Good to know. I'll keep checking. Thanks!by itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Yeah, as much as I've been letting everyone within a 10 meter radius of me know how badly I want to get to the valley before Memorial day, you'd think I would have made some tentative plans or reservations. But I kept being told there was "no way it's going to happen this year, sorry." Well, guess who just asked me if we could take a long weekend on the 13th of May? Naturally, alby itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I wonder if there is a concern about flooding, what with this being a big snow year and all. I'm curious too.by itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
But they're still a wild animal, and I'd rather people treat them with a mixture of fear and respect than act cavalier around them. My SO tells of one family trip to Yosemite in the early 70s, and watching a woman chase down a bear to give it her sandwich so she could get a picture of it. That makes me sad. I would be thrilled to find a bear on a trail. But the way I huff and puff, I'm not likby itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
A bear killed our tent when we were glamping at the Evergreen Lodge, outside Hetch Hetchy a couple of years ago. We were following all the rules about keeping everything remotely food-related in the bear box. We're both long-time campers, and well aware of how bears operate. Unfortunately, the idiot teenagers in the tent next to us were eating peanut butter and crackers in their tent at night. Yoby itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
It's my understanding that there was a lot of "artificial" activity going on until as recent as about 20 years ago. For example, all those great vistas around the valley were created by trimming back trees that might block the view. And didn't they used to dredge Mirror lake to keep it a lake? I'm sure there are several on this board who know more about the current policies than I,by itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
There are redwoods at Armstrong Woods in Guerneville. They're not as amazing as the groves you'll find farther north, but they're still quite nice. http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=450by itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Oh, how exciting. I'm soooo jonesing for a trip to HH or Yosemite. I think I'm going to have to do some serious begging to get up there in the next couple of weeks.by itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
What about Sonoma and Mendocino county? We don't have epic trails up here, but it is quite lovely, especially out on the coast. But we've got Sugarloaf, Annadel, and Armstrong Woods state parks. And there's Fort Ross up the coast, with some interesting scenery on the coast. I enjoyed my hikes in Mendocino, and the town itself is quite cute. We drove into Lake County over the weekend, and therby itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
What about now?by itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Oh, I'm glad I re-read your first response. I thought you were saying I shouldn't count on it. *happy dance* As much as I'd like to get up there and backpack in June to enjoy the wildflowers, I don't think I will be able to get the boy to do that. I'll be happy for car camping and day hikes. I need something to look forward to.by itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
That's what I was thinking as well. OK, so a different plan for July 4 week, and then keep a watch on the weather. And make a plan for late July.by itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
We were hoping to reprise our July 4 holiday trip to TM, but I'm a bit worried about all that wonderful snow. Last year, the campsites were still a bit snowy and damp, and it wasn't a big snow year. Should we hope for the best, and have a solid back-up plan? Or should we reschedule our trip for later in the month? What say ye all?by itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Beautiful!by itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'm not debating that other people are dumb. But me? I know how fast that bear can run if he decides to. And I know what he can do with his paws/claws. And I also know that he thinks of me as a walking ham sandwich. He may just be eating his salad before his main course.by itchbay - General Discussion
"Park regulations require visitors to stay 100 yards from black and grizzly bears at all times." 100 yards? Yeah. At the very least.by itchbay - General Discussion
Gorgeous! I took a photography class in Jr. High, and had a pretty nice "real" camera my dad bartered for. My dreams of becoming a famous photographer faded one summer day on a highway in west Texas when we'd just pulled away from some historical site and heard a 'thump' -- my camera falling off the top of the car. I always say I'm going to get another "real" camera some daby itchbay - Photography advice, critiques and tutorials
Oh! That looks intriguing, to say the least! We have a fat-tire bikes, and we almost always bring them with us. May have to add that to the itinerary for this summer. Thanks for sharing!by itchbay - General Discussion
That looks like a good read. I may have to suggest it to my book club. Thanks for sharing.by itchbay - General Discussion
I'm much more cold-tolerant than the boy. It might be a combination of my extra layers of warming tissue (that's what I call it) and his genetic circulation issue (his sister is also very cold). I make him wear a hat when he complains of the cold.by itchbay - General Discussion
You could drive through Foresta? We went down to see Foresta Fall a couple of years ago, when we were staying at HH (before the fire). While we were slowly bumping along in our SUV, a sedan came barreling down behind us and we kindly pulled over to let them pass. The continued on a ways, and we thought nothing of it. We got the fall, and stopped to look around and take pictures. All of a suddby itchbay - General Discussion
That's my thinking. But I'm glad that the scientific review is out there. That means there is more weight behind the advice to include more green space and multi-use trails in civic planning. Seems my grandma still knew what's best: Go outside and play!by itchbay - General Discussion
None of this is news to people who regularly go outside. Or read Richard Louv. Or have studied the importance of natural environments and the impact they have on health (physical and mental). But it's great to see a scientific study to back up the anecdotal evidence. I know that no matter how bad I'm feeling, how grumpy or blue or annoyed or whatever, if I take even just a 10 minute break andby itchbay - General Discussion
Oh, we did that last year, and it was lovely. But you really need snow shoes -- there's way more snow this year than last, I'm sure. My advice is to get to the rental place early to beat the crowds. We went on a guided hike on Presidents Day weekend, and it was like Grand Central up there. If we were going to do that again, we would just get a trail map and cast out on our own, now that we knoby itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Ha. I've never been to GA, and until you mentioned it, I guess I'd assumed it was part of the HSC. I'll certainly put it on the short list. I'm hoping to spend a week in TM this summer, which will give us some time to do some backpacking as well as day hikes. Another hike I'm considering is some kind of loop going from TM to the valley and back. I suppose it would be smarter to do the oppositeby itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Nice recommendations there. I have my book of hikes that served me well for getting to Little Devil's Postpile, and in it I had already flagged a couple of the trails you guys have recommended. I'm mostly just cabin-fever dreaming right now. But now's the time to put things on the calendar to ensure they actually happen. Also, I don't mind people. I just don't like lines on the trail. Alsby itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I should update my list. I was a bit tired when I posted this last night, and couldn't remember all the places we've been over the years. We've been to: North Dome, via Porcupine Flat Devil's Postpile Little Devil's Postpile Gaylor Lakes Dewey Point (on snowshoes) Glacier Point (by car) Yosemite Falls (up and down) Nevada Fall (up via Mist Trail, down via JMT) Mirror Lake (around toby itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
We had so much fun in 2010. We spend a long weekend in a heated tent cabin in Curry Village in Feb, and did some snowshoeing around Badger Pass. We also did a long weekend in July in TM, dayhiking around. Other trips to the area: May 2005 - stayed in Curry Village, and hiked Nevada and Yosemite Falls. June 2006 - stayed at Redwood Lodge and hiked Hetch Hetchy 3/4 of the way to Rancheria. I'by itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks. Yeah, I'm a big old baby. Part of it is the pressure from the people around me to go at their pace. I didn't go out on the ledge at the top of Yosemite Falls. I kinda regret that, but there was the crowd factor, and the fact that I was exhausted and dehydrated (I was a serious hiking noob). I wouldn't even consider going to Half Dome except in the way way off season when I could be reasonby itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
See, all this talk about going over the edge is making me much less likely to do it. I don't need to be "flat trail" safe, but I don't want a "strong breezes kill" or "too crowded to be safe" dangerous either. Happy medium.by itchbay - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion