Yosemite National Park - Hetch Hetchy - July 6, 1970 - Member Trip Report
| Hike Name: | Yosemite National Park - Hetch Hetchy |
|---|---|
| Country: | United States |
| State: | California |
| Trip Rating: |  |
| Trip Date: | July 6, 1970 |
| Duration: | 5 days |
| Trail Conditions: | Good |
| Trail Traffic: | Light |
| Trip Weather: | Sunny |
| Trip Winds: | Light |
| Trip Precipitation: | None |
| Trip Temperature: | High: 71-80, Low: 41-50 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Trip Report: | Nobbe and I had a week off of work so I talked him into joining me for a backpacking trip to Yosemite. The kid from Indiana was eager to see the best that California has to offer. 7/5/1970 (Sun) – We drove from Orange County to the South Entrance of Yosemite National Park, visiting the Mariposa Grove and its magnificent giant sequoias. We were prevented from visiting Yosemite Valley, however, as the Park Service had closed the valley off – apparently there was a large crowd of hippies in the valley and the service was afraid of a threatened anti-war demonstration or something. So we drove out Big Oak Flat Road through the Tuolumne Grove and on up toward Mather. We camped for the night to acclimate to the altitude at a Forest Service campsite south of Mather, along the south fork. 7/6/1970 (Mon) – It was cool at dawn, when we parked at the trailhead, and started out on the trail. Curiously, when we parked the car, I saw my father’s car at the trailhead. I knew he and my younger brothers were backpacking this week in Yosemite, but I had no idea they were in this area. Every turn in the trail brought new and stunning vistas. The trail seemed much easier than it had last year. I am sure that is partly a result of new and better equipment. This year I have a modern aluminum frame pack with a hip belt so the weight is spread out to my hips. Although my load is heavier than last year, it seems a lot easier to carry. Considering the ordeal last year, I had warned Nobbe that there were some places that we would have to take very slowly as they were grueling. We never really encountered that at all this year. Wapama Falls was lovely, but the bridge was high above the stream, whereas last year it was under water. The climb up the shoulder of Hetch Hetchy Dome caused us to break a sweat, but it was a far cry from the agony of the previous year. Near the Tiltill Creek crossing we met another party of backpackers on their way out. Of all people, it was my dad and brothers! The climb to Rancheria Falls was slow and hot, but we never even got close to crawling as we almost did last year. Nobbe did say to me, however, while we were on that climb, “You call this fun?” We spent a lazy afternoon at Rancheria Falls campsite, alone again, except for a party of backpackers that stopped to cook lunch at the campsite and then moved on down the trail. Both the falls and the creek were much smaller than last year. Fishing was not as good, either, so we ate sardines and bread for dinner. Total for the day 6 miles. 7/7/1970 (Tue) – This morning we made the climb into the pass in about an hour or so. I almost stepped on a small rattlesnake sunning itself on a rock on the trail. The snake was pretty indignant about the intrusion, too. The pass into Tiltill Valley was dry this year and full of beautiful wild flowers. I wish I knew my wild flowers. The meadow in Tiltill Valley was back to normal this year – that is, it was a dry trail across a meadow with knee-high grass. An amazing contrast to the wet year of 1969. Nobbe and I set up camp in the same place Joe and I had camped last year. Once again we explored all over the valley sans packs. My 1969 experience was that this valley was a very wet place, but this year it is anything but. The stream was still running strong so Nobbe tried his hand, unsuccessfully, at fishing. Total for the day 3 miles. 7/8/1970 (Wed) – We hiked the toughest part of this trail this morning, a 2100’ climb up the wall west of our campsite in Tiltill Valley in a seemingly endless array of switchbacks. Since the trail was in a thick stand of timber almost all the way up the slope, there was little sense of how high we were climbing until we neared the top. Up there we encountered an old burn area which afforded us a very expansive view, all the way to the reservoir. As we rounded the shoulder of Mt Gibson the landscape changed to a boulder strewn alpine scene. We could see Lake Vernon all the way in this open terrain. By time we reached the lake, we had hiked about 5 miles with a demanding climb and were ready to take it easy for the rest of the day. Our campsite at Lake Vernon was mostly open, although we were by the only trees in the area. Once again, we got skunked in the fishing department. Total for the day 4.7 miles. 7/9/1970 (Thu) -- We tried a little more fishing this morning, caught nothing, and decided to move on. We hiked up over Moraine Ridge and down into the nest valley and set up camp along the shore of Laurel Lake, in a nice shady forested area. I did quite a bit of exploring around here for the afternoon while Nobbe fished the lake. More beans for dinner. Total for the day 3 miles. 7/10/1970 (Fri) – This morning we hiked across the valley and up into a saddle on the opposite side, and once through the saddle we could see all of Hetch Hetchy at our feet. We went down the switchbacks to the dam and the trailhead. Then we drove back to the campground south of Mather where we found a secluded spot to bathe and wash away a week of sweat. Total for the day 4.2 miles. 7/11/1970 (Sat) – Before returning to Orange County, we toured Yosemite Valley and Glacier Point. Traffic in the valley was as bad as a big city. I think that the automobile may be ruining this place. |
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