Yosemite Valley

How long has it been since I’ve camped in Yosemite Valley? I think, the mid-80’s. That’s at least 20 years ago.

I’ve stayed in Yosemite Lodge, of course, and visited the valley floor several times from campgrounds high up on Tioga Road. But no camping in the valley. There was a period of time when my brother Joe was living in El Portal, just outside the park entrance, while he was working for the U.S. Forest Service as an archeologist. I was able to utilize his trailer and his expertise as elements for my photographic trips for a number of years. Later, I used the Forest Service campground in El Portal and drove the few miles up to the valley. Joe lives in Los Alamos now, and the El Portal campground was destroyed by the great flood of 1997 (jeez, how long has it been since I’ve been to El Portal?)

All of this is a roundabout way of saying that I’ve been wanting to take some spring photos in Yosemite Valley for some time now. The main issue here is the season. Spring means that all of the campgrounds along Tioga Road are still closed, hence my former use of El Portal. Plus I had assumed that campgrounds in the valley itself would be entirely booked up . . . the waterfall season, the dogwood season etc etc.

Well, we know what they say about the word "assume." Through a circuitous internet route I found myself at the government’s reservation site making a reservation for next week for the North Pines campground! Feels odd . . . making a reservation for a campground. We’ll see.

Photo: Trees, Vernal Falls Trail—Yosemite, 1961