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YOSEMITE GAZETTE Yosemite California YOSEMITE GAZE a 10 000 circul TTE ation quarterly jou rnal features the past present and future of Yosemite reg ion and the Mothe r Lode every three mo nths EXTRA EXTRA 8 READ ALL ABOUT IT Vintage Postcards Tell Visual Story Volume 7 Number 4 Priceless Merced River Final Plan Released This plan will protect the Merced River and its outstandingly remarkable values into perpetuity and provide quality visitor facilities and access stated Don Neubacher Yosemite Superintendent The planning process has been a monumental effort Neubacher said and we appreciate all the public input we have received We now want to move forward with actions in the Plan that are critical to the preservation and enjoyment of this iconic national treasure The Merced River was designated a Wild and Scenic River by the U S Congress in 1987 to preserve its free flowing condition water quality and outstandingly remarkable values Under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act Yosemite National Park is required to develop a management plan to protect and enhance the 81 miles of the Merced River that are within the park Over 30 000 comments were received on the Photograph by Kevin Reilly Sentinel Rock and the Meandering Merced River draft plan during a formal public comment period which ran from January 8 2013 through April 30 2013 Public involvement has been a cornerstone of the planning process Throughout plan development the park conducted over 60 public Page Two 8 8 Slow Down at Midpines Page Seven The Difference Between Diptych and Triptych Page Eight and Nine 8 Teddy s Grandest Day of My Life Page Ten 8 Training to Climb the Big One Page Thirteen 8 8 Furry Friends of Yosemite Page Fourteen Photographing Yosemite is in the Details Page Sixteen Photograph courtesy of National Park Service Where s the tree you can drive through Every Yosemite ranger gets asked this question but the tunneled Wawona Tree above fell down in 1969 When the Mariposa Grove was set aside for protection 149 years ago no one thought twice about cutting holes in sequoias The practice was not continued some time ago for clearly environmental reasons This year is the 150th anniversary of that Yosemite Grant Act the list of activities and events is growing every day http www nps gov yose anniversary yosemiteanniversary Those wishing to walk inside a standing sequoia trunk can still do so in the California Tree Mariposa Grove and the Dead Giant Tuolumne Grove There are also drive through redwood trees on the California coast and a drive through sequoia log in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks meetings both in the park and throughout the state The park also conducted several webinars to help people understand some of the more complex elements of the plan so they could provide informed comments Many of the changes between the draft and final plan were the direct result of concerns raised during public meetings agency and tribal consultation and in public comments We spent thousands of hours reading and responding to comments to ma ke su re we understood everyone s concerns The preferred a lt e r nat ive wa s mo d i f ie d t o accommodate many of the changes requested during the public review stated Kathleen Morse Yosemite Chief of Planning This final plan integrates the ideas of a passionate public with proven stewardship practices and the best available science to create a powerful vision for the future of the Merced River and Yosemite Valley The final preferred alternative Alternative 5 Enhanced Visitor Experience and Essential Riverbank Restoration is based on guiding principles that include restoring natural conditions to riparian areas riverbanks and meadows modifying Continued on Page Fifteen
Page Two YOSEMITE GAZETTE Yosemite s Historic Hotels and Camps a C o l l e c t i o n o f Vi n t a g e P o s t c a r d s The Yosemite National Park is When not doing historical research a place of extraordinary natural or collecting postcards she is the beauty with renowned waterfalls Director of Research for the California spectacular granite rock formations Community Colleges Chancellor s and serene meadows Office and in 2010 received her Although indigenous peoples Doctorate in Education already inhabited Ommeren hopes Yosemite settlers that this book will of European descent provide visitors found their way there who a re u si ng beginning in 1851 lodging quar ters To serve the steady themselves with an growth of tourists opportunity to see and visitors lodging and appreciate the and accommodations unique and diverse have always been places available to central to the park s tourists in Yosemite s history storied history The popularity of The collection postcards starting in of postcards in this Alice van Ommeren the early 1900s and volume chronicles lasting several decades coincided Yosemite s accommodations from with the growth of the park s hotels the early 1900s to approximately and camps transportation and the 1950s entertainment This book of vintage The early 1900s were a significant postcards illustrates and chronicles period of development for lodging those places and events and accommodations in Yosemite Alice van Ommeren is a historian a period that coincided with the and postcard collector as well as a immense popularity and use of frequent visitor and former seasonal postcards resident of Yosemite National Park It is these millions of postcards She lived in Yosemite for several mailed from Yosemite to places years in the 1980s working as a across the world that made the park maid at the Ahwahnee Hotel and so well known eventually as a dispatcher for the The book provides a comprehensive Yosemite Transportation System illustration of how vintage postcards She has chosen more than 200 document an important period in the vintage postcards from private and history of Yosemite public collections to give readers a The book has an entire chapter glimpse into an important period with images and descriptions of the and aspect of Yosemite s past She is High Sierra Camps whose history also the author of Arcadia s Stockton has not been well documented in in Vintage Postcards other books Postcard courtesy of Alice van Ommeren Some Winter Activities Succeeded and Some Failed The park introduced many winter activities for Yosemite visitors in the late 1920s where some succeeded and some failed The ice rink at Camp Curry open since 1929 became one of the most successful and was used for many types of programs and activities including ice hockey Postcard courtesy of Alice van Ommeren Along the Banks of the Merced The Sentinel Hotel first called the Yosemite Falls Hotel was built in 1876 by George Coulter and A J Murphy on the banks of the Merced River near Sentinel Bridge The hotel was considered the valley s most popular lodging facility until the early 1900s providing spectacular views of Half Dome and Yosemite Falls The hotel was located across from Cedar Cottage the former Hutchings House and Upper Hotel What s in a Name The power of a name and its value has long been immortalized in prose poetry and religious ceremony If you have a business company service agency practice or non profit with Yosemite in the title you are entitled to Yosemite Gazette advertising discounts for two and four insertions To Sign Up for the Yosemite Brand Program Contact Michael Gahagan 209 536 1143 Michael YosemiteGazette com
