Michael Lanza posted a great article back in 2007 on the Backpacker Magazine website about hiking the John Muir Trail. I’m thinking about doing this same thing; Hiking the JMT in a week. How hard could it be? I’ve always wanted to see how many blisters I can get on my feet…
From the article:
Got a few days off, a pair of healthy feet, and a pain threshold higher than Dean Karnazes? You can (possibly) blaze the length of America’s Most Beautiful Trail.
Sunset Magazine has quite an extensive series of articles on Yosemite, including a slideshow of the ‘Top Wow Spots’ in the park.
From Sunset Magazine:
Getting there. Yosemite lies 195 miles east of San Francisco, 175 southeast of Sacramento, and 90 miles northeast of Fresno. The main gateway towns to Yosemite are El Portal, on California 140 just west of the park; Mariposa, also on 140 30 miles southwest from El Portal; Groveland, on California 120 west of the park; and Oakhurst, on California 41 south of the park. The entrance fee is $20 per vehicle.
When to go. Yosemite is a four-seasons park. Summer is the busiest time, with highs in the 80s and occasional thunderstorms. Fall offers warm days, cool nights and fall color. Winter brings lows in the 20s, considerable snow at higher elevations and lesser quantities in the valley. Spring is gorgeous, with blossoming dogwoods, splashing waterfalls and highs in the 60s.
Mark Phelps is reporting on the Flying Magazine website that the Spruce Goose may be up for repo. That’d be something to see!
The Spruce Goose (officially known as the “Hughes H-4 Hercules” FAA registration NX37602) is the largest flying boat ever built and has the largest wingspan of any aircraft in history. It was built from birch wood because of wartime restrictions on metals, like aluminum. Critics nicknamed it the “Spruce Goose” – a name that Howard Hughes despised – even though it contained no spruce at all.
I guess “Birch Bitch” wasn’t publication friendly.
This magnificent aircraft only made one flight – with Howard Hughes at the controls – at Long Beach Harbor on November 2, 1947. The war had long since ended, but Hughes was bound and determined to show his detractors that the plane really could fly.
Four Mile Trail from Yosemite Valley to Glacier Point has reopened. It’s usually closed from December through May because of “dangerous winter conditions,” with the last mile to the top almost NEVER opened up until May. Even though we’re experiencing a mild winter here on the west coast, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared for winter conditions from Union Point to Glacier Point.
The Yosemite Conservancy Award is presented each year to an unsung hero in the Yosemite community — someone who goes above and beyond the requirements of their job to truly make a difference. Erik Westerlund recently was presented with this award for his exceptional efforts in providing interpretation in Yosemite National Park and his many volunteer contributions within the community.
Erik recently formed the Yosemite Natural Club, an open group of professional and armchair naturalists from the Yosemite community who gather regularly to investigate seasonal or special natural-history topics in Yosemite Valley. This informal club develops an esprit de corps among all the area naturalists, and creates a platform for new science to be shared among interpreters. Continue reading
