.

David Senesac
david@davidsenesac.com

http://www.davidsenesac.com

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