Yosemite | A Land before Time

Here’s something we can all agree on: the National Park System is one of the greatest things about our country. This idea to protect great swaths of land from development for the benefit of mankind is simple yet profound. To protect nature for nature’s sake. Every park I’ve been to is the perfect blend of accessibility and pure nature. You can get amazing views from the parking lot, or you can go deep into the wilderness and avoid human contact for days.

I love the West. For years growing up our big summer vacation was visiting a National Park. Some of my favorites have been Olympia, Yellowstone, Glacier, and my all time favorite, Grand Teton in Jackson Hole. Having said all that, I had never been to arguably the most popular National Park of all, Yosemite. Given its proximity to San Francisco and the beautiful photos from the likes of Ansel Adams, it’s no wonder that it remains one of the most popular.

It was worth the wait.

We arrived late in the afternoon and went straight to Hetch Hetchy, once a beautiful valley floor every bit as spectacular as its famous counterpart, but dammed in 1923 to provide drinking water for San Francisco. As you can imagine, this was not without controversy. Politicians had been pining for years to dam the valley and pipe in the pristine water to San Francisco, but it wasn’t until the 1906 earthquake that things became desperate. In 1908 the US Government granted San Francisco the rights to develop the Tuolumne River and the rest is history. Still today, more than 85% of the city’s drinking water comes from Hetch Hetchy and is some of the cleanest municipal water in the US. The Sierra Club is still advocating for the dam’s removal, but I’m not holding my breath.

“Dam Hetch Hetchy! As well dam for water-tanks the people's cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man.”
- John Muir

El Capitan is a sight to behold. Nothing short of staring up at it from the Valley floor can do it justice. I had recently watched Free Solo and thought I had the necessary understanding and respect of such majesty, but I was wrong. I was stunned at its sheer size…3,000 feet of granite sticking straight up from the earth. Climbers were impossible to spot with the naked eye, and even with binoculars they looked like ants. I was awestruck.

As beautiful as it is, Yosemite Valley is better viewed from above in my opinion. The Valley floor is hot and crowded. On a positive note, I’m glad that people in today’s digital griphold are making the effort to experience the great outdoors. That’s truly wonderful. On the flip side, it was a great reminder of just how overpopulated our world has become. Also, notice I use the term “people” instead of Americans. Almost everyone we encountered was speaking a foreign language. It appears as though Americans do not appreciate what is in their own backyards. Typical.

We only had a few days in Yosemite but our time was well spent. We didn’t do anything too strenuous, our longest hike only being a few miles. Our time in the park only reinforced how brilliant and majestic our National Parks are and how they should be protected at all costs. There was a time when that didn’t need to be said, but in our current political climate, nothing seems sacred. Sad.

I cannot wait to return to Yosemite one day. Enjoy the photos!