25¢ Continued on page 1 Photo by Trudy Johnson E E SUMMER xplorers. Trail Builders. Pioneers. Innkeepers. Artists. xplorers. Trail Conservationists. The story of these and other early settlers can be found by crossing the historic Yosemite VOLUME XXIX, NO. 2 GUIDE GUIDE covered bridge in Wawona and taking a walk through time. covered bridge in Wawona first national It is a story of the creation one America’s a story filled with hopes and dreams, struggles parks. It’s conflict as our nation grappled with the concept of preservation of wilderness. Ride into history with stage driver, Burrel Maier. E JUNE 20 – SEPTEMBER 4, 2000 OSEMIT OSEMIT YOUR KEY TO VISITING THE PARK A Walk Through A Walk Time Y Y by Jeff Lahr Look Inside! Information • Planning Your Visit • Planning Your • Important Road Valley Shuttle Valley Bus Map . Back Panel Park Map . 10 & 11 Park Rules . 2 Bears . 3 Camping . 4 Backpacking & Day Hikes.Valley . 5 Activities . 12 – 17 Facilities & Services . 18 & 19 Just For Kids . 9 NewsYosemite . 6 Nature Notes. 7 Plan Valley Yosemite . Center Yosemite, CA 95389 P.O. Box 577 National Park Service of the Interior U.S. Department Shuttle Bus Route 8 Shuttle Bus Stop Ahwahnee Shuttle Trail to Yosemite Falls Upper Trail to Bicycle Path Yosemite Snow Creek Fall and Hiking Trail Tuolumne Meadows Campground N Picnic Area Lower Yosemite Royal Restroom Map not to scale Fall Arches P Parking Yosemite Village Half Yosemite Valley Destination Areas i Dome Visitor Medical V Yosemite Village C Curry Village Center Clinic L Yosemite Lodge A The Ahwahnee L Church 3 Bowl Information i 7 4 A A Mirror Lake 2 8 The Yosemite Ahwahnee Lodge 10 6 9 k 1 Columbia e e Day Rock r C Parking ite Camp 4 em Chapel os k (Sunnyside) Y Housekeeping ee Walk-in 5 Cr Camp ya Tena Lower North El Capitan LeConte Pines Swinging V Memorial 11 Pines Stable Bridge Lodge 17 18 16 This map should not 20 M Me er rce Riv 12 e d 19 13 rc be used for hiking. ed P R Curry 14 ive Trail maps are available Village Upper r Sentinel Pines for purchase at visitor Beach Campground C Reservation centers and stores Office throughout the park. Yellow Glacier Pine Point Sentinel Dome 15 No rths e ide Driv e Four Mile riv Trail to P e D Glacier hsid Vernal Sout Point Fall Nature d Center Trail to R at Sentinel t n Happy Dome i o Isles P r e i Trail from c Glacier Trail to Vernal a l Point to Vernal & Fall G Vernal & Nevada Footbridge Mist Trail Nevada Falls Falls Seasonal John Muir Trail A The Ahwahnee 8 Yosemite Village 15 Happy Isles RIDE THE FREE (Service ends 8:30 p.m.) 1 Yosemite Village/Day Parking 9 Yosemite Village/Day Parking Postage and Fees Paid 16 Mirror Lake YOSEMITE VALLEY 2 Yosemite Village 10 Sentinel Bridge/ (Service ends 8:30 p.m.) U.S. Department Third Class Mail SHUTTLE BUS 3 Visitor Center Yosemite Chapel Parking of the Interior Schedules and routes may vary. 17 Stable Shuttle buses operate daily at 10-minute intervals, 4 Yosemite Falls 11 Housekeeping Camp/ (Service ends 8:30 p.m.) except during early morning and late evening hours (Service ends 8:00 p.m.) LeConte Memorial Lodge when intervals may be 20 minutes. All buses follow the 18 Pines Campgrounds same route, serving stops in numerical order. 5 Yosemite Lodge/Camp 4 12 Bike & Raft Rental G-83 19 Curry Village SCHEDULE: 6 Yosemite Lodge 13 Curry Village 20 Bike & Raft Rental June 20 – September 4, 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. 7 Visitor Center 14 Upper Pines Campground YYOSEMITOSEMITEE GUIDEGUIDE YOUR KEY TO VISITING THE PARK SUMMER JUNE 20 – SEPTEMBER 4, 2000 VOLUME XXIX, NO. 2 A Walk Through Time Continued from front cover Tucked away in Wawona—one of Yosemite’s quieter corners—you’ll find the Pioneer Yosemite History Center, where each building represents a dif- ferent chapter in Yosemite’s history. Visitors are encouraged to enter the fascinating world of the Pioneer Yosemite History Center as if they too The establishment of the Yosemite Grant in 1864 laid the were pioneers. With the murmur of foundation for national parks. This story is memorialized at the Merced River’s South Fork in the Pioneer Yosemite History Center in Wawona. the background, the clang of a black- smith’s anvil, and the whinny of spending the summer patrolling The History Center’s living history nearby horses, it’s easy to imagine life the park, building trails, and program runs throughout the summer on in an earlier era. stocking the lakes with fish. Wednesday through Sunday afternoons. WAWONA COVERED BRIDGE STAGECOACH COLLECTION During this time you will find several of It’s fitting that the old wooden The Pioneer Yosemite History the buildings staffed by dedicated