Tuesday 25 September 2012

Ghosts and Giants but no Bears: California's Sierra Nevada National Parks


 In a rare poetic moment the Photographer described Yosemite National Park as the leftover scene of a giant's battle: 'Look, where they threw Half Dome.' It does feel a bit like that, it has an enormous quality which is almost too big to grasp, both because it is so old and because it is so huge.



The awe inspiring qualities of California's National Parks are well documented, and that is why they are so damn busy! Here are my tips to enjoying the parks without the crowds:


1) Choose a campsite which has recently suffered from a major health scare and bad press on an international scale.

We stayed at Camp Curry, which is very concerned with your well being when it comes to bears. Thus you have to lock all your smelly possessions, including empty water bottles and razors (who knew, bears shaved!) in a bear box outside your tent. The bear box has tiny holes, just small enough for a mouse to get in and do a poo. Mice poo carries hantavirus, perhaps a disease some of you may have come across recently on the news. A disease which killed four travellers who stayed at Camp Curry a month ago. We didn't see a single bear in Yosemite, and in Canada, where there are definitely bears (I know, I saw them), the boot of the car was perfectly adequate for smelly goods. Whilst at Camp Curry we overheard two girls (also from Yorkshire, that's how we could understand them) say that all the food from their bear box had been eaten by mice, and ask if it was ok to use their toiletries. Oh yes, they were told, which is contrary to all health advice. One has to wonder if perhaps Camp Curry are worrying about the wrong furry animals.

That said, Camp Curry is very efficient and well oiled machine. Fatal diseases aside, our tent was lovely; the food requirements of over 500 accommodations are more than adequately met by the pizzeria, coffee shop, grill and buffet; and the showers were always clean. You also can't put a price on the location of Curry, it's in the heart of the valley, in the shadow of Half Dome. Every evening as we were walking to tea we saw the Dome change from white to pink as the sun set, and every morning, on the way to the shower, we caught the curtain of dusk lifting slowly across the valley as the sun rose and coated everything in orange light. It was like watching a picture being coloured in.

Half Dome in half light




2) Don't be afraid of early mornings and hard work

Amongst the best sites in Yosemite are its waterfalls. Arriving after a dry summer meant most of these were dry, and those which still had some power, were busy. We got up very early (no real chore when you have that view waiting) and walked up to Vernal Falls, it's steep, but we were at the top by 9.30, in time to watch the sun bathe the valley below in glorious light. And we were the only people there. From Vernal it is possible to climb higher to another waterfall, (Nevada) giving even more impressive views. We were there by 11, beating the crowds, and almost beating the California sun.

And the early start and steep hike was worth it: the waterfalls were far more impressive than the more famous Bridal falls - which allegedly doesn't dry up. From my vantage point, at the bottom of this fall two days later, I saw a bit of spray come over the top and could almost feel the waterfall's embarrassed blushes beating off the dry red rocks at the bottom: the spray didn't even make it half way down! However, after our experiences with rain earlier in the trip, the Photographer and I weren't complaining about the lack of water in Yosemite!


Views worth a hike



We also visited Glacier point, for amazing valley views of Half Done, and any flowing waterfalls. We fled after four coach parties arrived and climbed nearby Sentinel Hill, this steep mile climb gives 360 degree views of the whole of Yosemite, and again, leaves the thong wearing, hd video camera toting masses behind.






3) Visit other parks

Yosemite is not the only park, Kings Canyon and Sequoia Parks (one fee for both) are outstandingly beautiful and considerably less crowded. Grant Grove, in King's Canyon is one of the most stunningly located campsites that we have ever encountered. The rustic (Lonely Planet describes them as decrepit!) log cabins are surrounded by huge sequoia trees, which stretch heavenwards, only stopping to let the stars in. Being within arms length of a family of mule deers on the way to the shower block the next day was also a real highlight. My advice: stay long enough to see General Grant tree, the third largest tree in the world, by this point, if you are anything like the Photographer, even Bambi himself will not be enough to make the coin operated showers worth it!



4) Leave Yosemite

Outside Yosemite, at the end of the Tioga Pass, is a an area called the Mono Basin, which calls itself the gateway to Yosemite. We wondered if Yosemite should consider calling itself the gateway to Mono! Mono Lake is worth at least a look, it has unusually high sodium levels which result in the growth of huge salt pillars called tufas. Combine these eerie columns with a clinging smell of sulphur (eggy farts) and swarms of black flies and you have a rather biblical picture. The lake itself is deadly still. If this isn't ghostly enough, head up the road to Bodie, an old gold town. Bodie was a thriving (if somewhat dangerous) town at the end of the 1800s, but as the gold dried up and two big fires destroyed many buildings the community started to dissipate and by the 1930s, everyone had upped and left, literally, leaving unwashed crockery, unmade beds, newspapers, cars, fire engines and school books. The baking California sun radiated off the rickety wooden buildings, and you could close your eyes and almost hear the cries of a bustling town: poker games at the Old Hotel, children in the school yard, the fire bell ringing and the clink of the machinery at the mine. Bodie is a fantastic way of spending an afternoon, and if you think there is nothing better than the view of a Half Dome  and El Capitan from tunnel view the first time you enter Yosemite, try rediscovering that view four days later when you renter the park after a day in a ghost town. Then the crowds don't seem like a curse, they are a glorious reminder of the noise of real people!


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