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Yosemite Valley Trivia

The California Spanish explorers encountered a free flowing river coming down from the Sierra into the Central Valley. It fed the growing agricultural needs of the population. They named this river for Mary, “Our Lady of Mercy.” We now call it the Merced  . . . the same river that hugs the John Muir Trail as we hike Half Dome.

In the early years of the park the river often flooded. Early settlers, led by Galen Clark, dynamited the glacial moraine at the Valley entrance near El Cap / Bridalveil Fall, lowering the water table. Water was used by the grazing livestock. Closer to Yosemite Falls, the Yosemite C reek was diverted east a bit to power a sawmill that Muir worked at. He even lived in a hut attached to it. Check out this photo of Muir’s “hangnest.” When you stroll near Yosemite Falls, you can see where we think it was  located. Water does not flow by there today.

 NEWS: A late Friday night fire destroyed a VERY old building in Mariposa. Gone in the blaze are the Mariposa Pizza Factory, Pony Expresso Coffee House & Trading Post, Tracy’s Yarns, Larry’s Coins, Grace Notes Chimes, Mariposa County Arts Council …

Mr Half Dome on vacation

Had a a nice day today hunting ancient pictographs in northern Arizona. Found a ton.  Heading to White Pocket Thurs. Photography by Sonke K.

Woody Smeck is the new Yosemite Deputy Superintendent. He came from Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

The Yosemite Medical Clinic is now a Blue Shield of CA Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). I guess you could give them your card for care while you are in the park.

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “So remember, every picture tells a story don’t it.” – Rod Stewart 

*MrHalfDome™ – Rick Deutsch – www.HikeHalfDome.com

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome

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Welcome to a new Yosemite Ranger

A hearty welcome to Ranger Lisa Hendy, the new Emergency Services Program Manager. She just got here in March from Grand Canyon NP. Wow, some tough duties! Maybe I’ll become a seasonal ranger. Ranger Hendy is top notch. She received the National Park Service’s (NPS) 2011 Harry Yount National Park Ranger Award for excellence in the field of rangering.

NPS head, Jon Jarvis and Lisa Hendy

The award is named after the nation’s first park ranger (hired in Yellowstone National Park in 1880) and is the highest honor that can be bestowed on a park ranger today. Most recently, she was a law enforcement ranger in Grand Canyon. In her career she has been at Yosemite before and also worked at  Rocky Mountain, Arches and Yellowstone National Parks.

She told me she will try to get the YOASAR website updated. The last rescue documented was in June 2012.  It’s a manpower resource issue.

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “If your child ain’t all he should be now. This girl will put him right. I’ll show him what he could be now. Just give me one night. I’m the Gypsy – the Acid Queen.” – Tommy, the …

March 27, 1851 – Yosemite Discovered

On this day, over 160 years ago, white Europeans first saw and entered the Yosemite Valley.

Lafayette Bunnell was a member of the Mariposa Battalion who became the white discoverers of the Yosemite Valley in 1851 when they were in search of Native American tribes involved in raids on settlements. Although not having a medical degree, he was called “doctor” and was their “medicine man.” (Dr. Bunnell later served as a surgeon in the Civil War.) We know most of the early history from his 1892 seminal work: “Discovery of the Yosemite, and the Indian war of 1851, which led to that event.”

Note that he wrote it 30 years after he came into the valley. He said he was seeing too much wrong info being written in magazines and had to set the record straight. He states that the entry was on March 21 – later historians feel it was really March 27. Close enough. You can hike to the overlook from which he described the scene. They called it Mt. Beatitude. Today it’s believed to be Old Inspiration Point. It’s on maps and you can get there off the Glacier Point Road and a couple of miles …

Ansel Adams photo sells for $44K

Earlier this month,, the art auction house, Brunk Auctions,  sold a 1965 print of an Ansel Adams photograph of Half Dome and Moon  for $44,800. It was estimated to bring “only” $30K. Guess the bidding fever took over. The sale in Ashville, NC also saw a signed Thomas Moran (1837-1926) water color sell for $1.77 million . It was called ‘Cliffs of Green River – Wyoming Territory, view of Castle Butte.’ Just thought I’d bring a little class to the blog.

This will be a good weekend to stay under the blankets and read a Yosemite book. Winter is hitting the Sierra again.  Snow levels will be down to 6500 feet then lower to 4500 feet by Sunday night. High winds may hamper travel below the passes Saturday through Sunday.

