Just wanted to share my campground experience from last week. We were in North Pines with two sites and 13 people (five young children and we checked with ranger on this before we left). Yes, I know we were VERY lucky to get one let alone two sites in Yosemite Valley for one full week.

At check in, you have to show ID. If your ID doesn't match, they direct you to the Yosemite Campground office in Curry Village. I asked what happened after that and they said they ask questions about the reservation, how it was obtained and try to get information from campers about the scalping issue, specifically the one gentleman whose name comes up frequently on the boards. I told the host I knew about the situation and told her about this website and the people flagging (myself included) craigslist scalpers. The hosts had no idea of our efforts but were completely elated about them.

The bear warnings now include bottled water. Bears recoginze them and will go after bottled water inside our out. If you keep water in your car like we do, cover it up! The hosts said that bears are becoming more active and going after anything scented. A few days before we were there, a bear was found sitting on top of a bear box waiting for something, anything to become available. In Upper Pines the previous week, a camper left some scented mosquito wipes in their tent (they had been used) and a bear shredded the side of the tent to get in. This happened during the day when no one was around. We usually see/hear a lot of bear activity at night, but it was pretty quiet this year. We heard the bears in the stable area, and heard them being chased by rangers along Tenaya Creek, but didn't actually see any in the campground, but they were there. I saw eyes peering out a few times from the creek area a few times though, swimming or wading in the water (very cool). We heard the clear paint guns being shot at night around the backpacker's campground a few times too. The only bear we saw was in the meadow on the way to the Village where there are great views of Half Dome. It was eating apples in the tree and it was awesome. The apples started blooming in the last two weeks, so if you are there, look in the trees.

Our tent zips up. Make sure yours does or at least be cautious of your tent zippers. Racoons are getting very crafty and breaking into tents and stealing backpacks and bags. All they need is a small little crack or opening to put their claws or paws in. One camper whom I met in the bathroom at 4am (getting ready for Half Dome) was freaking out about someone breaking into her tent and pulling out her backpack. I hopefully calmed her down and told her it was probably a racoon, not a person or bear as she feared (nothing was taken though). Another camper, this one in our group, freaked out when she found a small animal in her tent and muddy prints all over the place including her bra. She was very freaked out. I would add that all I keep in my tent is my matress, sleeping bag and pillow, and I have never had anything enter my tent.

The camp hosts were excellent. The campers were quiet by 10:00 pm. The general atmosphere was the best I have ever had camping in North Pines. I was quite impressed with our stay there! The Merced is still chilly, but quite refreshing after a long, stinky hike. Tenaya Creek was a little colder, but still serene and refreshing.

We purchased our firewood from a store in Fish Camp on the way in. Cheaper and better wood than in the Valley, and within the requested 50 mile radius.

The Rangers still make the "bear talk" rounds. We saw one approach and my reaction was, "What did we do?". He laughed and just told us to watch the back door of a van that was open. Critters get in and make a huge mess. He also wanted to say hi.

If you have any questions, I can try my best to help. Just wanted to share the Yosemite camping love! I will post my Half Dome hike on a different thread.

I specifically asked about bottled water a couple of years ago. I was told that it should be no problem hidden or in the trunk, but don't leave it in plain sight because bears might just break in when they see a bottle.

I kept almost a full case of bottled water on top of my bear box. I also asked, and was told it was OK because they'd just take a sniff and realize there was no food. I was also thinking that they might make good projectile weapons if a bear came by, at least after the fact. What I ended up doing was watch a bear from my picnic table after three people failed to get it to move. Later in the day, I thought maybe chucking the bottles could have worked.

I saw lots of water on bear boxes and tables in the TM campground two weeks ago, WHEN no one was in the site.

It was the camp hosts who warned us about the water bottles. We usually bring a box of water (two 2.5 gallon from Arrowhead) and leave one on our bear box at at times. It was the smaller bottles they were worried about. We bring a pallet of them with us as well. With people adding flavors to them like Crystal Light, Cool-Aid, or Propel, bears now associate bottled water with scents. We did searches every night before we went to sleep and put away all water bottles just in case.

Forgot to mention - Curry Pizza was okay (just like I remembered). Not bad, not good. The Blue Moon and Patron Margaritas were great though!

The Loft Pizza was great! Very different from Curry (better crust, sauce, toppings).

A six pack of Blue Moon at Albertson's grocery was $9.99. At the store in Curry Village it was $8.99. The stores in Yosemite are very reasonably priced IMO and they could charge so much more (but am glad they don't). Except their wood, marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers always seem a tad overpriced.