Page Three Yosemite California Volume 7 Number 4 Yosemite Region Museums Warrant Public Corporate Support By Michael Gahagan Editor The treasures of the Sierra Nevada most notably the Mono Basin History and particularly the Mother Lode Museum Old Schoolhouse in Lee have been heralded round the world Vining run by the Mono County before the Gold Rush and continuing Historical Society and on the western today side the 85 year old Yosemite Glossy travel brochures websites Museum videos and advertisements in all As a community service the manner of media promote historic Yosemite Gazette presents the two landmarks Yosemite National Park directories below to introduce the winter and summer recreational concept of informational directories activities scenic mountainscapes which can be supported by public forested glens swirling whitewater and corporate support and sponsorships streams and rushing rivers and provide the contact information But there are some contemporary so interested readers can begin to treasures our museums that are visit these exceptional time capsules often overlooked by visitors and containing priceless vestiges of our locals alike that encapsulate a rich past legacy of the life and times of one Virtually all of these museums of the most storied historical regions operate under a non profit status in the modern world and exist solely on membership There are at least 22 museums support and charitable donations see the directories below in the These museums can t afford to pay Yosemite region that represent a host for advertisements and marketing of historic communities and locales programs as separate entities in the Sierra Nevada and particularly However this collective concept the Mother Lode may be a way to generate a wider There are museums on the eastern financial support of these museums slope of the Sierra Nevada that are while expanding awareness and not listed in the directories below appreciation of the museums and Consortium of Southern Yosemite Museums California State Mining Mineral Museum King Vintage Clothing Museum Central Sierra Historical Society Little Church on the Hill 5005 Fairgrounds Rd Mariposa CA 95338 209 742 7625 mineralmuseum sierratel com southyosemitemuseums org csmmm P O Box 617 Shaver Lake CA 93664 559 841 4478 cshs netptc net sierrahistorical org Coarsegold Historic Museum 31899 Hwy 41 Coarsegold CA 93614 559 642 4448 chs sti net coarsegoldhistoricmuseum org Children s Museum of the Sierra 49269 Golden Oak Dr Suite 104 Oakhurst CA 93644 559 658 5656 cmos sti net childrensmuseumofthesierra org Fresno Flats Historic Park 49777 Road 427 Oakhurst CA 93644 559 683 6570 fresnoflatsmuseum sti net fresnoflatsmuseum org 49269 Golden Oak Dr Suite 208 Oakhurst CA 93644 559 658 6999 kingvintagemuseum sti net kingvintagemuseum org Oakhurst Cemetery 559 658 6999 40188 Hwy 41 Oakhurst CA 93644 pabart cvip net southyosemitemusems org Raymond Museum 31956 Road 608 Raymond on the stage route to Yosemite 559 689 1886 for appointments southyosemitemuseums org Sierra Mono Indian Museum 33103 Road 228 North Fork CA 93643 559 877 2115 director neptc net sierramonomuseum org Thornberry Museum Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad 56001 Hwy 41 Fish Camp CA 93623 559 683 7273 ymsprr com Sponsoring the preservation of our regional heritage Your Corporate Name and Logo Here Inquire about listings and for adding museum events Michael Gahagan Editor Yosemite Gazette com Photograph courtesy of Mariposa Museum and History Center Interior of Mariposa Museum and History Center Originally formed in 1953 a new museum was built in 1968 to house many artifacts of early life in Mariposa County from barbed wire to a suppository machine in the drug store display boosting both visitors and local visitation Besides corporate support as potential sponsorship of these directories in the 10 000 quarterly circulation of the Yosemite Gazette individuals and first families in the region could also support these museums by collectively sponsoring these directories For questions infor mation sponsorship rates or suggestions for alternative funding for the historic museum directory sponsorship program email Editor YosemiteGazette com or call 209 536 1143 Museums of the Yosemite Region Angels Camp Museum Mono Basin Historical Society Coulterville Museum Murphys Old Timers Museum Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum Sierra Nevada Logging Museum Ironstone Heritage Museum Tuolumne City Memorial Museum Laws Railroad Museum Tuolumne County Historical Society Mariposa Museum History Center Railtown State Historic Park PO Box 667 584 S Main St Angels Camp CA 95222 209 736 2963 coa angelscamp gov www angelscamp gov 10301 Highway 49 Coulterville CA 96311 209 878 3015 www coultervillemuseum org info coultervillemuseum org 18990 Highway 120 Groveland CA 95321 209 962 0300 www grovelandmuseum org information grovelandmuseum org 18990 Highway 120 Groveland CA 95321 209 728 1251 www ironstonemuseum blogspot com info ironstonevineyards com 14 5 miles north of Bishop Hwy 6 P O Box 363 Bishop CA 93515 760 873 5950 www lawsmuseum org lawsmuseum aol com 5119 Jessie Street P O Box 606 Mariposa CA 95338 209 966 2924 www mariposamuseum com mmhc sti net Mattly Ave adjacent Hess Park off Hwy 395 PO Box 31 Lee Vining CA 93541 707 647 6461 curator monobasinhs org www monobasinhs org PO Box 94 Murphys CA 95247 209 728 1160 470 Main Street Murphys curator monobasinhs org www monobasinhs org PO Box 3619 Arnold CA 95223 2148 Dunbar Road Arnold CA 209 795 1226 Mike Davis email sierraloggingmuseum org PO Box 1174 Tuolumne CA 95379 209 928 3516 18663 Carter at Bay Ave Tuolumne CA email address contact tuolumnecity wordpress com PO Box 695 Sonora CA 95370 158 W Bradford Ave Sonora CA 209 532 1317 info tchistory org tchistory org index html PO Box 1250 Jamestown CA 95327 18115 5th Ave Jamestown CA 209 984 3953 www railtown1897 org Supporting the preservation of our regional heritage Your Corporate Name and Logo Here Inquire about listings and for adding museum events Michael Gahagan Editor Yosemite Gazette com
Page Four YOSEMITE GAZETTE Historic Communities Surrounding Yosemite Suffering Shop and Support Local Businesses is Key to Improving Economy The Yosemite region s economy has been severely suppressed by the fallout of the Rim Fire the government shutdown and now the spectre of drought during the busiest tourist visitation time of year The federal government shutdown last October cost communities near Yosemite National Park an estimated 6 7 million in reduced spending by visitors according to a new report We are the only publication in the Yosemite region that widely circulates in the 15 communities surrounding Yosemite National Park four of them being major gateways to Yosemite 4 5 million visitors a year and generating 395 million per annum in the approximate region Almost all of these communities still feature core downtown districts that existed a 100 to even 150 years ago Columbia and Mariposa for example Museum in Every Town Every one of these 15 gateway communities has established at least one museum that superbly reflects the rich veins of their community s history and the life and times of generations that built a strong sense of place once the gold mines played out On Page Three of this issue if you haven t read it already I have outlined a marketing program we would initiate in the Yosemite Gazette for these museums that I hope will encourage sponsorships and or collective funding of the distributions of these directories through our 10 000 quarterly circulation in the greater Yosemite region To further expand on this paradigm we have developed a number of what we are calling Community Co Op advertisements whereby local businesses pay a share of a larger advertisement in our publication while benefitting from being under the community umbrella informing and attracting consumers and visitors to Michael Gahagan The Editor and Publisher writes Let me say this about that Community support by residents and businesses is what it is all about it s about shopping locally the number of historic communities in the Yosemite region In addition on Page Two of this issue there is an in house advertisement announcing another Yosemite Gazette advertising discount program for a post Rim Fire government shutdown rebound designed to encourage all businesses services companies agencies non profits and professional practices with Yosemite in their title or brands If you qualify the details for contacting us regarding the the discount tiers are noted in the advertisement at the bottom of the previous page Our current advertising programs include publication and notice of the printed advertisement in the Yosemite Gazette on our Facebook Pinterest pages monthly email updates and our new and improved website currently being fine tuned for public launch very soon Advertising is in part support of the Yosemite Gazette as we strive to help you grow also We are a local business too essentially doing business in each of the 15 communities we serve As someone who began publishing a weekly newspaper in 1970 on a 1910 Goss printing press and personally setting headlines by hand to accompany text