2003-04-01 - 10:02 a.m.

Yosemite

Despite having lived in California for over 10-years (only half of this time has been as a resident), I never visited Yosemite before.

Why not? Simple, I had crowded places. I especially hate crowded places, where the charm of the place is the lack of human influence. Yosemite is hugely over impacted.

So why did this change?

Well, tourists are usually terribly predictable. When the change to visit the park in the off-season provided itself, the over-crowded factor was largely gone. Second, my friend, SRJ, from Spain wanted to see the park. Another one of the reasons I've never gone before, is because when you live only a day from a place, you typically put off visiting it because you'll keep telling yourself, "I can go next month."

Next Month

Knowing that there would be less of a crowd and wanting to treat my friend to California, I talked Redwood and Particle into also going. The four of us made it a day trip.

Yosemite in one-word: breathe-taking.

Wait, that might be two words. ;)

I really can't describe in words what the park was really like, but I'll try. March is the peak of the snow-melt runoff season here in California. That means that Yosemite's many waterfalls (which ranging in height from 2500' to 100') are at their largest discharge rate. Yosemite valley was formed when a glacier cut deep into the surrounding granite. It is amazing how narrow the valley is. It is even more amazing that the valley was not converted into a damn for San Francisco's use. (Yes, the city of San Francisco destroyed Hetch Hetchy Valley to the north. According to John Muir, Yosemite didn't even hold a candle to Hetch Hetchy. And I personally get a kick out of how many San Franciscians think of themselves as the most environmentally aware people on the face of the Earth, and yet few of them are willing to talk about restoring Hetch Hetchy. San Francisco is the home of NIMBY, but that is another rant.)

Many of the waterfalls I visited on Sunday didn't have names, because their location can change from year to year. The major falls, however, remain the same: Vernals, Yosemite, Nevada, and Bridalveil Falls. Two of them were located an easy walking distance from the park bus system. The other two you had to earn. Meaning you had to hike a few miles uphill. Granted the path was made mostly of stone, but it was a mostly uphill trek.

I want to go back. But I'm convinced that the time of year to visit the park is indeed in March. Hardly anybody was there. You really got the feeling that this was a park, and not just a tourist trap.

LISTENING TO: Front 242 Backcatalogue

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