Yosemite Conservancy Autumn.Winter 2019 :: Volume 10.Issue 02
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YOSEMITE CONSERVANCY AUTUMN.WINTER 2019 :: VOLUME 10.ISSUE 02 Yosemite's Legendary Trails INSIDE Caring for Iconic Trails Beyond the Valley: Trails Less Traveled Expert Insights with Yosemite Naturalists Q&A with Yosemite Insiders PHOTO: (OPPOSITE) © YOSEMITE CONSERVANCY/KEITH WALKLET. CONSERVANCY/KEITH © YOSEMITE (OPPOSITE) PHOTO: OUR MISSION Yosemite Conservancy inspires people to support projects and programs that preserve Yosemite and enrich the visitor experience. PRESIDENT’S NOTE YOSEMITE CONSERVANCY “Never follow anyone else's path, COUNCIL MEMBERS unless you're in the woods and CHAIR VICE PRESIDENT Bob Bennitt* & COO you're lost and you see a path. VICE CHAIR Jerry Edelbrock Then by all means follow that path.” Dana Dornsife* CHIEF FINANCIAL — ELLEN DEGENERES PRESIDENT & CEO OFFICER Frank Dean* Kevin Gay ’ll add a caveat to Ellen’s wise words: In Yosemite, COUNCIL whether you’re in the woods or zigzagging above Hollis & Matt Adams* Jennifer & tree line, it’s generally a good idea to follow a Jeanne & Michael Adams Gregory Johnson pre-existing path, even if you’re not lost. Gretchen Augustyn Walt Lemmermann Jenny Augustyn & Melody & Bob Lind Fortunately, the park’s hundreds of miles of trails offer ample opportunities Ali Meghdadi Sam & Cindy Livermore Suzy & Bob Bennitt* Steve Lockhart & to chart your own adventure and find or reconnect with favorite spots. (My David Bowman & Karen Bals favorite trails are in the Cathedral Range — they feature spectacular views of Gloria Miller Anahita & Jim Lovelace domes and glaciated peaks.) Marilyn & Allan Brown Mark Marion & Steve & Diane Ciesinski* Sheila Grether-Marion Kira & Craig Cooper Patsy & Tim Marshall In this issue, we’re exploring how projects and programs you support help Hal Cranston & Kirsten & Dan Miks people adventure and learn on Yosemite’s trails. Vicki Baker Robyn & Joe Miller Carol & Manny Diaz Kate & Ryan Myers When struggling up a steep Yosemite Valley trail, I often marvel at how the route Leslie & John Dorman* Janet Napolitano was chosen and built. In these pages, you’ll see how the Valley’s “legendary” trails Dave* & Dana Dornsife* Dick Otter & Jewell* & Bob Engstrom Judy Wilbur took shape, and how donors’ gifts help restore those historic paths. You’ll also Kathy Fairbanks Sharon & Phil Pillsbury* learn about the new Washburn Trail to Mariposa Grove, which follows the route Sandra & Gisele & Lawson Rankin of an old wagon road that Chinese laborers helped build over a single winter! Bernard Fischbach Bill Reller Cynthia & Bill Floyd* Pam & Rod Rempt* Jim Freedman & Frankie & Skip Rhodes* Elsewhere in this issue, a story about donor-funded youth programs Karine Joret Liz Robbins highlights how trails serve not only as physical paths, but also as portals to Susan & Don Fuhrer* Dave Rossetti & new experiences and ideas. Bonnie Gregory Jan Avent* Rusty Gregory* Lisa & Greg Stanger* As you read about our Outdoor Adventures and peruse tips from naturalists, Karen & Steve Hanson Jennifer & Russ Stanton* Laura Hattendorf & Ann* & George Sundby I hope you’ll find inspiration for own treks on the trails. In the meantime, Andy Kau Clifford J. Walker* check out our beautiful new website at yosemite.org — your digital pathway Chuck & Wally Wallner* & to Yosemite adventure and memories! Christy Holloway Jill Appenzeller Christina Hurn & Jack Walston & Sue Estes Richard Tassone Helen & Scott Witter Enjoy the magazine, and thank you for your support. COVER PHOTO Backpackers hike near Cathedral Peak, in Yosemite’s high country. Support from Conservancy YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK donors has improved miles of trails throughout the Superintendent Michael Reynolds park, with a focus on protecting habitat and ensuring safe, enjoyable hiking experiences. *Indicates Board of Trustees Frank Dean, President PHOTO: © YOSEMITECONSERVANCY/KEITH WALKLET. Connect with us online! Follow Yosemite Conservancy, and stay connected. PHOTO: (OPPOSITE) © YOSEMITE CONSERVANCY/KEITH WALKLET. CONSERVANCY/KEITH © YOSEMITE (OPPOSITE) PHOTO: AUTUMN.WINTER 2019 CONTENTS VOLUME 10.ISSUE 02 ABOVE From remote routes to Valley boardwalks, Yosemite's extensive trail network helps people experience the park's beauty while keeping habitats healthy. IN THIS ISSUE DEPARTMENTS 04 TAKING CARE OF 14 Q&A WITH A LEGENDARY TRAILS YOSEMITE INSIDER Learn about the critical role Conservancy Learn about the positive impact of donor- volunteers play in the park. funded restoration projects on Yosemite’s 16 WEBSITE UPDATE iconic Valley trails. Have you visited us online lately? We’re excited to share our redesigned website, yosemite.org! 08 BEYOND THE VALLEY: 17 GRANT UPDATES TRAILS LESS TRAVELED Learn about Conservancy projects that promote cycling in the park, inspire youth Discover how top-tier NPS crews work stewardship and more. with the California Conservation Corps to 20 PROGRAM UPDATES complete critical wilderness restoration work. Discover wintertime Outdoor Adventures and go behind the scenes with the Conservancy’s Wilderness team. 10 HIKING, ELEVATED 22 ANNUAL REPORT EXCERPT Learn how Conservancy-funded boardwalks See the impact of your gifts in Yosemite. allow visitors to experience Yosemite's 26 WHY I GIVE wetlands while protecting ecosystems below. Conservancy donors share their stories of inspiration and passion. 