Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Yosemite: Getting There, Getting Around
The hoosegow in Groveland |
Downtown Groveland |
If you’re lucky enough to encounter snow on your trip to
Yosemite, you might consider taking YARTS bus service (www.yarts.com, 1-877-989-2787) from one of
many stops from the Merced airport to villages along Hwy. 140 direct to
Yosemite. YARTS not only connects with the airport, it also stops by Merced
AMTRAK if you choose to travel by train. Though Hwy. 140 is usually open to
cars without snow tires or chains, getting around the valley might be a
challenge in icy conditions. Once inside the valley, you can take the free
shuttle from a dozen stops; it runs every half-hour (www.yosemitepark.com).
On the way out of the Valley, we took Hwy. 140, following
the scenic Merced River. An enormous rockslide closed down part of the road,
covering the old route with what looked like 100 tons of boulders and causing a
one-lane detour. This original paved road into the park parallels the old
stagecoach route, which can still be seen across the river. In the town of
Mariposa, the first city on the route out of the park. We stopped at a place
recommended by Lisa Cesaro, PR Manager for Delaware North, the company that
currently owns and runs the concessions in Yosemite. It more than met Lisa’s
description: funky on the outside, amazing on the inside.
The menu pretty much offered every diner delight known to humankind, with plenty of vegan and vegetarian options, at prices that were certainly delightful after Yosemite. The burgers are spectacular, as are the fries, the zucchini fries, and the uber-nice family that runs the place. By all means, stop at the Happy Burger Diner, located at the corner of Highway 140 and 12th Streets (http://happyburgerdiner.com/).
The "stairmaster" at Vernal Falls |
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Yosemite: Eat Well, Sleep Like a Bear
Yes, the Ahwahnee has shops. This little number--one of 100 signed pieces--costs $895. |
The Ahwahnee dining room |
The over-the-top December Bracebridge Dinner (based on a series of stories by Washington Irving, “Bracebridge Hall”-–the 1822 precursor to “Downton Abbey”), was first instituted on Christmas day in 1927. Alas, in January we were too late to share the feast, but we did enjoy a fabulous dinner in the Ahwahnee dining room. Perfect Caesar salad, prime rib, swordfish, and the Ahwahnee’s legendary boysenberry pie.
Jerry hard at work |
As for comfort, Lady Astor (who, in 1925, famously refused
to stay in the park because it was too rustic), would be well pleased. The luxe
Ahwahnee hotel (its name taken from the Miwok word “Ahwahneechee” meaning
“dweller of the Valley”) was built in 1927. There are other options, from tent
camping and cabins (depending on the weather) and hotel rooms at Curry Village,
and the reasonably priced Yosemite Lodge at the Falls (where we stayed—recently
redecorated and popular with families).
The view from our room. |
Lodging Reservations: yosemitepark.com,
(801) 559-5000; Guest Facilities and Services: yosemitepark.com, (209) 372-1000
You can definitely sit a spell in the Ahwahnee--no reservations required. |
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Friday, January 30, 2015
Yosemite: Hike and Meet the Locals (Wildlife, That Is)
You have dried fruit? I'm very fond of dried fruit. Unsulphered, of course. |
A big part of a Yosemite visit in any season is sport. In 1864, the U.S. Government set aside Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove as a reserve for the State of California to “be held for public use, resort and recreation…inalienable for all time.” In 1890 the high country surrounding Yosemite Valley was designated a National Park, and the valley floor became part of the park in 1906. Rock climbing is huge here, as is hiking. In cold winters, Badger Pass ski area is open for winter sports (now closed for lack of snow).
In compensation, hiking trails that are normally off-limits in a cold winter are open. We took the Mist Trail up to Vernal Falls. My daughter, who has climbed Half Dome four times, said that hiking the Mist Trail in summer means trudging along with a steady stream of people. We didn’t see more than a dozen folks on the trail this time; same for walking the loop trail around the valley floor. Though we did encounter a few school buses on day trips, we were often alone. All the trails ascending from the valley floor go UP from the 4,0000-foot elevation of the valley floor itself; it made for some heavy breathing, and not the good kind, so expect a few stops to catch your breath along the way.
The Curry Village ice rink was
open, and a few skaters made the rounds. One woman we talked to, a Yosemite
employee for 20 years, said she liked to take the alpenglow shift on the ice,
to see the sun light up Half Dome. It was spectacular.
Yosemite information: www.yosemitepark.com/
Twilight, as seen from the Camp Curry Ice Rink |
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Thursday, January 29, 2015
Three Days in Yosemite: “The Winters Seemed Colder Then”
Glacier Point |
“In the mid 1920s there were 80 or 90 permanent residents in the Valley…. With the first significant snowfall, the youngsters started getting together to make snowmen, to skate or get involved in a snowball fight…. The winters seemed colder then.” - Tom Sovulewski, born Yosemite Valley, 1912*
I've been to Yosemite in all seasons, including a very snowy
winter 15 years ago that included a stay at the Wawona Lodge south of the park
and powder skiing at Badger Pass. This year couldn’t have been more different.
As the planet segues from the latest ice age into
accelerated global warming, the legendary icy winters that made Yosemite
accessible only to rugged pioneer homesteaders like James Hutchings have turned
meek and mild…and amazingly empty, at least until the word gets out. Keep in
mind that Yosemite is a National Park, and an individual pass for seven days
costs $10, a vehicle pass is $20. Various National Park passes—like a $10
senior pass–get you in for free.
El Capitan |
Bridal Veil Falls |
*From Magic Yosemite Winters, Gene Rose (Coldstream Preess 1999)
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