Re: Yelling Alvin

Spending the night backpacker camp, there was a continuous chorus of yells coming from the car camp sections - "Alvin"...(or maybe "Albert".)
Not the first timeI have heard this name being called, seemingly out for no good reason.
What's the story?

They weren't calling for "Elmer", were they? It seems to be a tradition of sorts in the Pines campgrounds.

I find it kind of annoying, myself. I'll occasionally answer, "WHA-AT?" That seems to confuse them a little.

Quote
gophersnake

They weren't calling for "Elmer", were they? It seems to be a tradition of sorts in the Pines campgrounds.

Elmer has been found. Now Alvin is missing.

.

The only redeeming aspect of the "Elmer" tradition is that kids get a kick out of it - other than that, it's just annoying - A ranger told me that many years ago a kid named Elmer got lost and his mom went throughout Yosemite campgrounds looking for him yelling out his name - A legend was then born as this became a tradition amongst campers to mimic the mother looking for her son - My understanding is she eventually found him.

Last month at LYV I heard yelling and could have sworn they were doing the "Elmer" routine but then realized they were yelling "Bear!!! Bear!!!"

I always thought Elmer was the name of the person who pushed embers over glacier point creating the firefall. A ranger on the ground would call up "Elmer, let the fire fall!" Or so I have been told.