Re: Night Moves - Clouds Rest

First, let me say that I've enjoyed reading the advice/expertise of the many hardcore hikers who frequent this
forum, and the countless photos you've contributed. You are the experts, and I humbly seek your advice.

I'm planning a 3 day Yosemite trip in September, which will include a night time hike from Curry to Clouds
Rest. This hike will allow watching sunrise from this peak, and include Half Dome and a couple other stops.
A few potentialy stupid questions:

1) Apparently there is a geographic survey marker at the top of Clouds Rest. Do other Yosemite peaks
(El Cap, Yosemite Point, etc.) feature something like this as well?

2) For the night hike from Curry to Clouds, what are the chances that I'll run into one of those big, hairy
beasts with claws and fangs? (Why go all the way to Yosemite to see one of those when I can stay at
home and look at the old lady?)

3) Any recommended drinking spots near Curry Village, or should I just bring my own grain alcohol?

I get to go to Yosemite once/year at best, so I'm hoping to gather as much info as possible prior to
the trip. I thank you for your time.

Quote
AnotherDave
First, let me say that I've enjoyed reading the advice/expertise of the many hardcore hikers who frequent this
forum, and the countless photos you've contributed. You are the experts, and I humbly seek your advice.

I'm planning a 3 day Yosemite trip in September, which will include a night time hike from Curry to Clouds
Rest. This hike will allow watching sunrise from this peak, and include Half Dome and a couple other stops.
A few potentialy stupid questions:

1) Apparently there is a geographic survey marker at the top of Clouds Rest. Do other Yosemite peaks
(El Cap, Yosemite Point, etc.) feature something like this as well?

2) For the night hike from Curry to Clouds, what are the chances that I'll run into one of those big, hairy
beasts with claws and fangs? (Why go all the way to Yosemite to see one of those when I can stay at
home and look at the old lady?)

3) Any recommended drinking spots near Curry Village, or should I just bring my own grain alcohol?

I get to go to Yosemite once/year at best, so I'm hoping to gather as much info as possible prior to
the trip. I thank you for your time.

1. The markers are all over the place. Just about every named bump on the terrain has one sometimes even two or three. 7.5 min topo maps show them.

2. You will not run into a bear. I hope she doesn't read this thread or she has a good sense of who's the boss.

3. There is a hard liquor bar in Currie Village at the Pizza Patio. Try to lay off drinking for 24 hours or so before the Clouds Rest hike.

---

Old Dude



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/2012 08:08PM by mrcondron.

1. For some reason there are two markers on top of Clouds Rest but not one on Half Dome. Besides humorous answers, no one has postulated a guess on why there is not one on Half Dome.





2. The bears in Yosemite are rumored to read the threads at this forum.

3. Curry Village Pizza is the best pizza you can get west of Chicago.

Have fun on the hike. Enjoy this video of my Clouds Rest hike:

Quote
chicagocwright
1. For some reason there are two markers on top of Clouds Rest but not one on Half Dome. Besides humorous answers, no one has postulated a guess on why there is not one on Half Dome.

Crap, I didn't see either of them when I hiked Clouds a few years ago. Maybe I'll find them this summer when I head out again.

Quote

2. The bears in Yosemite are rumored to read the threads at this forum.

We post too!

Quote

3. Curry Village Pizza is the best pizza you can get west of Chicago.

Having Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on tap there makes for a great cap to doing Half Dome or the Panorama Trail.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/2012 08:49PM by mbear.

Quote
chicagocwright

3. Curry Village Pizza is the best pizza you can get west of Chicago.

Do not listen to this, you are better off bringing a digiornio rising crust pizza and eating it cold and raw.

Quote
hotrod4x5

Quote
chicagocwright

3. Curry Village Pizza is the best pizza you can get west of Chicago.

Do not listen to this, you are better off bringing a digiornio rising crust pizza and eating it cold and raw.

You are far more likley to see a bear in Curry Village than up on the trails,---unless you're coated in honey.

Actually I wouldn't be too surprised about seeing a bear on a night hike through Little Yosemite. I've come across a few on night hikes. You can't confuse those widely-separated green eyes staring at you when caught in the beams of your headlamp. Usually a few bangs on the hiking poles and a couple "Shoo-Bear!" shouts gets them moving. If you see one, stay still until they've moved off, and if they don't move, then keep walking away ('away' being the key word) at a slow pace while keeping sight of the bear. I usually talk loudly (but nicely) to the bear, and I may bang my sticks a few extra time until I've put some distance between us.

Have fun.