I found the price of a quart of milk at the Village Store in Yosemite Village to be less that was charged at the Save Mart in Oakdale.

And, I can't recall which one was it, but either Degnan's Deli or the Village Store sold single 12oz cans of beer for less money than the other store. In fact, the cost of the 12oz can of beer COST LESS than either the 20oz or 1/2 liter bottle of water!

I guess the store manager had his/her priorities set correctly.

---

Leave No Trace

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plawrence
I found the price of a quart of milk at the Village Store in Yosemite Village to be less that was charged at the Save Mart in Oakdale.

And, I can't recall which one was it, but either Degnan's Deli or the Village Store sold single 12oz cans of beer for less money than the other store. In fact, the cost of the 12oz can of beer COST LESS than either the 20oz or 1/2 liter bottle of water!

I guess the store manager had his/her priorities set correctly.

Woo Hoo! It always boggles my mind when soda costs more than water!!! But water costing more than beer? That is AWESOME! I'll have to check it out when I go back in December!!! Not tent camping, hard-sided cabin.

**I meant that it boggles my mind when water costs more than soda, doh!**



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/2011 03:05PM by robinjayp.

This time with the two campsites, we had two different types of fire pits. One had a grate to lower into the pit or take completely out, and the other had a grate to lower up and down (in the firepit at all times). We brought corn with us for our hot dogs (which we cooked over the second fire pit mentioned). We wrapped the cobs in foil with some butter and set them on the grate. Worked like a charm! I try to use our firepit for more than just a social experience. I like to cook over it as much as possible. And I found some jumbo marshmallows at Target that the kids were in awe over! If you ask them what they enjoyed about the trip, it was river rafting and giant marshmallows! Too funny.

Their ice is overpriced as well, I think it was $4.50 for 5 lbs.

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robinjayp
It was the camp hosts who warned us about the water bottles. We usually bring a box of water (two 2.5 gallon from Arrowhead) and leave one on our bear box at at times. It was the smaller bottles they were worried about. We bring a pallet of them with us as well. With people adding flavors to them like Crystal Light, Cool-Aid, or Propel, bears now associate bottled water with scents. We did searches every night before we went to sleep and put away all water bottles just in case.

Various restrictions at federal campgrounds seems to be all over the map. I've heard everything from keeping any food (outside of preparation and consumption) out of sight or even in plain sight in a vehicle. Some areas with bears don't have problems with bears breaking in - even if food or a cooler can be seen. They're more worried about birds and rodents in case food is stored outside. I do remember seeing warnings that everything needs to be stored in a vehicle or bear box (what few there were in these campgrounds) including stoves, utensils, dishes, pans, etc. Even in Yosemite they don't really care as long as those are cleaned off and the bears can investigate them before realizing that there's no food.

Yeah, I was going to comment on the ice...and it melts faster than most!

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hikerchick395
Yeah, I was going to comment on the ice...and it melts faster than most!

Probably from the radioactive decay of the tritium that they use in place of the hydrogen atoms.
(Also, see http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,33554,33554#msg-33554)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/2011 08:28AM by szalkowski.

Yes, the ice is overpriced as well. I think we have to pay for having in trucked in. A minor annoyance all things considered though.

I rode my bike from the campground to the Curry store, bought the ice as well as a recyclable souvenir bag to carry it in, and draped it over my shoulder. Worked better than the plastic grocery plastic bags.

We also bought a bag of Tostitos and a bottle of salsa for less than my local grocery there. And as a last day treat, a box of Entemann's donuts that cost the price the manufacturer stamped on it.

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robinjayp
Yes, the ice is overpriced as well. I think we have to pay for having in trucked in.

I think you're mostly paying for they know you have to have it.

Yes, but at least the alcohol that goes in and is chilled by the ice isn't obnoxiously priced

I do feel that way about the wood though!

Thanks for the camping report, I enjoyed reading it.

I agree with many of the groceries (and beer) being reasonably priced, not so much the firewood and ice. I like the block ice more out of the
machines located behind the Village store and at 'Louse-Creeping' Camp, it lasts a little longer anyway.

Re: "Another camper, this one in our group, freaked out when she found a small animal in her tent and muddy prints all over the place including her bra." -
I hope she wasn't wearing it at the time?!

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PineCone
Re: "Another camper, this one in our group, freaked out when she found a small animal in her tent and muddy prints all over the place including her bra." -
I hope she wasn't wearing it at the time?!

She wasn't but her reaction probably would have been the same. She was a trooper though and stuck it out for her kids. She was eyeing the Awahnee after that though!