Which one? There is one between Coulterville and Priest. I've driven that one. There is another road from Coulterville to Groveland (actually east of Groveland). I've taken that one between Groveland and Greely Hill. There is Old Highway 120. I think that is an old stage road, but more developed than Chowchilla Mountain Road. That is probably the most interesting of the three.by RobE - General Discussion
Dearborn: I'm glad I asked. I'll keep that in mind when I'm in that area. I'm more often on the 120 side. Do you have any recommendations along hwy 120?by RobE - General Discussion
Quoteeeek Any of you ever drive this road? Should we be driving this road? What are we missing?by RobE - General Discussion
I love fresh-baked bread, but in a few days it will be moldy. So it's not the best choice for backpacking food. Maybe it's not such a bad idea to bring processed food on a long backpacking trip.by RobE - General Discussion
I really enjoyed seeing the old photos, and the accompanying stories! Next time I'm going hiking in August, I may just bring a warm jacket.by RobE - General Discussion
This has been covered before, but it is an important topic, so it's worth repeating. It is a good idea to bring a cell phone, even when you do not expect cell coverage. Leave it turned off until needed to preserve the battery. Cell phones use more power when the base station is far away. You can be surprised where you will get cell coverage, too. I have seen people using them at Elizabby RobE - General Discussion
Not sure. I think those are private roads. The Incline road (along hwy 140) seems to be a private road. As you hike the trail, there is a large house across the river. They definitely have access, but I only saw one house, as far as I went. Given that the roads have names...doesn't sound like a forest service road to me.by RobE - General Discussion
Bringing this thread back to Yosemite... Route 120 between Chinese Camp and Yosemite is deer central. I saw a near miss a few cars ahead of me just west of Mocassin on Sunday. I often see dead deer along that stretch. This is where state route 120 runs alongside Don Pedro reservoir. It's a straightaway, and it's very tempting to speed through that stretch. I don't. A friend ofby RobE - General Discussion
In a different thread, Bower Cave was mentioned. There is an interesting article about it in the U D. It is located on old highway 120 east of Groveland, about an hour west of Yosemite Valley. http://www.uniondemocrat.com/2009041796454/News/Local-News/Bower-Cave-What-lies-ahead-for-this-buried-Mother-Lode-treasureby RobE - General Discussion
Ah. Moonrise is my favorite of Mr. Adams' work. I'll admit, I am also a fan of his work. Lots of excellent photos posted here. Bee: I think you are asking the wrong question. The question I think you want answered is, "How do I photograph the moon at night/dusk without losing the shadow detail on the ground?" There is a way to do this with a few objects: a tripod, cableby RobE - General Discussion
Thanks for the feedback. We ended up on the Hite Cove trail. There are still many flowers. The selection seems to vary as the season goes along. It looks very similar to your photo, Gary. For those who have not taken it, the trail follows the south fork of the Merced River. It's well above the river, so don't lose your balance. That would be bad. It's an out-and-back trail, not a lby RobE - General Discussion
After reading some of these posts, a single person tent sounds really good. As for rain gear, I have some nice rain pants. They are more bulky, but if rain is probable, I bring 'em. The vinyl stuff is for emergencies only. You end up almost as wet from your own perspiration.by RobE - General Discussion
I'm trying to decide which hike to do this weekend (probably Sunday): Hite's Cove trail or the Sierra Point adventure. Has anyone done the Hite's Cove trail recently? Are the wildflowers still plentiful?by RobE - General Discussion
Thanks for posting this. Local history in the Motherlode is of interest to me. Also, the photographs in the book are by Muybridge! He is a very famous photographer. In the quote, Hittell describes the adventure (some would say ordeal) that visitors had to go through to get to Yosemite. Visitors needed to bring some clothes to be destroyed en route! Some of the places mentioned stillby RobE - General Discussion
Bill, I was going to avoid this thread, but...your last post was so reasonable, that it seems a reasonable dialog can actually happen. Going back to the original article about tree death, I heard an interview recently with one of the authors of the report. You might want to listen to it. http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/200901237 On this broadcast, there were a number of inteby RobE - General Discussion
