Another must see: As you enter the valley, you will see this rare breed that is native to Yosemite. You will be able to identify them because of their necks - they will sticking out sideways of the windows of their cars gawking at the valley. They also are known to stop in the middle of the road to take in the full splendor that surrounds them. Keep a close watch out for them, as you don't waby robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Oh, the deli. It is honestly our favorite place to grab a bit to eat. I too miss the Yosemite names... Cloud's Rest, Three Brothers, Yosemite Sam, Lost Arrow, San Joaquin.... now they are just sandwiches, but still very tasty. Gets crowded around lunchtime, so order early or later (many of the village food options close around 5:00 except the loft). Take the sandwich to a nearby serene envirby robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Can't exactly do that when you are the one someone is hiding behind!!!by robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I love that sign too! It tells you to bang pots together, but I keep mine in the bear box! I do keep a small air horn accessible though, but have never had to use it. Wouldn't it be great if in the picture the dad was hiding behind the mom instead of the little boy? I've experienced something like that first hand. I also love how the sign says to report all sightings to a ranger. Well,by robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Yes, a campsite for payment which would cost $140 a week. So they essential get paid, but with their campsite (a decent one I might add)! Unlike non-Yosemite campground hosts, they don't have to clean the bathroom (at least in the valley). Every other place I have camped with hosts have this responsibility. I have only seen hosts at the booth from 10-12:30 and 1:30 - 4:00 ish. Last yeby robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
We were in North Pines in late June/early July last year and the Merced River was 34 degrees (per the ranger and camp hosts). Very few people swimming off the beach in the campground (of course we were). It was 90 degrees out and the water was close to freezing. And this was last year, so I can't imagine how cold it will be this year!by robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Yes, it worked for me in Upper Pines last summer. I simply went over and told them that the people in site xxx are running their generator (it was after 7:00 pm). The host was tactful and gave me a few minutes to go back to my site and then went over and told them how it is. Generator went right off. In North Pines I've seen the host go over in the past and tell people that it was past geneby robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
We were sitting in chairs enjoying the afternoon along Tenaya Creek in North Pines and along came a bear. Right into the campground area. I simply shouted "go away bear" in a deeper than usual voice and the bear freaked out and ran away. It ran across the creek and looked back at us, and I yelled again. It didn't come back while we were there. Just make some noise, but try to makeby robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I wish we could be selective like that (strategically picking sites that can't hold larger RVs), but when reservations sell out in mere minutes, you are lucky to get any site at all! We were camping in North Pines and a Cruise America RV pulled into the site nearby (never a good sign). They parked and proceeded to pull out a huge 36" TV and gaming system so one of the boys could play hisby robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quoteeeek Yes, you can camp in Yosemite in the summer without a reservation. Just don't expect to show up Friday night and find a campsite—everything will be quite full. The best way to get a site in the campgrounds that don't have reservations is to show up when people are leaving. I've always been able to find a site this way, even on a Saturday. So just be there around 10am look for the pby robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
We tent camp in the valley and have seen bears as close as five feet from our tent, mostly in the middle of the night (the biggest ones seem to come out at night). We weren't scared or worried, mostly just fascinated and enjoyed the show. They have never bothered us as we put everything scented (and I mean everything) in the bear box provided, and put everything away as soon as we were done usiby robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
It was in the last two to three years I think. Last two trips were in June/early July but when we've been there in late July/August we've had success here. I've never seen them carting away apples though, perhaps this is a new endeavor. We rarely see people over there, but have seen people gathering at the stables during twilight hours with cameras and chairs. We've seen them go between theby robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
There are no bike trails, but there are bike paths. We use our bikes to get around to avoid the crowds. It is a nice way to get around and enjoy the scenery! There are bike racks at many popular stops, but bring a lock! The rental bikes don't come with a lock and people might accidentally walk off with yours The nps.gov/yose site has a map of the paths you can ride. http://www.nps.govby robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
We had reservations in Tuolomne last July and received this message regarding our campsite: “This notice is to inform campers with reservations for the Yosemite Tuolumne Meadows Campground to expect early spring-time conditions for the first few weeks of July. Due to late season storms and cool temperatures, you should anticipate snow on the ground in some areas, excess water, and many mosquby robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
