Re: Drinking water and restroom availability?

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gophersnake

Drinking water and restroom availability?
July 04, 2020 04:36PM

Registered: 11 years ago
Posts: 299

I don't expect to make it back to Yosemite Valley till September at the earliest. Granted, things are likely to change in the meantime, but I'm trying to glean some information on what the situation is now and what I might expect then.

I've been counting on topping up my drinking water at the Visitor Center; at Camp 4; at Happy Isles; and sometimes inside the Lodge. Are any of the above currently closed? I don't expect to get to Glacier Point this year but if I should (or for anyone else who might wonder) -- is the water on there?

I can get along fine without official restrooms when I'm out on the trail. Unfortunately, when I'm stranded in civilization (just arrived in the Valley or waiting for a YARTS bus out of the park) the bushes aren't an adequate substitute. Which of the following restrooms are currently open to the public, and/or likely to be?

-- Camp 4

-- Lower Yosemite Falls Trail area

-- Yosemite Lodge, behind the registration desk

-- Yosemite Lodge, in the food court

-- Swinging Bridge picnic area

-- Valley Visitor Center

-- Anywhere around the Village Store

-- Curry Village, near the registration building

-- Happy Isles

-- Vernal Falls footbridge

Are any restrictions in effect, like needing to wait in line six feet apart for previous users to leave?

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parklover

Re: Drinking water and restroom availability?
July 05, 2020 05:01PM

Registered: 12 years ago
Posts: 1,976

I don't know about water availability because I didn't try to get any. I know that the toilets are opened in the picnic areas, Swinging Bridge, Glacier Pt and near the parking lot by the Tuolumne Meadows VC because I saw people using them. Also saw people going in and out of the one near the museum. The other areas I didn't go into. Frankly since I am a high risk person and my trip to the area was not for pleasure, I stayed away from places that had people around. The amount of the lack of social distancing and not using masks that I saw just by driving around frankly concerned me so I either didn't get out of the car unless we were the only ones around or stayed at least 20 feet from people and wore two masks. I did not go into any buildings. From what I saw how people were acting, I would not be surprised if they start having cases in the park and will eventually close down again. When we stopped for gas in Oakhurst there were people going in and out of stores not wearing masks or practicing social distancing.

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gophersnake

Re: Drinking water and restroom availability?
October 18, 2020 11:18AM

Registered: 11 years ago
Posts: 299

Thanks, parklover. I did get there last week and I'll add these observations:

At the Valley Visitor Center, the restrooms were open but the water fountain by the bookstore was blocked off and wrapped in plastic. A ranger pointed me toward another water fountain, in the direction of the Post Office, which I didn't actually look for. He added that the water in the restrooms was potable too.

The Visitor Center building was closed but the rangers were setting up information booths outside, to be staffed 9 to 5.

At Camp 4, there was a "Potable Water" sign near the registration booth with arrows pointing in the direction of the restroom building. Both restrooms were padlocked but the door to the water faucet room was standing open as usual.

At Swinging Bridge, the restrooms were open.

On the trails, only a few hikers seemed to be keeping their masks on constantly. About half were pulling theirs on when about to pass someone. On the valley floor there was usually plenty of room to stay 6 feet away from others, masked or not.

YARTS says they require riders to wear masks but I saw only a few riders. Of the four drivers I rode with, three apparently kept their masks on full-time. The fourth one would take his off while driving and talk at length about the places he'd been, the things he'd done, and his retirement plans. The nearest passenger would have been 10 or 12 feet from the driver. I'm not sure how much air circulates between the driver's area and the passenger seats.

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parklover

Re: Drinking water and restroom availability?
October 18, 2020 09:36PM

Registered: 12 years ago
Posts: 1,976

Quote
gophersnake
Thanks, parklover. I did get there last week and I'll add these observations:

At the Valley Visitor Center, the restrooms were open but the water fountain by the bookstore was blocked off and wrapped in plastic. A ranger pointed me toward another water fountain, in the direction of the Post Office, which I didn't actually look for. He added that the water in the restrooms was potable too.

The Visitor Center building was closed but the rangers were setting up information booths outside, to be staffed 9 to 5.

At Camp 4, there was a "Potable Water" sign near the registration booth with arrows pointing in the direction of the restroom building. Both restrooms were padlocked but the door to the water faucet room was standing open as usual.

At Swinging Bridge, the restrooms were open.

On the trails, only a few hikers seemed to be keeping their masks on constantly. About half were pulling theirs on when about to pass someone. On the valley floor there was usually plenty of room to stay 6 feet away from others, masked or not.

YARTS says they require riders to wear masks but I saw only a few riders. Of the four drivers I rode with, three apparently kept their masks on full-time. The fourth one would take his off while driving and talk at length about the places he'd been, the things he'd done, and his retirement plans. The nearest passenger would have been 10 or 12 feet from the driver. I'm not sure how much air circulates between the driver's area and the passenger seats.

I hope you had a good trip. At this point in time, I am not sure when we will get back to Yosemite for we have had some pressing things to do at home. Hopefully with in a few weeks or so. The restroom things might be different by that time with less people going. Personally, if I was on that YARTS where the driver didn't have their mask on, I would have been concerned. I would have told him to put it on and then reported him for not wearing it.