(& yes, my first thought was, "What, your afraid of running into a woman on the trail?" ** now ducking for cover**)

---

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)

Quote
hotrod4x5

Quote
chicagocwright

3. Curry Village Pizza is the best pizza you can get west of Chicago.

Do not listen to this, you are better off bringing a digiornio rising crust pizza and eating it cold and raw.

I've eaten there twice this year, for the first time ever. I thought they were digiorno. But the beer's good.

Had a Curry pizza for dinner last Friday. Definitely not as good as four or five years ago, but still a solid B in my opinion.

Quote
chicagocwright
For some reason there are two markers on top of Clouds Rest but not one on Half Dome. Besides humorous answers, no one has postulated a guess on why there is not one on Half Dome.

Actually, those are not benchmarks per-se, but rather are reference marks that point to the benchmark, which is not nearly as impressive:



The NOAA NGS data sheet for the Clouds Rest marker indicates the following. Note that you can still barely make out the "24" of "324 EM" mentioned below:

HR2868'DESCRIBED BY US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 1905
HR2868'STATION MARK--COPPER BOLT SET IN ROCK.
HR2868
HR2868 STATION RECOVERY (1952)
HR2868
HR2868'RECOVERY NOTE BY US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 1952
HR2868'RECOVERED AS DESCRIBED BY USGS.
HR2868'
HR2868'LOCATED ABOUT 11 MI SW. OF TUOLUMNE MEADOWS RANGER STATION, 5.5
HR2868'MI E. OF YOSEMITE. ON HIGHEST POINT OF CLOUDS REST.
HR2868'
HR2868'TO REACH FROM TUOLUMNE MEADOWS RANGER STATION, DRIVE W. ON STATE
HR2868'HWY. 120 (TIOGA RD.) TO FORSYTH TRAIL AT WEST END OF TANAYA LAKE
HR2868'AND END OF RD. PACK 4.6 MI S. ON FORSYTH TRAIL TO CLOUDS REST
HR2868'TRAIL. TURN RIGHT 2.5 MI W. ON CLOUDS REST TRAIL TO HIGHEST POINT
HR2868'AND STATION. A 3-HOUR PACK.
HR2868'
HR2868'STATION MARK--LEAD BOLT STAMPED---VABM 9929---, CEMENTED IN DRILL
HR2868'HOLE IN LARGE GRANITE BOULDER.
HR2868
HR2868 STATION RECOVERY (1956)
HR2868
HR2868'RECOVERY NOTE BY US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 1956
HR2868'RECOVERED AS DESCRIBED BY USGS.
HR2868'
HR2868'STATION MARK--LEAD PLUG IN DRILL HOLE STAMPED---324 EM---,
HR2868'(STAMPING VERY POOR). PREVIOUSLY REPORTED AS
HR2868'STAMPED---VA BM 9929---
HR2868'
HR2868'RM 1--STANDARD RM TABLET STAMPED---NO 1 1956---, CEMENTED IN DRILL
HR2868'HOLE IN TOP OF SOLID GRANITE.
HR2868'
HR2868'RM 2--STANDARD RM TABLET STAMPED---NO 2 1956---, CEMENTED IN DRILL
HR2868'HOLE IN TOP OF SOLID GRANITE.
HR2868
HR2868 STATION RECOVERY (2006)
HR2868
HR2868'RECOVERY NOTE BY FRAME SURVEYING AND MAPPING 2006 (JHF)
HR2868'STATION MARK AND BOTH REFERENCE MARKS RECOVERED AS DESCRIBED, EXCEPT
HR2868'THAT THE STATION MARK APPEARS TO BE ALUMINUM RATHER THAN LEAD OR
HR2868'COPPER, AND THE STAMPING HAS BEEN OBLITERATED.

The question is more why is there one on Clouds Rest.
The answer is more than likely b/c it is marking the Original Yosemite Grant boundary.
It's more than likely the same reason one exists on Mt. Watkins in a most peculiar place.

Or something like that.

---

Do both of the Clouds Rest markers point to the same spot, perhaps towards that worn out metal knob?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/2012 09:41PM by Ohnivy-Drak.

Quote
Ohnivy-Drak
Do both of the Clouds Rest markers point to the same spot, perhaps towards that worn out metal knob?

That's how those thing-a-dings work.

---

Here's a link to prob. TMI on benchmarkers:
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,44982

---

Curry Pizza Deck should have its own geographic survey marker.

Thanks for the info everybody. After viewing that video, I'll be leaving the roller skates at home.

By the way, the only way I get to go to Yosemite in the first place is by telling the (ahem) little
woman that Half Dome did NOT make her butt look big.





In other words.....I lied.