Not sure if this is idle threats or serious termination attempts but the folks in Oregon seem to take Aramark's lapses more seriously than our California brethren: https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2024-02-15/management-issues-at-oregons-crater-lake-prompt-feds-to-consider-terminating-concession-contractby DavidK42 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Wow...that one was really brief! I hope they're OK up there!by DavidK42 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The one "loophole" for people staying overnight still seems to be in place: "Visitors with in-park lodging or campground reservations, wilderness or Half Dome permits, or visitors entering the park via YARTS buses and on permitted commercial tours do not need a vehicle reservation." Of course, Aramark will probably never re-open WW or TM Lodge so, unless you want to stay in tby DavidK42 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
There are others on this board who have more experience with those buses than do I (and apparently one of them posted a response while I was typing mine! ) but I'd be inclined to say that it depends on the driver (which, unfortunately, makes it hard to plan on!). One other thing to consider is whether or not they've completed the planned construction along the GP Road (I just took a quick lookby DavidK42 - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
When are you planning on going? GP Road will likely be closing for the season fairly soon (in fact, eeek just posted yesterday that it is being "temporarily" closed now in anticipation of a winter storm)by DavidK42 - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I know that the above post is specifically about the lottery for the loop but anybody know about TM Lodge? Last night, my wife tried to book us a few nights for late next season (late Aug/early Sept) and she said everything showed up as blocked.by DavidK42 - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
QuoteUncleDenny Ahh Aramark. 'Just learned they will NOT be operating Tuolumne Meadows Lodge or White Wolf Lodge again in 2024! At this point the remainder of the High Sierra Camps are TBD. Perhaps high-cost high-skill low-profit operations? Sad to say. Can't say I'm surprised by this but I'm curious, where did you read this?by DavidK42 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
So much for my guesswork! Glad you had a nice hike and that things are clearing up.by DavidK42 - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I can't say for certain but based on how recently the Tioga Road opened, I would expect most of the trails up there to still be under lots of snow (or worse, melting snow). I just looked at the current conditions on the Park's website and don't see anything specific about the TM area (other than the winter updates). I'm sure other folks on the board have been in that area recently so I'll let tby DavidK42 - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Actually this KQED article cites one slightly later opening: July 19 in 1917 (the NPS Plan Your Visit table only goes back to 1980). In 1917, the road was still little more than an old dirt mining road...the current alignment wasn't completed until the early 1960's (I forget the exact year off the top of my head). So, regardless of whether you consider when the Park acquired the road, whenby DavidK42 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I've only been to Saddlebag once but, IIRC, that picture was taken from the edge of the parking area (more or less). The road may be "cleared up to the lake" but there may not be any place to leave your car once you're up there! I did love the hike up there (especially the east and north sides of the lake...I did a clockwise loop, going out across all the scree on the west side andby DavidK42 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
May well set a record this year. Latest historical opening (since 1980) was July 1 in 1997 and 2019.by DavidK42 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I wonder if anybody stopped to think that, not only is this a wildly inconvenient arrangement, there is a sizeable percentage of visitors who will, quite likely, get very pissed off and drive even faster to deal with these hassles. I rarely go to the valley anymore when I visit...for all that I love there, it's much more relaxing to be down in Wawona or up in the TM area. I agree that part ofby DavidK42 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Didn't they install a bunch of additional "rip-rap" along the banks of the river in a couple of places? I think I remember reading something about that several years ago...but then my memory these days tends to be about as reliable as Aramark's attempts at service.by DavidK42 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteCoolburn "We're sorry to hear that you've cancelled your reservation to stay at the White Wolf Lodge..." Yeah, we got the same message...clearly these bozos have never had any kind of customer relationship training!by DavidK42 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotecalberry That's two years in a row that we have had our reservations for our anniversary stay at TML cancelled Yeah...it's actually FOUR years that they've been canceling. They haven't been open since 2019.by DavidK42 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I've missed your posts and your beautiful pictures, David. Thanks for this!by DavidK42 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
These are all compelling stories (both against Aramark and for Xanterra) but they really should be shared with somebody (or somebodies) who can do something about the situation. I don't know if that's the superintendent, somebody at the NPS or some more senior administrative role. Given that a case could be made that Aramark may well be in violation of the contract (although they strike me as tby DavidK42 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Here's a better picture (looking in the same direction as the winter report photo). It's a bit hidden in the shadows but the thing sticking up in the shadows in the upper right of the picture appears to be the chimney on top of the restroom building:by DavidK42 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Pretty sure the entrance station is just underneath that ski track. The small rock pile visible to the left of that appears to be the stone pillar next to the entrance station. It's looking in the opposite direction, but compare this picture:by DavidK42 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotebalzaccom The fourth book is now released! Granite Gorge gets our hero down into the Mokelumne Canyon, where he has all sorts of adventures, and lives to tell the tale--barely But does he do any trail crew work while he's there? Really enjoying this series, Paul. Keep 'em coming!by DavidK42 - General Discussion
I confess that there's a stretch between Hodgdon and about a mile east of there that I've not yet hiked (I'd have to check old GPS tracks to figure out the exact stretch)...don't know how long those trees have been down but they could well have come down in the 5 or 6 years since I was last on that stretch of road. Still not as bad as the stretch of OGPR east of BVCG! (for those who don't knowby DavidK42 - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Quotebalzaccom Set up camp in Hodgdon Meadow, then walked the old Big Oak Flat Road outside the campground. The paved part goes to down to Carlon, and we were sorry to hear the trail up to Tuolumne Grove is now abandoned. Not to be contrary but, at least to a degree, I'm kind of glad to hear it's been abandoned...at least to the point that all the blacktop breaks up. Since this stretch of theby DavidK42 - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Sounds like fun but 3000 miles each way is a bit far for me to drive at night these days! Hope you have a wonderful time, thoughby DavidK42 - General Discussion
Also possibly the site of a former building that had some kind of area cleared around it (not suggesting that the building was exactly in that 90-degree bend but rather that this might have been the "yard" for a house or hotel there. The only problem with that is that I can't recall any historical structures much farther west than the current lodge location except on the other side ofby DavidK42 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Yeah, pretty much what I figured...that's really the only way I can think of that it makes sense!by DavidK42 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Hi eeek, I'll be in the park next month and was thinking about hiking the stretch of the Old Coulterville Rd between Big Meadow and the Merced Grove. I'm confused by the "...from Big Oak Flat" bit in your message...did you mean "...from the Big Oak Flat Road" (i.e., 120). I know you can follow the line of the Old Coulterville Rd quite a ways west from the Grove (technicallyby DavidK42 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Ouch! That sounds rough even if you were just a "typical" person but for anyone who's so passionate about getting out into the wilderness, difficulty walking is truly a curse. Glad you're feeling a bit better and my sincere wishes for your continued improvement.by DavidK42 - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Thanks, folks. Think I'll make a trip to REI this weekend. Basilbop: does that "non-chatty" mode still allow for custom messages? One of the main things I'll need to communicate will be my ETA back at the trailhead (since I am notorious for the "let me just see what's around that bend and THEN I'll head back" interpretation of "mandatory" turn-around times!)by DavidK42 - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
This is quite a distressing one for me (we have friends in Wawona and we stayed at the Wawona Hotel on our very first visit many years ago so I've always had a sentimental attachment to the area) and I really hope they are able to contain this soon. Oddly, that inciweb link keeps giving me an error of "The site can't be reached. The connection was reset." Not sure what that's aby DavidK42 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion