Re: What was your best Yosemite experience or memory?

What was your favorite single experience at Yosemite, or your best memory of being there?

Seeing a bear wander near several backcountry campsites (including mine), and it didn't even come close to raiding any of our food. We were primarily curious about it and were hoping that it wouldn't try anything with our supplies.

In the end it just sort of looked at us and just wandered off. I found out from another group that it had actually gone into their campsite but didn't touch or sniff anything.

my adult son and i kneeling in the Merced river (up to our necks) in the summer at Cathedral Picnic area... the water was slow and very relaxing. it felt great!

Probably have to say my first trip, which was backpacking to LYV in the '70's. First time on most Yosemite waterfall or backcounty trails is like discovering heaven. You feel like you've been let in on a well kept secret. Not true of course but it sure feels like it. Like others have said, "It's all good".

Jim

I'll be the first to say reaching the top of Half Dome, after several weeks of planning and anticipation. I swear I floated about halfway back to the top of Nevada Fall. I haven't felt that sort of sense of accomplishment on a hike since.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/2009 06:31PM by cthenn.

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cthenn
I'll be the first to say reaching the top of Half Dome, after several weeks of planning and anticipation. I swear I floated about halfway back to the top of Nevada Fall. I haven't felt that sort of sense of accomplishment on a hike since.

Ditto to that. I had hiked Yosemite Falls several times over the years when a friend looked over to Half Dome and said, "we're doing that next." I wasn't so sure I was up to the added distance and elevation, but the next year we did it. Standing on top was something I'll always remember. Started way too late (thinking, how hard can it be?) on a very hot June day with a quart of water, and no food to speak of. We didn't get back down until almost 10pm. We were in total darkness the last 2 miles coming down the JMT and that was no fun. Darn near missed several swithbacks coming down. Too tired to eat or even move the first time. The next day we feasted in Fresno and food never tasted so good! There were 4 of us that day and we still laugh about coming down in the dark. We weren't laughing at the time, but we remember it fondly now. Of course, it's hard to have bad memories of Yosemite, but that was a special one.

The last time I did Half Dome, I invited my aunt and uncle to use some of my Frequent Flyer miles and meet me in Sacramento. They really couldn't afford to fly from the east coast on their own. But I knew my uncle would love Yosemite. We drove to the park, hiked Half Dome together while his wife stayed at Yosemite Lodge and read a book. He was 6'6" with long strides and I could not keep up with his pace that day. He was 56 years old at the time, but had the physique he had when he left the military 30 years earlier. A power hiker certainly. The next Spring he died of a massive heart attack taking a shower. Go figure. I know that doesn't sound like a good memory, but getting to share Yosemite with him before he died, well, I know he still thanks me for that wherever he is. I learned that every time I get a chance to enjoy Yosemite, or heck, life in general, I better do it. You never know when it might be your last trip to such a wondrous place. In fact, I checked at AA.COM tonight and found a $159 roundtrip ticket from St. Louis to Sacramento. That's too cheap to use my FF miles and too cheap to pass up. Of course, Uncle Sam gets another $40 on top of the $159, but that's not too bad. See you there!

Jim;

when i went hiking to Nevada Falls this last week, a friend of mine came along... it was his very first time to Yosemite ever! and he lives only 2 1/2 hrs away!! lol
when he saw all the falls etc, he was stunned!!! he immediately called his wife to tell her that they HAVE to come here soon again!! he said "i'm such a loser, i should have done this LONG ago!!!!". lolol

but like you said, he was on cloud nine being there for the first time.

resting in the sentinel bridge meadows area last week as the sun fell below the mountains, deer came out to feed in the meadows, and half dome turned gold

Of course the first time will always be special... just visiting the Valley, Tuolumne Grove, and Glacier Pt.

But my favorite is the very first really long backpack trip... (the "eleven day-er" ) w/ the misses and mrcondron
Up Moraine Ridge to Jack Main Canyon... Tilden... Kerrick Canyon... Benson... Smedberg ... Rodgers...
and... of course BEAUTIFUL LOCH TABLAE!!! over Rancerhia Mountain and back to HH...
Caught some fish and traded it for some Ice Cream at Benson Lake...
Like all long trips I didn't want to come back to UnCivilization...

I'm an old landscape photographer that like others had been trying over long years to capture an extraordinary image any of the famous icons in Yosemite Valley. With millions of others taking pictures there including a great many pro's, the chance of witnessing something that will stand out with the best was not something I ever expected but persistency finally came through. As I patiently stood there that morning, waiting for a cloud to move into the range of my frame, I knew that what I was looking at was probably the best chance I would ever get. I made one exposure on the single 4x5 transparency sheet of film and nailed it.

http://www.davidsenesac.com/images/print_06-e3-1.html



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/2009 07:38PM by DavidSenesac.

The old freeze the fingers off while adjusting the camera routine!