28 PUBLISHING 12 NATURALIST NOTES: Explore Yosemite through a naturalist’s TRAILS FOR EVERY SEASON eyes with The Nature of Yosemite, a new Conservancy book by Robb Hirsch. Get inspired for your next outing on the trails with expert tips and tricks from 30 READER PHOTOS Yosemite Conservancy supporters share Conservancy guides. their special Yosemite memories. YOSEMITE.ORG 03 TAKING CARE OF Legendary TRAILS How your support helps Yosemite Valley’s famed hiking routes egendary: a common adjective for the trails leading around and out of Yosemite Valley — with good reason. They feature famous spray-soaked steps, eye-popping sights and heart-pounding inclines. In many cases, they’re also rooted in a history that predates the National Park System. For millennia, American Indians followed game trails, trade routes and footpaths throughout the Sierra, from the trans-range “Mono Trail,” to the western slopes’ sequoia groves, to the floor and rim of Yosemite Valley. In the 1800s, a network of tourist-oriented trails emerged in the Valley. Some were in place before the 1864 Yosemite Grant Act; others started soon after as toll trails, or took shape decades later. PHOTOS: PHOTOS: ( PREVIOUS PAGE) © CAM ADAMS. ADAMS. © CAM PREVIOUS PAGE) Today’s Valley trails provide safe routes for hikers, and protect meadows, riverbanks and waterfall spray zones from foot traffic while welcoming thousands of people on busy days. ( TOP & BOTTOM TOP Frequent footsteps, plus rockfalls, floods and other natural events, ) leave a mark. By funding essential repairs and restoration work, WALKLET. CONSERVANCY/KEITH © YOSEMITE (OPPOSITE) COLLECTION). PHOTO HISTORIC (YOSEMITE REILLY OF NPS. (MIDDLE) © JOHN JAMES © COURTESY your support ensures the Valley trails’ legendary status lives on. MIST TRAIL (VERNAL AND NEVADA FALLS) A trail along the Merced River to Vernal Fall was already in place by the 1860s, when the Yosemite Grant’s commissioners added a bridge above the fall to help people reach nearby Nevada Fall. By the 1870s, the trail featured a toll-collection house and a hotel; those structures are long gone, but the basic route remains. Today, you’ll find evidence of donors’ gifts at work throughout the 2.7-mile hike to Vernal and Nevada falls: Conservancy-funded projects have added sustainable trail tread; repaired avalanche- damaged railings; expanded Preventive Search and Rescue activities to keep hikers safe, especially on spray-soaked steps; and protected trailside vegetation. YOSEMITE FALLS TRAIL Renowned trail-builder John Conway constructed a trail to the top of Yosemite Falls in the 1870s; he operated it as a toll route before selling it to the state in 1885. As in the late 1800s, today’s Yosemite Falls Trail features unrelentingly steep terrain — and rich scenic rewards. The 3.6-mile trek yields jaw-dropping views and an up-close look at California’s tallest waterfall. The seasonal efforts of National Park Service and California Conservation Corps crews keep the trail hazard-free; one year, for example, donor-funded crews repaired a 60-foot-long trench and added rock steps and walls to prevent future erosion. FOUR MILE TRAIL In the 1870s, entrepreneur James McCauley hired John Conway to create a trail linking his Glacier Point hotel with the Valley floor. The original trail spanned about 4 miles; a half-century later, a reroute stretched the length to nearly 5 miles. TOP A trail crew works on a stone bridge over Tenaya Creek as part of a donor- supported restoration project on the Valley Loop Trail. MIDDLE Nineteenth- century trail-builders pause for a meal at Union Point while working on the Four Mile Trail in 1875. BOTTOM Yosemite Valley’s popular trails require regular upkeep to mitigate the effects of harsh weather, rockfalls and frequent foot traffic. Here, a crew member puts the finishing touches on a rock wall and steps built to address switchback damage on the Yosemite Falls Trail. 06 AUTUMN.WINTER 2019 PHOTOS: PHOTOS: ( PREVIOUS PAGE) © CAM ADAMS. ADAMS. © CAM PREVIOUS PAGE) ( TOP & BOTTOM TOP ) © COURTESY OF NPS. (MIDDLE) © JOHN JAMES REILLY (YOSEMITE HISTORIC PHOTO COLLECTION). (OPPOSITE) © YOSEMITE CONSERVANCY/KEITH WALKLET. CONSERVANCY/KEITH © YOSEMITE (OPPOSITE) COLLECTION). PHOTO HISTORIC (YOSEMITE REILLY