volun- bridge, originally built by Galen Clark, Center also houses a collection teers in costume who assume the roles of serves as the entrance to the History of restored and authentic stage- Yosemite pioneers. Center. Clark’s role as one of the origi- coaches, representing early The Pioneer Yosemite History Center nal conservationists and innkeepers travel to the Yosemite region. is located in Wawona, about 4 miles places him in one of the earliest chap- After a train-ride from San from the park’s South Entrance along the ters of Yosemite’s history. After Francisco to the terminus in the Wawona Road, and is just a short walk Abraham Lincoln signed legislation in small foothill town of Raymond, from the Wawona Store parking lot. It is 1864 protecting Yosemite Valley and Yosemite was still a two-day ride always open and interpretive brochures the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias by stage. The stage trip was a are available. by creating the Yosemite Grant, Clark bruising one, and one which was appointed the Guardian of the A horse soldier could go anywhere, so it was logical left passengers covered with a Jeff Lahr is a seasonal ranger in Grant. Clark’s bridge, however, didn’t to call upon the U.S. Cavalry to patrol national fine coat of dust. The stage dri- Wawona. During the school year, resemble the covered bridge we cross parks before the creation of the National Park vers were literally the “Kings of he teaches art and history at Paulding Service in 1916. today. After the Washburn family the Road,” commanding respect Middle School in Arroyo Grande, CA. bought Clark’s Station and converted from all their passengers as they it to the Wawona Hotel as seen today, HOMESTEADING CONFLICT navigated the rocky roads, the hair-pin they covered the rough-hewn bridge The Hodgdon cabin represents the role curves, and dealt with the occasional in 1879 in the tradition of their New of the homesteaders, a controversial bandits along the route. England origins. chapter of Yosemite’s history. Homestead- TO LEARN MORE... ers claimed a portion of the Yosemite area HISTORY COMES ALIVE WHO WAS A blacksmith heats up iron and demon- under the stipulations of the Home- Beginning June 28, come watch GEORGE ANDERSON? strates a nearly forgotten art. Two sisters steading Act of 1864. The Hodgdons the living history portrayals of Nestled away in the northwestern fetch water from the pump. A Wells Fargo owned a ranch in the Sierra foothills and Yosemite’s early pioneers, corner of the History Center is the simple clerk checks her watch, waiting for the claimed a section of land near Yosemite Wednesday through Sunday. cabin of George Anderson, built in the stage to arrive. Visitors who really wish to as summer pasture. The Hodgdons, along See page 14 for details. 1870s. Anderson, a Scottish sailor, gold- experience a journey back into Yosemite’s with other pioneer families, opposed seeker, and jack-of-all trades, represents past can climb aboard a horse-drawn Ask your stage driver, Burrel, John Muir’s efforts to create Yosemite the early pioneers and settlers of the area. wagon and see what our predecessors how long it takes to ride from National Park, believing that it would Although he was one of the first trail- endured in order to travel to the wonders San Francisco to Yosemite. Stage erode their rights as property owners. builders of Yosemite and the local of Yosemite. rides take place Thursday After building the only two-story cabin in blacksmith, he is most remembered as The inspiration for the Pioneer through Sunday. See page 14 the region, and creating a summer home, the first person to reach the summit of Yosemite History Center came when for details. Half Dome. Although many had tried to the Hodgdons feared that the creation of the flood of 1955 nearly destroyed the Read Yosemite’s Historic Wawona, scale the summit before him, Anderson Yosemite National Park would undermine covered bridge. The National Park Service by Shirley Sargent, available at laboriously drilled holes for spikes all the their homesteading efforts. decided to restore it and create the Pio- bookstores throughout the park. way to its peak. Following the entrepre- U.S. CAVALRY CABIN neer Yosemite History Center to celebrate neurial spirit that energized many of After Yosemite National Park was estab- the hundredth anniversary of the estab- Yosemite’s first settlers, Anderson soon lished in 1890, the U.S. Cavlary took up lishment of the Yosemite Grant (which in began charging for tours to the top. the role of “acting 1864 marked the beginning of the formal Superintendent,” concept of establishing national parks in becoming America).