set by a linotype machine I am stubbornly resisting the trend for print publications to transition to solely an online version with the only option to read it by accessing the internet Keep Printing It A while back I conducted an informal email poll of contributors subscribers and advertisers posing the question would you like to read the Yosemite Gazette solely online and no one I repeat no one recommended abandoning the printed version One respondent summed up the unanimous reaction writing that most of your readers would rather not be in front of their computers if they could enjoy the latest Yosemite Gazette outside with a cup of coffee like me We will soon be offering subscription options online including receiving a printed version an online version and a downloadable version A subscription whether it is the printed or online digital version will also include the many options to view back issues and archived articles dating back to the very first issue of the Yosemite Gazette Local readers can find complimentary copies in local businesses or commercial venues in their neighborhood Nature s Sources Never Fail Walk away quietly in any direction and taste the freedom of the mountaineer Camp out among the grasses and gentians of glacial meadows in craggy garden nooks full of nature s darlings Climb the mountains and get their good tidings Nature s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy while cares will drop off like autumn leaves As age comes on one source of enjoyment after another is closed but nature s sources never fail John Muir Our National Parks 1901 From The Soul of Yosemite by Barbara J Moritsch Photograph courtesy of Barbara J Moritsch Instead I ask all of you who always seem to find a priceless copy around your town or at the local library to support this local business the Yosemite Gazette Increased local subscription support helps the Yosemite Gazette better serve local businesses If you can t wait for our online subscription program to be announced you may still subscribe the old fashioned way by copying the subscription blank on Page Sixteen of this issue and mailing in your old fashioned check with old fashioned postage stamps Published quarterly by the Yosemite Publishing Company P O Box 5227 Sonora California 95370 209 536 1143 Editor YosemiteGazette com Editor and Publisher Michael Gahagan Assistant to the Editor Valerie Seimas Sierra Nevada Fishing Editor Renny Avey Correspondents Contributors Marc Fossum Rick Deutsch Tom Gardner Debbie Adams Renny Avey David Lukas John Carroll O Neill Peter Hoss Elizabeth Stone O Neill Ron Loya Leroy Radanovich David Hubbard Sharon Giacomazzi Peter Fimrite Michael Elsohn Ross Tom Stienstra R Brian Kermeen John Swanson Vicki Thomas and Barbara Moritsch Photographic Contributors Kevin Reilly Kristal Leonard Dianne Shannon Franka Gabler Rebecca Harvey Ken Yager William Neill and Michael Frye Advertising Marketing Tricia Ferguson Circulation Michael Gahagan Tricia Ferguson Printing Foothill Printing Graphics Angeles Camp
Page Five Yosemite California Volume 7 Number 4 Letters to the Editor Wow Truly First Rate Editor I just received Nov 22 my copy of the Yosemite Gazette Wow This is a truly first rate newsletter that contains very high quality articles of interest to all who love this great park Both thumbs up for a job very well done Owen Hoffman Oak Ridge Tennessee Letters to the Editor So Well Done Editor Thank you for the info I will get my old fashion check in the mail to you today Camped in the park every summer of my youth for two weeks from ages 1 18 My dream has always been to work and live in the park and at 60 I did it What a experience of a lifetime Looking forward to receiving the Gazette it is so well done Thank you Linda Colvin Long Beach California Thank You for Sponsorship Editor Dear Friends at the Yosemite Gazette Thank you for your sponsorship in support of the Sonora Premier of Yosemite Gathering of the Spirit a film by Ken Burns on January 11 2014 It was an amazing partnership with the 2nd Saturday Art Night Committee the Tuolumne County Arts Alliance Yosemite Conservancy YExplore Yosemite the City of Sonora and the more than 700 people who attended and enjoyed the evening Thank You Cadillac Limousine or Chevy Woodie Editor In your article Carrying Ansel s cameras Yosemite Gazette AprilJune 2012 the photo caption states Ansel Adams standing on a platform he built atop his 1938 Cadillac limousine about to take a picture from near the edge of Glacier Point Connie O Connor Executive Director Tuolumne County Arts Alliance Sonora Caliornia Olmsted not Olmstead a Hero of Mine Editor Thank you for the latest issue of the Yosemite Gazette For future reference Frederick Law s last name is Olmsted without the a Frederick Law Olmsted is a hero of mine and I have a copy of a recent biography of him A Clearing in the Distance by Witold Rybczynski a University of Pennsylvania Professor and published by Scribner Frederick Law Junior followed in his father s footsteps keeping the landscape company alive He also became a driving force in establishing the extensive California Park system A mountain peak above Big Sur is named for him and the road into the Monterey Airport carries his name Jr also became associated with the Sierra Club and Olmsted Point on Hwy 120 may well be in his honor and not his father s From the biography it is noted that Olmsted was both ruthlessly pragmatic and a visionary To create Central Park he managed thousands of employees who moved millions of cubic yards of stone and earth and planted over 300 000 trees and shrubs In laying it out we determined to think of no results to be realized in less than forty years he told his son Rick Frederick Law Olmsted was a founder of The Nation magazine and while in California was managing the largest gold mine laid out California College UC Berkeley and took a commission to design Stanford campus He also laid out a city park where Van Ness Ave San Francisco is today a design that the city never used He did not design Golden Gate Park He did design the Mt View Cemetery above Oakland which is there today He was asked by Frederick Ferdinand Low US congressman and the ninth governor of California to be the first chairman of the Yosemite Commission to lay out the then State Park which he did I have not seen any reference to Frederick Law Sr being involved with the Sierra Club but we do see his son Jr fully involved in California events Many thanks for the Yosemite Gazette and keep it going Ron Olmstead not related to Frederick Law Olmsted Palo Alto California Photograph courtesy of the Ansel Adams family That is definitely not a Cadillac limousine see right rear fender of Cadillac woodie below left It is a Chevrolet woodie station wagon see below right Cadillac woodie Chevrolet woodie I grew up in Yosemite Valley I remember seeing Ansel Adams out and about in that station wagon My parents were friends with Ansel and Virginia My father Bill Melton was also a Yosemite photographer The Curry Company used a number of his images on postcards sold in the gift shops Marti Hunter Manteca California
