Re: David Lee Roth on Lost Arrow Spire 1988

Does anybody remember David Lee Roth standing on top of Lost Arrow Spire in 1988?

Story about Ron Kauk assisting on the album cover shot by Galen Rowell.

Galen Rowell photo shoot

Awsome. In 88 I was chasing tail. Didn't know what a Yosemite even was.

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chick-on
Awsome. In 88 I was chasing tail. Didn't know what a Yosemite even was.

(never did get any)

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Old Dude

Hey! Isn't every day be nice to Chick-on day!?!

(wuz at UW Madison back den... gettin an edumacation and winning da lottery)
(and when my charming personality didn't win dem over... wasn't too proud to beg)

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Great Read; Thanks so much for posting that link. I spent nearly a decade working with Galen, post-Skyscraper, but it was great hearing the story about that shoot again.

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Gary Crabbe
Enlightened Images

"Nearness to Nature keeps the Spirit sensitive to impressions not commonly felt, and in touch with unseen powers." - Oyihesa; Santee Dakota indian, from his book, Soul of the Indian (1911)

In 88 I was just starting elementary school...one day I hope to finally complete it.

In 88 I was probably wearing acid washed jeans. Didn't go to Yosemite until a couple of years later. It changed my life.

how so?

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Galen Rowell shot the David Lee Roth album cover posted above. These were just quotes that Galen Rowell had about photography.

I'm sorry. My question was in reference to "It changed my life."
Was wondering how it changed your life.

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Are you referring to acid washed jeans or Yosemite?

I'd also say that my first trip to Yosemite changed my life as well.

I was probably like most people on this forum. I was hooked once I went to Yosemite. I had to keep going back. I had done some hiking before, but nothing like Yosemite's trails. I kept finding new trails around the valley for about 10 years. After that I was more into the Cathedral Range and the GCT. That led to hiking the Ritter Range and more of the Eastern Sierra. Finding new trails in the Sierra is endless. There is a lifetime of exploring to do. You can go right past the tourists and find an amazing spot that they have no idea about. I have learned so much on this forum. Can't wait for HWY 120 to open. I'll do a separate post soon about my first visit to Yosemite.

Me... I was not hooked on Yosemite after visiting it for the first time.
Why? Well... there were boatloads of people in the valley and everywhere we went.
Took us forever to hike up the Mist Trail... wait... step... wait... step... wait... step...
Sure, it was gorgeous and we had fun biking around, swimming in The Emerald Pool,
swimming in Mirror Lake, checking out the Tuolumne Grove.
I only got hooked on Yosemite many years later after The Old Dude was kind enough
to take my wife and I on a backpacking trip. Since then I've probably been the booger on
the end of Old Dude's finger that he can't get off.
Probably visited Laurel and Vernon and Rancheria and Kibbie 20 times before
saying "ok, we gotta check out ALL the trails... and I HAD to touch all the lakes, etc.".
It's since become a yearly obsession. Nearly out of control.
But I guess it's a good disease to have.

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I didn't know much about Yosemite the first time that I went. I heard that it got busy, so I went after Labor Day. Wasn't crowded at all. After that I usually went in late May or early June before the schools got out.

My first trip to Yosemite was in October 1987 with my future husband. I was hooked as soon as we drove through the tunnel (41) and got my first view of the valley. Even after all of our visits, that first view still brings tears to our eyes. We have been there every month of the year and have enjoyed everyone of them. However, I would recommend that people avoid Memorial Day Weekend, it is a nightmare. Now, most of our trips have to be planned around school breaks. As a friend and I refer to it, we have chronic "Yosemiteitis".

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parklover

However, I would recommend that people avoid Memorial Day Weekend, it is a nightmare.

Generally speaking, I recommend that most visitors avoid going to Yosemite during the three big summer holiday weekends (Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day) unless I know that they'll be spending their time AWAY from Yosemite Valley.
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If you're backpacking it doesn't matter when or when you go. The farther away from the road or valley you go the fewer people you'll have to deal with.
( the only exception here being the HD, and UYF trails, i.e. the super tourist trails, but then you get entertainment out of people watching and seeing how unprepared they are! )

One of the most fun parts of exploring Yosemite for me is to find the out-of the-ordinary places that no one knows about. This board is the perfect place to hear about those!

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qumqats

If you're backpacking it doesn't matter when or when you go. The farther away from the road or valley you go the fewer people you'll have to deal with.
(the only exception here being the HD, and UYF trails, i.e. the super tourist trails, but then you get entertainment out of people watching and seeing how unprepared they are! )

For backpackers who prefer more solitary treks, I would also recommend that they avoid any trails of the High Sierra Camps loop.
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It matters when and when you go.

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Yes, you're right of course. I should have stated to avoid any trails of the High Sierra Camps loop while the High Sierra Camps are open for the season.

I've been to the valley a few times, when it was just crushing crowds. You just want to get out of there. It seemed like early June last year was very crowded. HWY 120 opened relatively late so it seemed like everyone was in the valley. When HWY 120 is open, I think that it can relieve the valley of some of the crowds. There were also a lot of news stories about huge waterfalls last year. That probably brought more people in as well.

This confirms what most people already know. 59% of visitors come in June, July, August and September.
visitation statistics