We were in North Pines a few years ago and the people next to us had a larger RV than their site could hold. It was getting dark and for an hour they maneuvered back and forth, in and out, and right over the end of the concrete barriers for the driveway. They decided their RV finally fit and settled in. Their motor home stayed there the rest of our trip! I guess that the rangers never noticedby robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotey_p_w Quoteeeek Quotemrcondron Agreed. All that would take is some money. Our friends in Washington don't seem to like that idea even though it is a quality of life issue. I doubt it'd take much to add a CAPCHA to the system. They'd just use the bots to lock in the reservations first, then get human input to enter the codes for successful entries. Or perhaps require CAPTCHA first befoby robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Hey Dan! As a fellow tent camper and someone who camps only in the summer (the life of a teacher) I can tell you that we have been in Yosemite in many stages of the summer, even 4th of July weekend. We park our cars at our campsite and take our bikes everywhere. We rarely have problems with crowds except the Mist Trail, Lower Yosemite, Bridalveil and of course the deli (but the crowds aren't soby robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks! I was teaching history in LA County for Centinela Valley. I am now looking for a new teaching job closer to home in Orange County.by robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Hi! I have been reading your posts throughout the years, but I rarely post myself and thought I would finally provide some feedback to anyone who is interested. I have learned so much from all of you, hopefully I can help someone else in return. Thank you so much for all of your valuable information! Just got back from a two week stay in Yosemite. I am a teacher and have no choice but to vby robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I had accidentally reserved North Pines site 204 this morning during the madness, a RV nonelectric site, and it specifically states, "Average site with partial shade, RV only." However, a few years ago I had previously reserved and stayed in a similarly worded site (#219), but had emailed the NPS and asked about tents in such a site. They told me that as long as it could host a teby robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The site was not working properly at first (couldn't see old or current reservations or see any campground information), but was up within 3 minutes after 7. All sites gone within a few minutes as usual... Don't know how, but I got my special site at North Pines Terrible process and very frustrating (way worse than usual)!!! Keep trying (people do cancel when they realized they booked an RVby robinjayp - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Hi, When we were in the valley last week, I looked outside our tent at about 11:30 pm and saw someone looking in my car with a flashlight. I called out and it was a ranger checking for food storage violations. No problems, of course because every freaking thing with a scent was in the bear box. I always cover non scented items left in the car with a dark blanket. On another night, I heard thby robinjayp - General Discussion
We did half dome last Monday. We started at 5:00 a.m. and the cables were too crowded for my taste when we started our ascent (10:30 ish). It was worse coming down, but easier to do so I guess it balanced out. We each had a gallon of water with us and drank every drop. It took us 12 hours total which is probably average, but it was our first time. What I want to know is how the marmot got upby robinjayp - General Discussion
Great pictures! Thanks for sharing. I will have both "fun" and "a blast". Robinby robinjayp - General Discussion
y_p_w wrote: > > Was it you who noted that they now have staff at the showers to > check for a key or day use receipt? > Yes. In the past the staff actually told us right at the pool/shower area that there was no one to take money and to help ourselves. Other times we were told that there was no charge after 5:00 p.m. because they did not have staff available to take money. Tby robinjayp - General Discussion
eeek wrote: > >We had out 40 degree sleeping bag > > Those are for slumber parties. Get something real. > I know, but I am teacher and I only get to go to fun places during the summer months Like Yellowstone and Grand Tetons in three weeks and Glacier in fourby robinjayp - General Discussion
Hi ABM, We only did Vogelsang as a day hike, so just barely past the lake for us. We wanted to go further but were being eaten alive up there. There were a few scattered patches of snow on the side of the trail, but we did not have to hike through any snow on the trail to Vogelsang (but did have to hop a few small waterways and streams). We did have to hike through some larger patches of sby robinjayp - General Discussion
They were bad in TM and horrible on the trail to Vogelsang and Mono Pass (and even dog lake/lembert dome). One of us had polka dot legs (not me) and the only thing that seemed to work was 100% deet. We tried lemon eucalyptus Repel, Off smooth and dry, and cutter advanced sport heavy duty, but they did not seem to work on us in TM. They weren't too bad in the valley. On the trail to half domeby robinjayp - General Discussion
We used our nice Eddie Bauer tent that we always enjoy camping in the Valley with and it was freakin cold when we used it in TM! We had out 40 degree sleeping bags with blankets, thermals, sweats, etc and it was very cold. Body was warm but face was way too cold. Our tent is a screen tent with a tarp that goes over it. It worked great in the valley all last week but too cold for TM. We had nby robinjayp - General Discussion
We are back after almost two weeks in Yosemite (five nights in TM and seven in YV). Just wanted to share more information on the campground. The reservations are only that, a way to reserve a spot. You can't reserve a specific spot only tent, RV, etc. When you arrive with a reservation you don't necessarily get a better spot assigned to you at the check in kiosk than someone without a reservaby robinjayp - General Discussion