Page Six YOSEMITE GAZETTE Rim Fire Emergency Salvage Act Tuolumne Board Wants Answers The U S House of Representatives recently passed a bill by Rep Tom McClintock to accelerate salvage logging on the Stanislaus National Forest land burned in the Rim Fire McClintock R Granite Bay also sent a letter to California Senators Barbara Boxer D and Dianne Feinstein D asking the U S Senate to take action Time is of the essence Rep McClintock wrote in his letter Within a year the timber loses much of its salvage value and within two years it becomes worthless The Rim Fire Emergency Salvage Act was amended to a larger package of bills pertaining to public lands management that was approved a 220 194 margin About 7 600 acres of trees are set to be harvested this spring along roads power lines recreation areas campgrounds and adjacent to private property Another 29 000 acres could open to logging after further review The President s Council on E nv i r o n m e n t a l Q u a l i t y h a s exempted the U S Forest Service shortening the longer required federal review process by 45 days Meanwhile the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors has demanded an independent investigation and more information related to the Rim Fire in a letter to the Forest Service s parent agency the U S Department of Agriculture The board members questioned the Forest Service s coverage during the first few days when the fire in the Tuolumne River watershed was raging uncontrolled In addition the correspondence indicated the Board wasn t satisfied wit h a nu mb er of resp onses i n clu d ing the Forest Service s contention that a hunter s as yet unnamed illegal campfire in midAugust started the historically destructive fire The fire burned more than a quarter million acres levelled dozens of buildings and threatened multiple communities in Tuolumne County It also closed Hwy 120 into Yosemite and caused huge impacts on the county s tourism industry suffocating many of county s popular vacation spots with smoke around Labor Day Photograph by Michael Gahagan Leveling Tracked Feller Buncher in Action Logging operations were underway immediately after the Rim Fire was contained on private property of the Sierra Pacific Lumber Company Similar activity in the Stanislaus National Forest cannot proceed until legislation is approved in the U S Senate e eleas New R Arcadia Publishing s Yosemite s Historic Hotels and Camps by Yosemite Historian Alice van Ommeren Available through Arcadia Publishing and online retailers Orders arcadiapublishing com Inquiries Alice van Ommeren alicevano sbcglobal net Facebook facebook com YosemitesHistoricHotelsAndCamps 95 mo www Conifercom Net
Yosemite California Volume 7 Number 4 Page Seven Significant Wide Spot on the Road to the Yosemite Valley Bear Creek and Midpines Once Thrived By Ron Loya Photograph courtesy of Mariposa Museum and History Center Bear Creek Lodge New Yosemite Highway Opening day 1928 of the lodge current location of Midpines Post Office Photograph courtesy of Mariposa Museum and History Center Midpines Store The brainchild of Newell Chamberlain a Merced realtor who moved to the settlement of Bear Creek to open one of the first motor tourist resorts on the newly opened All Year Highway into Yosemite in 1926 His Midpines Lodge eventually became the new namesake of the village Most that travel from the town of Mariposa north to Yosemite National Park do so at the speed of a missile and little thought is put into the tiny hamlet of Midpines To those who pass through it must seem like nothing but a wide spot in the road as it whizzes by in a blur and with little more than a campground a gas pump and general store one might wonder why it s there at all But looks are deceiving and if one were to take a look around and invest some time to hear the stories and see the sights of this place they would find that it is rich in its own beauty and steeped in history Having once been a peaceful Native Indian habitat this area experienced the invasion of the 49er gold miners was later plunged into the modern age of vacation seekers and finally is slowly settling back into a place known more for its natural Open Daily except Sunday Full Breakfast Lunch from eleven Full Traditional Bakery Apples Strawberries Pears Produce in season Serving the Community for Over 35 Years THE COMMUNITY BANK SERVING THE SIERRA w w w y o s e m i t e b a n k c o m Train Rides weather permitting 21 1 Ch erokee R o ad 1 8 5 8 0 M a i n S t re e t G ro v e l a n d C A 9 5 3 2 1 2 0 9 9 6 2 7 8 5 3 4 0 0 6 1 H w y 4 9 O a k h u r s t C A 9 3 6 4 4 5 5 9 6 8 3 6 4 4 2 5 1 7 1 H w y 4 9 N o r t h M a r i p o s a C A 9 5 3 3 8 2 0 9 9 6 6 5 4 4 4 Cider 100 natural unfiltered 19 Bank With Con dence Expresso Frapp Smoothie Bar Apple Pear Sauce Jams Jelly no preservatives Tuolumne 209 9 468 9 2 8cov ersapp anch com ler beauty than for its gold mines and roadside eateries Long before the short seven mile path from Mariposa to Midpines was designated as a portion of the All Year Highway to Yosemite and later a segment of California State Route 140 it was simply a very windy and boulder laden trail that ended at the ramshackle settlement of Bear Creek The sole reason that non natives chose to be here was to mine and mine they did In fact this very area was known to be one of the richest gold deposits in the southern Mother Lode region One early miner was a man by the last name of Sherlock from the 1849 Alta Californian News from the Mines Sherlock s Diggins This Mr Editor is unquestionably the place for big chunks but let me instr uct you concerning these diggings They were discovered two or three months since by a man named Sherlock who with a company of 70 Mexicans worked these deposits on shares The work varies with us as well as elsewhere In eight days three men took out 57 pounds of pure gold And last week two men took out in two days 29 pounds from a spot near my camp Sherlock has gone into the mountains no one knows where and we have elected a new Alcalde who the day of his installation into office issued an order for all Mexicans to decamp which they did forthwith We all intend to winter here as we can easily make comfortable quarters This place is distant 11 miles from Fremont s discovery and is much the richest of the two deposits Many large pieces have been found here averaging from one to eight pounds pure gold The finest pieces usually are worth about fifty cents so you perceive this is the region of big lumps Another early miner was Lafayette Bunnell who later joined James Savage s Mariposa Battalion and entered the Miwok valley that he would name Yo semite One exception to the rule that Bear Creek was a place dominated by Continued on Page Thirteen
Page Eight YOSEMITE GAZETTE The Gazette Gallery Twelve enthusiastic students from all over California joined The Joy of Watercolor class offered by Road Scholar last Fall according to Vicki Thomas a Group Leader of the program The class was sponsored and held at the beautiful Evergreen Conference Center in Oakhurst Thomas said During the week of the watercolor class Thomas said we were bused to Yosemite National Park to paint and sketch the splendid granite rocks the valleys and the wide meadows Students painted beautiful vistas and scenery paintings that they can all be very proud of Two of the students Sharon Metsch and Cathie Smith Thomas pointed out were from Santa Barbara and they had studied watercolor and colored pencils and graphite for some time See the work of Sharon Metch lower right this page and upper left next page and Cathie Smith lower left next page Road Scholar Adventures in Lifelong Learning www roadscholar org present educational adventures created by Elderhostel a non profit leader in lifelong learning since 1975 According to the Road Scholar website description of their program The Beauty of Yosemite and the Joy of Watercolor the instructor Rita Adams teaches you how to render outdoor scenes sharing color combinations brush stroke techniques and adding texture The website description continues view nature from an artist s perspective during two field trips to Yosemite National Park Experience painting in the wild learning to paint mountains tree and waterfalls in the field Join us in exploring new ways to be creative Highlights of the water class include a bus excursion to some of the Yosemite Valley s most beautiful sites including Tunnel View Bridalveil Fall and Sentinel Bridge an opportunity to paint en plein air in the heart of Yosemite and daily painting and improvement of your watercolor technique with the help of an art instructor who offers tips on composition color and more Two Joy of Watercolor Classes are scheduled this year May 11 during the peak waterfall season and November 2 when it is most enjoyable to paint in Yosemite in the autumn The temperature is ideal for outdoor activities and the vibrant colors on the trees are begging for an artist to render Photograph courtesy of Vicki Thomas All in the Eyes of the Beholders Students and instructor of The Beauty of Yosemite and the Joy of Watercolor class offered by the Road Scholar Program begin their week long class based in the Evergreen Conference Center in Oakhurst with an outdoor session at Glacier Falls in Yosemite Yosemite Triptych by Sharon Metsch BORN IN YOSEMITE 75 years of passions politics personalities traditions history adventures and comments from personal observations by Peter T Hoss Photos from the Adams Family Collection Photos from Tom Frost Climbing Collection Photos from the Yosemite Research Library Music of Yosemite by Tom Bopp 29 95 plus tax shipping haqndling Please send this ad and a check to Creative Offsprings P O Box 2342 Salinas CA 93902 email pphoss sbcglobal net