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “Little by little the night turns around. Counting the leaves which tremble at dawn. Lotuses lean on each other in yearning. Under the eaves the swallow is resting. Set the controls for the heart of the sun.” – Pink Floyd 

*MrHalfDome™ – Rick Deutsch – www.HikeHalfDome.com

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome…

David Lee Roth & El Cap

Our Hamburg office has found an archival music video by David Lee Roth (of Van Halen fame) with climbers on El Cap and the Washington Column. The song is “Just like Paradiise.”

Enjoy.

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “Just do it.” -Nike 

*MrHalfDome™ – Rick Deutsch – www.HikeHalfDome.com

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome…

Olde Tyme Yosemite Signs

I love to look at photos of the signage they used to have at Yosemite. Here’s a couple to share.

Note the CORRECT use of FALL vs FALLS. It’s Nevada Fall not Nevada Falls as some modern signs show. Ditto Vernal.  Also, note the marking of the trail up to Sierra Point. It’s not even on modern maps. It’s a neat lookout that you can see 4 falls from. Can you name them? A rockfall messed up the trail so you have to scramble up a talus pile today. Access is hard but on the paved trail to Vernal you hang a left. There are some good guides if you google it. Watch out for rattlesnakes. But the railing is still up there.  The Clarks Point sign is vintage.

I’m off to Phoenix in the never-ending pursuit of Carpe Diem. Going to do some hiking and see a spring training baseball game. Then drive down to Tombstone – the old cowboy town – Gun Fight at the OK Corral was there and Wyatt Earp is buried in boot hill. Neato. Forgive me if the blogs are a bit late.

I’m doing talk on May 19 – but not Half Dome. …

Hetch Hetchy – back to nature?

In 1923, the US Congress gave the city of San Francisco full access to the water in the Tuolumne River. The O’Shaughnessy Dam was built and since then the water has flowed 200 miles to reservoirs in the SF Bay area. Damn shame that that valley got inundated.  Change coming?  The Yosemite Restoration Campaign has filed papers with the San Francisco Department of Elections for a November ballot measure calling for the development of a “long-term plan for improved use of the local water supply.” The ballot measure calls for a “reduction of harm to Yosemite National Park, the Tuolumne River and the San Francisco Bay.”  Yes!!!

A group called “Restore Hetch Hetchy,” is behind the effort to return the reservoir to its natural state. If successful, San Francisco voters could decide its fate in 2016. Democratic Senators Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer have previously come out in opposition to the idea, but Republican Congressman Dan Lungren likes the idea. We shall see.

You can talk to a ranger about the world of Half Dome permits, wilderness conditions, and trip planning by calling 209-372-0745. No bribes, please. This line is staffed Monday through Friday from 9 to noon, …

Ansel Adams Belated Birthday

A tip of the cap to Blog Reader, Alan. H. He reminded me that yesterday was Ansel Adams birthday. Ansel was unable to attend. Adams was born in San Francisco on Feb. 20, 1902. He made his first trip to Yosemite in 1916. He was a major photographer of the mid 20^th Century who focused a lot on Yosemite. Adams died in Carmel on April 22, 1984. 110 years old – well, if he was alive.

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “You say it’s your birthday. It’s my birthday too—yeah. They say it’s your birthday, We’re gonna have a good time I’m glad it’s your birthday, Happy birthday to you.” – the Beatles. 

*MrHalfDome™ – Rick Deutsch – www.HikeHalfDome.com

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome…

John Muir Geotourism Center

While we are tlaking about John Muir’s walk to Yosemite, to help future generations appreciate the global impact that this conservationist had on the world, the town of Coulterville is building the John Muir Geotourism Center (JMGC). This was one of the places on his historic walk over a century ago. This newly formed non-profit group has seed money from a $75,000 donation. This money will allow admirers of John Muir to seek additional developmental funds for a specialized center built around the genius of John Muir. It will provide learning opportunities for geotourists, students, parents and anyone concerned with environmental issues seeking to enrich their visit to Yosemite National Park and the region.

Robert Hanna, the great, great-grandson of John Muir, is a member of the Advisory Committee along with a dedicated team of local community and Yosemite regional leaders.

JMGC future components will consist of the following:

• Range of Light Outdoors Classroom: A multi-purpose classroom.

• Youth Education Program: A jointly developed program to bring together urban and rural students in a natural setting.

• Bean Creek Preserve Nature Walks: To offer geotourists the opportunity to learn about the historic John Muir Route.

Unrelated thought worth …