It is true most painters, paint from a photograph these days. In previous days, they would paint from sketches. This could account for some of the rather extreme artistic license, but I think they mainly embellished because they wanted to express their ideal of what the landscape should be. There is a huge painting at the Stanford Museum (by Carleton Watkins?) that is of the view from Artist'by RobE - General Discussion
>> Sounds like an episode of "Survivorman". Does that guy every >> find food?!!??! >Anyone else as bummed as me that he is no longer filming "Survivorman" ? Yep. I'm bummed, too. But you can't blame him. Survival isn't much fun most of the time. OK. How many want to eat scorpions, because there is no other food? Hmmm. Tastes like chicken... And by nby RobE - General Discussion
http://www.mymotherlode.com/News/article/kvml/1224111148by RobE - General Discussion
If you take the mist trail, you are up-close-and-personal with the waterfall. JMT is back a little, you can photograph the entire falls without a fisheye lens.by RobE - General Discussion
I always take the JMT down when backpacking. All it takes is one person behind me slipping / bumping me. The fall is long and steep. I also think that taking the Panoramic Trail to LYV is the best way to go. The PT is one of my favorite hikes!by RobE - General Discussion
...to become head of the Yosemite Fund. http://www.mymotherlode.com/News/article/kvml/1219424879by RobE - General Discussion
Forrestranger: it's definitely not you!! I had an encounter with the same ranger on Monday morning. It's not the rules or the system - it's that ranger. We have used the annual pass for the last four or five years. It is very rare to be asked to show ID with it. She asked for ID, which I provided. I commented that we are rarely asked for it. She argued with me that it is *always* requestedby RobE - General Discussion
Speaking of Yosemite-area glaciers. Here is an article on them: http://www.uniondemocrat.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=27389by RobE - General Discussion
> they actually had a cable strung across HH from HH Dome to Kolana Rock during WWII. I think he said anti-aircraft stuff... Makes sense to me. Dams were strategic targets during WWII. They are very difficult to hit with "dumb" bombs. The movie "The Dam Busters" details the development of bombs that were designed to skip over the water to hit the top of the dam. Sby RobE - General Discussion
Just returned from a visit to Glacier/Yellowstone/Grand Tetons. They treat bears, even Black Bears, differently there. Of course in Yosemite, you are supposed to scare the bear away from your food. GTNP rangers recommend that, when confronted with a bear, to act "non-bear-like". This means doing the "bear dance". The lady ranger demonstrated it. It's very silly, but baby RobE - General Discussion
> There might be ways to avoid Priest Grade. Maybe a detour using CA-49? There are back roads there, but they are slower and longer. Plus you have to stop for the occasional livestock in the road. When (new) Priest Grade was closed for widening, truck traffic was routed through the back way. It was not convenient for them.by RobE - General Discussion
> Wouldn't most large buses from San Francisco travel via 120? Possibly. (New) Priest Grade was widened last year to accommodate them, since 140 was blocked. I've been noticing more buses on 120. That's a lot of tight curves for a bus. > You can book the entire trip on Amtrak. Which uses 140 via Merced for the AmBus.by RobE - General Discussion
Camping gear can be rented from places like REI.by RobE - General Discussion
At least some of the NFS campgrounds accept reservations, as do the private campgrounds outside the park. On hwy 120, Dimond-O would be your best bet in the NFS. There are also numerous private campgrounds. Search for "campgrounds Groveland CA". NFS campgrounds reservations at http://www.recreation.gov/ Anything in the Groveland area is within an hour of Yosemite Valley, not incby RobE - General Discussion
Elizabeth Lake is not a spring hike. There is a creek crossing which is generally not passable until later in the season. I tried it last year at about this time. Best to pick a different hike. Cathedral Lake is a good choice. A little farther, but it is awesome! Check to make sure Tioga Road is open. From another thread, I see that it should be open in a few days.by RobE - General Discussion