Yosemite California Volume 7 Number 4 Page Nine The Gazette Gallery The Merced River Yosemite by Sharon Metsch Diptych Bridal Veil Falls and Vernal Falls by Cathie Smith Yosemite National Park s 150th Anniversary of President Lincoln s signing of the Yosemite Grant Act June 30th 1864 to protect Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove which was the start of the national park movement is expected to generate a great deal of interest in this area and there are a number of events including a traveling art exhibit planned to honor the national treasure Featured is Vicki D Thomas s watercolor painting Cascading Nevada Falls below which was accepted in the Yosemite Renaissance XXIX Exhibit to be shown at the Yosemite Museum Gallery through May 11 2014 After it closes in May the art will be shown at Kings Art Center Hanford June July 7 and Carnegie Art Center Turlock August September The traveling exhibit may extend into December if additional venues are added Several artists opened Gallery Yosemite located in Gallery Row Oakhurst a year ago which features art of Yosemite and the surrounding areas For more information visit www galleryyosemite com or call 559 676 8599 Check www nps gov yose anniversary for 150th Anniversary celebration events planned through October 2014 Cascading Nevada Falls 28 x 36 watercolor by Vicki Thomas
Page Ten YOSEMITE GAZETTE Tangled Web of Personalities Power and Politics II By R Brian Kermeen and John Swanson and to furnish a continuous supply of timber for the use and necessities Last issue s article Tangled Web of citizens of the United States In of Personalities Power and Politics other words it directed use of the covered the discovery of Yosemite forest timber resources for lumber by Euro Americans and the protection production stone for building offered by Congress under the 1864 construction water for irrigation and Yosemite Grant when it granted mining and even provided for setting the State of California the land aside acreages for local schools and and protection responsibility for churches Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Gifford Pinchot had influenced Grove of Big Trees This article will the language of the act He had focus on the next 20 years with an participated in a scientific study of emphasis on people and actions of the nation s forests the year before the government when he met Muir and briefed the newly elected President and his The Forest Reserve Act of 1891 cabinet on Forest concerns Within allowed for withdrawal of forest days of the act passing he was land including those lands that hired as a special forest agent in the became future national parks and Government Land Office GLO national forests from eligibility The following year he transferred for transfer to private ownership as to the Department of Agriculture as a measure to preChief Forester of vent destructive its Bureau of Forlogging and othestry Although er adverse imPinchot and his pacts small staff in the The 13 m ilAgriculture Delion acre Sierra pa r tment were Forest Reserve responsible for was designated studying the nain 1893 and the tion s forests deStanislaus Forest veloping practiReserve in 1897 cal management These two replans for them serves included a n d i d e n t i f ythe land around ing future forYosemite that are est lands to be the present day reserved for use Toiyabe I nyo by the public the Gifford Pinchot Sierra and StanGLO in the Deislaus National An advocate of forest management partment of the Forests The in Pinchot was the Chief Forester Interior remained Bureau of Forestry U S Department tent of the Forest of Agriculture then became the head in administrative Reserve Act was of the U S Forest Service in 1905 control of the reto preserve the serves forests and their natural resources The GLO had responsibility for This legislated preservation forbade both the park lands and the reserves all entry for homesteading logging but lacked the expertise and capacity mining grazing hunting etc in and maybe even the will to succeed these areas In fact any human Their primary purpose had been to entry or activity even recreation administer transfer of Public Domain was forbidden by law Needless to land to homesteaders railroads and say this did not sit well with local industry Staffed by many political residents and others appointees competence and ethics One of President William McKinley s were sometimes lacking They were first actions was to sign the 1897 more interested in assuring land Organic Act that spelled out how transfer laws were implemented these Forest Reserves should be correctly on paper and less so on managed Most significantly this the ground This and the difficulty new law actively provided for of travel to very remote locations protection and improvement of the created many opportunities for fraud forests for the purpose of securing and abuse There was no coordinated favorable conditions of water flows plan for them to follow beyond the general guidance of the legislation Pinchot worked tirelessly to familiarize himself with the reserves and communities near them He evangelized the benefits of sustain the Sierra Club in 1905 Congress enacted to take back the California managed Valley and Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias and the following year the state relinquished 8 Photograph courtesy of Yosemite National Park The grandest day of my life President Theodore Roosevelt sixth from right got a true Yosemite experience in 1903 complete with tour guide John Muir fourth from right camping under the shelter of giant sequoias at the Mariposa Grove sleeping beneath the stars at Bridalveil Meadow and waking up by Sentinel Dome covered in snow later dubbed by the president as the grandest day of my life Discussions held between the president and John Muir on this camping trip were a starting point in the development of a new tool to for conservation management the Antiquities Act able forestry and wise use to everyone who would listen and many did When Teddy Roosevelt assumed the presidency Pinchot helped shape the progressive conservation policies of the new president and often wrote his speeches When Roosevelt visited Yosemite in 1903 he visited primarily with John Muir who no doubt informed him of the problems associated with the fragmented oversight by the various local state and federal agencies With the encouragement of HIDDEN GEM authority which made the park whole Also passed in the same year The Forest Reserve Transfer Act which moved the forest reserves from GLO in the Department of Inter ior to the Department of Agriculture s Bureau of Forestry Both Roosevelt and Pinchot wanted the park reservations to be included but Congress did not agree Within the Department of Agriculture the new U S Forest Service was created out of the Bureau of Forestry Continued on Page Twelve Sunset Magazine Combining a timeless feel with modern comforts Evergreen Lodge is Yosemite s premier mountain resort Come see why Frommer s Guide calls the Evergreen the Classic Yosemite Experience Cabins Restaurant Tavern Recreation www evergreenlodge com 800 93 LODGE Located off Hwy 120 on Yosemite s western border
