Yosemite Impressions
I just spent about a week in the park last week, camped one night each in White Wolf, TM CG, TM Lodge, 2 in backcountry near Young Lakes) Had a remarkably great experience. I have essentially driven through the park a couple of times before, but this was my first real experience in Yosemite.
A few of my impressions, for better or worse:
* Tons of overseas folks in the park, especially Germans and French I am guessing due to weak dollar. Was great fun meeting and talking with them.
* Picking up hitchhikers who had been hiking seemed as natural as could be. It horrified folks back here at home when I told them, but there is a whole different mindset in the park.
* Definitely a different type folks exist in the valley vs. up at TM. I enjoyed the TM folks more.
* One unexpected highlight was picking up some incredibly good food at the Mobil station at the Tioga Road cut-off at Mono Lake near Lee Vining. Fresh, excellent California style cuisine surrounded by LA rich folks, climber dudes, local laborers & a few Mennonites was really a fun experience.
* Rangers were nice, although some clueless when asked basic questions, but at least they were not overzealous fascists like I had experienced at Isle Royale NP in Michigan earlier this summer.
* I am not a climber, but was impressed with the NPS attitude towards climbers, from what I observed at least, more interested in working with them rather than bossing them around.
* I was not in the least bothered by “overcrowded” trails, so I saw a few people through the day, the country was certainly big enough to share.
* Prices in the park were very reasonable considering, I found services just outside the park to be actually higher.
It was a great week, met some lovely folks, drank in some incredible scenery.
The Moon is Waning Crescent (18% of Full)
Re: 1st timer's impressions
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August 23, 2007 01:59PM |
Porter Rockwell wrote:
> Yosemite Impressions
> I just spent about a week in the park last week, camped one
> night each in White Wolf, TM CG, TM Lodge, 2 in backcountry
> near Young Lakes) Had a remarkably great experience. I have
> essentially driven through the park a couple of times before,
> but this was my first real experience in Yosemite.
Welcome to California then....
> A few of my impressions, for better or worse:
>
> * Tons of overseas folks in the park, especially Germans and
> French I am guessing due to weak dollar. Was great fun
> meeting and talking with them.
Some people don't like it. I think meeting folks from all over the world is a valuable experience.
> * Picking up hitchhikers who had been hiking seemed as natural
> as could be. It horrified folks back here at home when I told
> them, but there is a whole different mindset in the park.
I don't know. There was an incident a few years back (look up the name "Cary Stayner"
that scared off a lot of people from picking up hitchhikers in and around Yosemite. I had an opportunity to pick someone up last Feb but decided against it. I know it would be exceedingly rare, but who wants to end up a victim.
> * Definitely a different type folks exist in the valley vs. up
> at TM. I enjoyed the TM folks more.
Why am I not surprised. ;-)
> * One unexpected highlight was picking up some incredibly good
> food at the Mobil station at the Tioga Road cut-off at Mono
> Lake near Lee Vining. Fresh, excellent California style
> cuisine surrounded by LA rich folks, climber dudes, local
> laborers & a few Mennonites was really a fun experience.
>
> * Rangers were nice, although some clueless when asked basic
> questions, but at least they were not overzealous fascists like
> I had experienced at Isle Royale NP in Michigan earlier this
> summer.
I hear many of the less experienced ones are always quoting rules and taking the fun out of innocent mistakes.
> * I am not a climber, but was impressed with the NPS attitude
> towards climbers, from what I observed at least, more
> interested in working with them rather than bossing them
> around.
>
> * I was not in the least bothered by “overcrowded” trails,
> so I saw a few people through the day, the country was
> certainly big enough to share.
All depends. If you have a great attitude and realize that crowded trails means there's something special to see, it isn't so bad. However - I don't care for the families of three who walk three-wide on a trail just wide enough to walk three-wide, and who don't think or look to notice that they just ran off a guy (like me) carrying a 35 lb pack off the trail.
> * Prices in the park were very reasonable considering, I found
> services just outside the park to be actually higher.
The NPS regulates prices of amenities. If you book lodging well in advance, you'll usually see that it's mentioned that the price quoted is estimated and "subject to NPS approval".
> It was a great week, met some lovely folks, drank in some
> incredible scenery.
Come back again soon.
> Yosemite Impressions
> I just spent about a week in the park last week, camped one
> night each in White Wolf, TM CG, TM Lodge, 2 in backcountry
> near Young Lakes) Had a remarkably great experience. I have
> essentially driven through the park a couple of times before,
> but this was my first real experience in Yosemite.
Welcome to California then....
> A few of my impressions, for better or worse:
>
> * Tons of overseas folks in the park, especially Germans and
> French I am guessing due to weak dollar. Was great fun
> meeting and talking with them.
Some people don't like it. I think meeting folks from all over the world is a valuable experience.
> * Picking up hitchhikers who had been hiking seemed as natural
> as could be. It horrified folks back here at home when I told
> them, but there is a whole different mindset in the park.
I don't know. There was an incident a few years back (look up the name "Cary Stayner"
that scared off a lot of people from picking up hitchhikers in and around Yosemite. I had an opportunity to pick someone up last Feb but decided against it. I know it would be exceedingly rare, but who wants to end up a victim.> * Definitely a different type folks exist in the valley vs. up
> at TM. I enjoyed the TM folks more.
Why am I not surprised. ;-)
> * One unexpected highlight was picking up some incredibly good
> food at the Mobil station at the Tioga Road cut-off at Mono
> Lake near Lee Vining. Fresh, excellent California style
> cuisine surrounded by LA rich folks, climber dudes, local
> laborers & a few Mennonites was really a fun experience.
>
> * Rangers were nice, although some clueless when asked basic
> questions, but at least they were not overzealous fascists like
> I had experienced at Isle Royale NP in Michigan earlier this
> summer.
I hear many of the less experienced ones are always quoting rules and taking the fun out of innocent mistakes.
> * I am not a climber, but was impressed with the NPS attitude
> towards climbers, from what I observed at least, more
> interested in working with them rather than bossing them
> around.
>
> * I was not in the least bothered by “overcrowded” trails,
> so I saw a few people through the day, the country was
> certainly big enough to share.
All depends. If you have a great attitude and realize that crowded trails means there's something special to see, it isn't so bad. However - I don't care for the families of three who walk three-wide on a trail just wide enough to walk three-wide, and who don't think or look to notice that they just ran off a guy (like me) carrying a 35 lb pack off the trail.
> * Prices in the park were very reasonable considering, I found
> services just outside the park to be actually higher.
The NPS regulates prices of amenities. If you book lodging well in advance, you'll usually see that it's mentioned that the price quoted is estimated and "subject to NPS approval".
> It was a great week, met some lovely folks, drank in some
> incredible scenery.
Come back again soon.
August 27, 2007 09:05PM |
August 29, 2007 03:45PM |
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