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eeek
The old freeze the fingers off while adjusting the camera routine!

Yeah that is about it. As an old alpine skier that loves storm powder skiing, I'm pretty experienced working with gear in cold snowy conditions and have all the clothing. Like trying to install a pair of climbing skins on the bottom of one's ski's when the glue is due for renewal. I've got it all down for working my big view camera in cold. My dark cloth even has a snorkle built in to inhibit fogging on the ground glass while swimmer's plugs block my nose. Despite all that, there are always situations where only bearing naked fingers will do for some chores and working the camera is adjustments is one and grabbing a zipper tab to make yellow snow is another.

David

Have you tried surgical gloves? I've been meaning to but keep leaving them at home.

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eeek
Have you tried surgical gloves? I've been meaning to but keep leaving them at home.

Another thing to try would be glove liners. I've never used them to do camera adjustments but always keep a pair in my backpack for especially cold mornings - usually end up lending them to whomever else might be along on the trip.

Which brings a related memory to mind: warming up the fuel in a stove (Optimus 8R or Svea 123) with one's hands and breath before pumps were 'invented.'

Skiing at Yosemite for the first time. Combining one of my favorite activities with my favorite place was the best.

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Bee
Skiing at Yosemite for the first time. Combining one of my favorite activities with my favorite place was the best.

Was that cross country or yoyo skiing?

X-country

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Bee
X-country

Maybe you should have worn your skis on the hike with Dale:
SKI MANZANITA FOREST!!!
(signed) The Beaks



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/2009 10:32PM by szalkowski.

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The Beaks
Maybe you should have worn your skis on the hike with Dale.
(signed) The Beaks

I should have worn wings (perhaps we could work out a barter?)

The only other humans that I have seen who hike like The Goat are the Swiss. (They find the Half Dome Cables a stroll in the park)

Going back for more abuse fun this weekend...Destination: EL CAP and Yosemite Falls...destiny awaits me!

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Bee

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The Beaks
Maybe you should have worn your skis on the hike with Dale.
(signed) The Beaks

The only other humans that I have seen who hike like The Goat are the Swiss.

You're just lucky that the manzanita wasn't poison oak. Goats can't tell the difference. (On the other hand, kiwi birds are cute and smart.)

Try the White Mountains in NH - all the trails there seem to follow fall lines.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/2009 11:48PM by szalkowski.

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Szalkowski
You're just lucky that the manzanita wasn't poison oak. (Goats can't tell the difference. Kiwi birds are cute and smart.)

I was informed on a regular basis that this is a Kind and Gentle Goat, so I guess I lucked out. There was TONs of Poison Oak on the Smith Meadow trail back to Hetch Hetchy (Mr Condron being very kind to point it out before I got up close and personal with it...too bad he didn't notice the ANT HILL ahead of time!!!!)

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Bee

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Szalkowski
You're just lucky that the manzanita wasn't poison oak. (Goats can't tell the difference. Kiwi birds are cute and smart.)

I was informed on a regular basis that this is a Kind and Gentle Goat, so I guess I lucked out. There was TONs of Poison Oak on the Smith Meadow trail back to Hetch Hetchy (Mr Condron being very kind to point it out before I got up close and personal with it...too bad he didn't notice the ANT HILL ahead of time!!!!)

Did it look like this?

duplicat posting



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/2009 08:30AM by Bee.

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szalkowski
Try the White Mountains in NH - all the trails there seem to follow fall lines.

Hiked up Mt. Washington with brudder in Law and a friend of his. His friend
decided he needed to bring a six pack of soda with him or maybe it was 12 rocks
in his "rocksack". The schmo was so wiped out that he took the Cam Railway down...
uh... we beat him down hiking... didn't see the Bronco up there...

btw 9 minutes... yawn... 15 minutes up... 5 minutes down... it's much quicker without those pesky
boards and poles in the way...

And goats just love "kiwi on a stick" treats...

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szalkowski
Maybe you should have worn your skis on the hike with Dale:
SKI MANZANITA FOREST!!!

Really long skis for walking on manzanita bushes? Yeah, I can see that.

Now THAT is a picture. Almost looks like a painting. One like that is worth the other 10,000 that look like all the others.

That is truly an awesome photograph. It looks like a painting, like an idealized version of reality.

David,

Exceptional photo. One can see why you waited for that odd looking cloud.

Jim

Standing atop Half Dome alone (which is good in itself)

And then watching my shoes sizzle and spark during an impending lightning strike (not good)

I may have set a record going down the cables that evening, nine minutes

In the summer of 1966 meeting a group of friends there (summer after our senior year in high school), and then again the next summer after our freshman year in college. Was a great group of kids. I especially remember the rafting and our evening campfires. 43 years later I',m still going and still rafting but now with a wife and 4 kids.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/2009 08:15AM by mtn man.