Yosemite California Volume 7 Number 4 Page Eleven Half Dome Cable Replica Section for Training to Climb the Big One Backyard Cable Man Photograph by Rick Deutsch A Standard Lumber logging train on the Sierra Railway of California built in 1897 rolls down the hill for the Sonora mill with logs from the Stanislaus National Forest Kim Pedersen is a detail focused guy Not only is he the Founder and President of the renowned Monorail Society an interest group for lovers of monorail history and technology but he is also a veteran pilot The Yosemite Gazette caught up with Kim when we learned that to prepare for his Half Dome hike he constructed a replica of a 14 ft section of Half Dome s cables Really He successfully did the hike last Fall The mini me cable system lies in his Fremont CA East SF Bay area backyard True to spec he built a ramp at 45 degrees complete with two sets of pipes two steel cables running at the top of the pipes just like the real deal and 2x4 ft boards ten feet apart just like the real deal Let s jump to our interview to learn the whys and hows Yosemite Gazette Kim thanks for inviting the Yosemite Gazette over to your house to view your Half Dome cables replica This is amazing a real first Why in the world did you build this Kim Now that I have successfully climbed the Yosemite Upper Falls Trail three times I started to think the unthinkable that I might be capable of hiking up the big one Half Dome The cables really scare me though so I thought I d duplicate a section to see what it feels like and practice on Yosemite Gazette Since this was in preparation for your first hike where Mountain Home Gifts The best selection of Yosemite Art Gifts and Cabin Accessories If you visit just one shop in Sonora this is it 87 S Washington Street at the corner of Linoberg 209 533 5319 did you get your specifications to replicate the 1919 built cables Kim I did some online search but the best information came from the wonderful hike prep book One Best Hike Yosemite s Half Dome The 1919 cable blueprint by Christian Gutleben is in the book and helped me with the measurements Yosemite Gazette How long did it take you to construct the minicables Kim Surprisingly the project was built in just three days I used some leftover parts from my nowdismantled Niles Monorail and the cables and pipe came from nearby Dale Hardware Yosemite Gazette How often did you work out on the mini cables Kim When it was new I didn t have an established regimen I was on it at least once a day until the real hike which I did in late September I ve learned quite a bit I realized that I needed to work on my upper body strength Yosemite Gazette Having done the Half Dome hike and cables many times I think you did a great job of imitating the feel of the route up The actual cables traverse over 600 ft at a 45 degree incline How many times did you go up and down your creation Kim Thanks kindly compliment I ll climbed until I felt I was ready Dome How many times about 60 times for the the ramp for Half I d guess Yosemite Gazette Can you tell us about your love for Yosemite and what led you to want to hike Half Dome Kim I ve been fortunate to see many beautiful places in the world but I feel incredibly blessed to have one of the planet s most spectacular natural locations so close There are many things I still haven t seen in Yosemite and the top of Half Dome is one of them I am a goal oriented person and for a long time the Yosemite Upper Falls Trail seemed to be the limit of my capabilities This year I lost over 35 pounds and the result was that trail was much easier to climb My 27 year old son Continued on Page Thirteen
Page Twelve YOSEMITE GAZETTE Personalities Power and Politics II Continued from Page Ten and Pinchot was named its Chief wood and forage should be actively Benefiting from Roosevelt s popularity managed for sustainable production funding and local support near the of goods and services He insisted national forests Pinchot quickly that these natural resources should advanced his multiple use science be conserved and wisely used for based principles of forest management the benefit of the greatest good Greater emphasis was given to the of the greatest number in the long needs of local communities and the run His new agency advanced his little guy The influence of large utilitarian forestry views through corporations and political favoritism policy and guidance with remarkable though not eliminated was greatly effectiveness Before leaving office in 1909 diminished Past land fraud and abusive practices were reduced During Roosevelt had protected more land than all other forRoosevelt s time mer P residents as President the combi ne d H is forest reser ves hand picked sucin the U S went cessor William from approximately 43 million acres Howard Taft appointed Richard to about 194 million Ach i l le s Ba l lacres In addition inger former head doz ens of new of the GLO to be parks and landmarks his Secretary of were established I nt er ior A f t er Up until now Ballinger reversed everyone was united several previous in the cause to a d m i n ist r at ion save and protect d e c i s i o n s and the best wild places erased protection left in America for millions of The Forest Service acres Pinchot was suppor ted the Richard Achilles Ballinger convinced that he was establishment of new pa rks but Appointed by President William Howard working to scuttle as the utilitarian Taft to be his Secretary of the Interior the achievements principles of the Ballinger was accused of reversing in conservation forest overseeing prior conservation efforts by President r at he r t ha n go agency became Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot f o r wa r d them understood a philosophical split With the strength of written testimony ended the unity between the opposing by upper officials in the GLO Pinchot preservationists and the conservationists also believed Ballinger was cor r upt The preservationists wanted But he had the suppor t of Ta f t scenic landscapes protected for their and ultimately Pinchot was fired wild and spiritual qualities They This was front page news The 1910 did not want their protected parks firing of Pinchot alienated many to be logged grazed or developed progressives within the Republican beyond what was necessary to Party and drove a wedge between accommodate enjoyment by humans Roosevelt and Taft Roosevelt was Pinchot had visited Yosemite several incensed by the Taft Ballinger gutting times and was amazed at its majesty of his conservation principles and he was also against cutting the giant decided to challenge Taft for the sequoia But he could not give up Republican nomination for President his notion that the nation s water in 1912 But he failed and Taft was Photograph courtesy of Stanislaus National Forest Heading for Sonora A Standard Lumber logging train on the Sierra Railway of California built in 1897 rolls down the hill for the Sonora mill with logs from the Stanislaus National Forest re nominated This led to the split of the Republican Party in the 1912 presidential election Pinchot helped Roosevelt form the Progressive Party nicknamed the Bull Moose Party and assisted him in his election effort This split in the Republican Party electorate was enough to give Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson the presidential victory A lt houg h r emove d f r om gover nment Pinchot continued to be involved in conservation issues and politics and was respected for his achievements and efforts to defend the progress made in protecting land Roosevelt had approved the Hetch Hetchy project in 1907 Pinchot s uncompromising support of the Hetch Hetchy project put him at odds with John Muir and his many followers This stand off illustrated and exaggerated the differences between the multiple use Forest Service policies and the desires of preservationists The twelve year debate ended the harmony that had made such amazing progress possible The next article in this series will tell the story of the Hetch Hetchy conflict and how it led to the creation of the Department of the Interior not Agriculture as Pinchot Roosevelt and his Interior Secretary Garfield envisioned What would have happened if Pinchot had embraced the concepts of Wilderness management or if John Muir had conceded the benefits of wise use where appropriate in his beloved mountains Editor s Note This is the third of a multi part series chronicling the history of Yosemite National Park and the Stanislaus National Forest Sierra Nevada neighbors sharing miles of common boundaries
Yosemite California Volume 7 Number 4 Page Thirteen Bear Creek and Midpines Once Thrived Continued from Page Seven miners was David Clark who came here in 1851 to become one of the county s first sawyers supplying the local mines and cutting most or all of the timbers to build the Mariposa County Court House Many years later in 1926 when the All Year Highway from Merced to Mariposa was officially opened Bear Creek began to come to life with people who had no interest in mining but who came to explore as an activity of leisure they were the among the very first motor tourists in the foothills of Mariposa County Entrepreneurs were quick to capitalize on the increased traffic with resort lodges restaurants and lunch counters springing up to take advantage of the relative deluge of outsiders The simple fact was that gold mining was on the wane and tourism on the rise and things were indeed changing fast for the residents of Bear Creek One entrepreneur by the name of Newell Chamberlain paid the tidy sum of 800 to buy a 160 acre homestead and one time mining claim for a lodge which he named Camp Midpines Once a post office was opened at that location with Mr Chamberlain becoming its first Postmaster of course Midpines was an officially designated location on the way to Yosemite National Park With few exceptions World War II proved to be the death of the mines and tourism was put on hold until the soldiers came home After the war there was a formal effort to designate Midpines as a vacation destination in and of itself and fishing tours of the mines and recreational gold panning began to be a popular draw The current location of Midpines County Park was a Gold Rush era placer mining claim Post war gold panning clubs were formed offering lessons to tourists with regular competition panning events To better accommodate would be fortune seekers portions of the site were frequently flooded by diverting Bear Creek into trenches left behind by the miners and they are still predominant features of the park today The U S Forest Service developed the lot into a government supervised picnic area in the early 1950s and sometime later it was taken over by Mariposa County as one of its officially designated parks Today many of the predominant features of the history of Bear Creek and Midpines have all but disappeared but if one were to be inclined to slow down and take a close look these vestiges of the past can begin to be discerned from the surrounding scenery Then with some effort creek side depressions in the bedrock become Native American acorn grinding stones hand quarried stacks of slate become the foundation of a Gold Rush era cabin simple piles of rubble become mine sites and quaint clapboard houses become early tourist resting spots Yes indeed all these things are still here after all these years and it s incumbent on the local residents to preserve these remnants and tell the story of what once was so that those who came here before our time will not be forgotten Mariposa County is proceeding to launch the Midpines Community Plan which will provide a blueprint of how the rich history of Midpines will be incorporated to guide the future growth and identity of this very significant wide spot in the road Editor s Note Author Ron Loya is a board member and past president of the Mariposa Museum and History Center Kim Pedersen in Backyard Photograph by Rick Deutsch Training to Climb the Big One Half Dome Continued from Page Eleven Kory recently told me he planned to challenge Half Dome with his friends Those were the catalysts I started thinking seriously about it Yosemite Gazette I understand you are retired what was your career while working and did it inspire you to create things like the mini cables Kim I retired from the City of Fremont a few years back I worked with a great bunch of folks in the Finance Department as a graphic artist executive assistant I can t say my work there inspired my projects but the career did allow me to do a lot of great things in my time off Yosemite Gazette What other projects like this have you built Kim Here s where it gets a bit crazy I ve built several rideable backyard roller coasters I ve filled the yard with my homebuilt Disney style faux rocks a 35 foot high redwood tree perch and I even had a rideable monorail that was on several TV shows including Ripley s Believe it or Not If anyone is interested it s all on my YouTube page Yosemite Gazette Tell us about your other passion monorails Kim Like many baby boomers I m 61 I grew up watching Walt Disney every Sunday night on TV When he first demonstrated his Disneyland Alweg Monorail in 1959 I thought monorails were so cool and sensible that they would be everywhere by the time I grew up That didn t happen and I began to wonder why I did a lot of research and found out they are being built many places around the world However in the USA we seem to think putting trains right in the middle of traffic is a better idea light rail I decided to found The Monorail Society to share my enthusiasm with like minded monorailists and promote this very green safe and fun mode of transit Our mantra is monorails are not just for theme parks and zoos We re just shy of 7 000 members in 93 countries now and we have over 600 pages on our website monorails org Yosemite Gazette Thanks for allowing us to try out the mini cable Do you have any parting words for our readers Kim Thank you for sharing my Half Dome Cable practice ramp I only have a clich for your readers keep your dreams alive Editor s Note Pedersen s forthcoming book Monorails Trains of the Future Now Arriving will be a definitive piece on the subject It is still a work in progress we ve seen the draft and it will be a best seller Yosemite Gazette Correspondent Rick Deutsch conducted this interview He has written One Best Hike Yosemite s Half Dome has hiked Half Dome 40 times and blogs at HikeHalfDome com
Page Fourteen YOSEMITE GAZETTE Wildlife Artist s Drawings of Fauna Revived in Reprint of Furry Friends of Yosemite Pen and ink is a dying art and his wife Elizabeth eagerly with fewer and fewer exceptional accepted Alaska soon had a hold examples being produced today on them that apparently never let go Exacting and time consuming we Elizabeth Berry recalls in the book are likely to see even less as of it as about a time in Denali National Park time goes on according to David when their jeep got stuck The Hubbard of the Awani Press guest was a different kind of person Hubbard born in Yosemite is to say the least and while he made the son of Doug and Fran Hubbard angels in the snow and p r a is e d t he During their 15 years in Yosemite his a n c i e n t g o d s f o r l e t t i n g u s father Chief Park Naturalist and his ex perience this magnificent country mother Fran wrote we were busy using and published a the garbage can lids variety of books a s s h o v e l s We related to Yosemite f i nally extricated National Park the jeep and started Without a back to Camp doubt Hubbard Denali when Bill said one of the yelled at us to stop most accomplished and took his turn wildlife artists to at praising the gods use this medium actually a whole was Bill Ber r y line of exuberant His illustrations profanity Then my Print Courtesy of Awhani Press form the basis of eye caught what he Mule Deer by Bill Berry a re introduction had seen several of a re print by the Awani Press of black dots that resolved themselves Furry Friends of Yosemite into wolves It was a family of eight William D Berry was born on black wolves the first wolves we had May 20 1926 in San Mateo California seen in three summers at Camp His family soon moved to Arizona D en a l i T h e s c en e i s et ch e d where they lived for seven years permanently in my memory and I He spent countless hours outside love looking at the sketch Bill did studying everything that moved of the place and the moment He reading animal books and watching worked a couple of days on that one Disney films He kept small critters sketch aiming to capture exactly in his room and began drawing animals how the scene looked Our guest was as soon as he could hold a pencil He sure that it was his praising the gods completed his first book on slugs when and our getting stuck that brought he was five such a good omen As time went on he became more After the years spent in Alaska known to the public He wanted to Bill and his wife returned to California work for Disney and even went to for a time where their first son the Art Center in Los Angeles in Mark was born in 1959 Bill finally 1943 but World War II intervened worked at Disneyland Then it was He served his last military year as off to Denver Colorado where he a cartoonist for Stars and Stripes worked on a diorama for the Denver When he returned to civilian life he Museum of Natural History attended the School of Allied Arts in The Berry family returned to Glendale CA However most of his Alaska in 1961 where a second son knowledge came from hours spent Paul was born in 1962 They lived at at the Los Angeles County Museum Deneki Lakes until 1965 when they where he drew skeletons and studied moved to Fairbanks the structure of dozens of birds and Berry taught drawing classes mammals He ended up illustrating at the Tanana Valley Community a book for them entitled Birds of College and was working on a mural Southern California by George Wollett for the children s book room of the Over the years Berry worked as a Noel Wien Library in Fairbanks at Curator of Science at the California the time of his death in 1979 Junior Museum in Sacramento and Editor s Note This biography of did numerous commissions ranging William D Berry was written by J from paintings to illustrations to murals C Amberlyn on her fan website Invited to visit Alaska Berry www jcamberlyn com berry html Print Courtesy of Awhani Press Mountain Coyote by Bill Berry Be sure to visit us at our website at undiscovered yosemite com
Yosemite California Volume 7 Number 4 Page Fifteen Merced River Final Plan Released Continued from Page One the transportation system to provide a better visitor experience in Yosemite Valley enhancing recreational opportunities and reducing or eliminating unnecessary facilities and services in the river corridor Under the selected alternative visitors to Yosemite Valley will see marked improvements in the transportation system including more efficient parking and traffic flow Coupled with enhancements to meadows improvements to river access and extensive riverbank restoration the visitor experience will be significantly improved Visitors to Yosemite Village will experience an enhanced sense of arrival to the heart of Yosemite Valley as the plan fully integrates the primary day use parking area with pathways to visitor services restrooms and food service The selected alternative will protect and enhance river values through essential ecological restoration of riverbanks and riparian and meadow habitat Abandoned infrastructure within the bed and banks of the river will be removed along with campsites and associated infrastructure within 100 feet of the river these areas will be ecologically restored This alternative will also establish a valley oak habitat protection area in El Portal Further study will be conducted to assess the alluvial processes of the Merced River and develop a strategy for addressing the hydraulic constriction associated with the historic Sugar Pine Bridge The connection between meadows and the riparian floodplain throughout the Valley will be enhanced with engineering and design treatments including the installation of large box culverts and permeable subgrades to improve surface water flow Recreational activities such as rafting bicycling and ice skating will continue with rental facilities and services provided at locations outside of the river corridor With watercraft allowed on eight miles of the Merced River in Yosemite Valley boaters will be able to float new and challenging reaches of water framed by views of El Capitan and Half Dome Valley stables will be active servicing the High Sierra camp and supporting NPS administrative activities Private horseback riding and boarding will continue in Yosemite Valley and further into the high country Families will enjoy expanded camping opportunities in East Yosemite Valley with new walk in campsites provided east of Camp 4 at Upper Pines and at the location of the former Upper and Lower River campgrounds More drive in campsites including some RV sites will be provided in new camping areas at Upper Pines and Lower River adjacent to the road and at El Portal Housekeeping Camp will continue to offer an alternative to camping with improved access to the nearby beach and picnicking area Photograph by Kevin Reilly The Merced River and Pohono Bridge The visual distraction caused by substandard temporary housing at Curry Village will be eliminated Similar improvements will be noticed at Yosemite Lodge with the replacement of temporary modular housing with permanent rustically designed current code compliant housing Redundant services such as the Village Sports Shop the Lodge Nature Shop and the Yosemite Lodge post office will be eliminated and replaced with visitor information and interpretive functions Overall the visitor will discover a less cluttered and confused Yosemite Valley experience with ample opportunity to enjoy the river and its values without diminishing their quality West Yosemite Valley will retain its overall natural character with limited facilities and services provided This peaceful setting will continue to serve as a destination for low impact recreational activities such as hiking rock climbing photography and wildlife viewing Backcountry enthusiasts traveling through the Merced River corridor will find designated camping at Little Yosemite Valley Moraine Dome and Merced Lake Visitors to Yosemite Wilderness will have the option of staying at a smaller Merced Lake High Sierra camp and continuing on to other High Sierra Camps or exiting to the Valley Visitors to Wawona will continue to enjoy the historic Hotel swimming pool and tennis courts Recreational activities will include camping commercial horseback day rides from the Wawona stables golfing swimming picnicking and boating the South Fork Merced One Best Hike Yosemite s Half Dome by Rick Deutsch Mr Half Dome Forward by Royal Robbins Updated 2nd Edition The only dedicated Half Dome guide Covers history geology preparation 193 pages 120 photos Gear checklist trail information 18 points of interest with mileage altitude elapsed time GPS markers 14 95 plus tax at Yosemite REI Amazon Outfitters and Bookstores HikeHalfDome com FREE Half Dome app Happy Isles Photograph by Kevin Reilly
Page Sixteen YOSEMITE GAZETTE Photographing Yosemite in the Details Kevin Reilly I ve been traveling to Yosemite since I was two years old and while I didn t have a camera with me then it wasn t long before I did and I ve been shooting up there ever since And while I m amazed at what is possible with the new cameras and printers I m even more amazed that Yosemite has retained all of its beauty over the years But some of that beauty is only found on certain special days Days when the weather combines with those awesome valley views to deliver something that stays in your head and your heart forever But have you ever heard someone say Photographs don t do the place justice What makes it so difficult to capture the grandeur of Yosemite especially on those days when fleeting scenes turn everyday beauty into once in a lifetime experiences I believe the issue lies in the details A camera can never see the full range of light as well as our own eyes so details in the highlights and the shadows are easily lost Therefore most photographs are only poor reminders of the beauty that we experienced in person I ve developed a style of photography that concentrates on preserving those details a style that offers all of the grandness of traditional photography but gives the viewer enough granularity of focus to please those detail seeking eyes I don t want to offer the viewer a reminder of their most favorite places I want them to feel like they can visit those places anytime they want simply by looking at the print on their wall I ve just started a new endeavor a website devoted to all of us who share an appreciation of travel camping and photography It is called Roadshooters com and I hope you come by and take a look Kevin Reilly Roadshooters com Photograph by Kevin Reilly Winter s Day from the Swinging Bridge Students at The Yoga Loft in downtown Sonora take a moment to breath and relax with a Yosemite Gazette in hand A variety of classes are offered seven days a week for children and adults Visit The Yoga Loft today to take a moment for yourself as well as pick up a Yosemite Gazette Or why not ensure regular delivery Subscribe to the YOSEMITE GAZETTE One year only 30 less than 50 cents a story 50 for two years 100 for five years Receive your copy of each issue delivered to your home or office by first class mail Photocopy this and mail it to us with your check to P O Box 5227 Sonora CA 95370 5227 Name ____________________________________ Address __________________________________ City ______________________________________ State _________ZIP_________________________ Photograph by Kevin Reilly Three Brothers Mirrored in Merced River Email ____________________________________
