Yosemite

[Ty1on]

Bill,
Besides it being extremely & bitter cold at Yosemite at night in the Fall, I would not recommend staying in the campgrounds. Just this year they have had a couple of branches fall on campers and kill them in their tents. In the past, they have had the hauntavirus outbreaks from deer mice, and now they are in the news again - this time with a plague outbreak (rodents transmitting plague virus to fleas) and they have just closed one of the campgrounds this week.

Our family loves Yosemite, but we choose our sleeping accomodations very carefully since the hauntavirus outbreak. We feel strongly that it is worth paying extra to have enclosed accomodations that (as much as possible) keep you from inhaling urine/feces from tiny deer mice, rodents, or squirrels. For us that means either a wood cabin or hotel room on the valley floor. The least expensive options would be the wood-sided cabins or hotel rooms @ Curry Village or Yosemite Lodge. For those with more to spend -- the Awanahee is pretty deluxe.

The units in housekeeping camp are too open to critters and meandering bears. We stayed there once, and my husband had to make a midnight run to the john. While he was out we heard a bear growling and going through the camp. I was huddled in a corner, because one wall is just a canvas tarp with no way to secure it. Then, we heard someone shooting a gun after the bear. Everything is wide open and my husband is pretty shaken because of course there are no real doors at the bathrooms either, a bear could just walk right in. Finally, it quieted down enough that my husband returned and went right back to sleep, but I was wide awake for the rest of the night tossing and turning and imaging strange noises. The next morning we asked the rangers about it, and apparently someone in the camp had food in a cooler, not in their metal bear-box, where you are supposed to store your food. So, the bear had enjoyed a tasty feast, and the rangers used rubber bullets to chase him out that night. It appears the bears do not really want people (there were kids were sleeping outside under the trees in cots and on the ground in sleeping bags), but apparently the Yosemite bears are like Yogi and have a real affection for people-food.

As for the waterfalls, when we were there June 15/16 the falls were still going, but not very strong. Maybe a couple of weeks of life left in them, but there had been a late snow in May. I finally got to take a rafting trip on the Merced River which runs through the Valley, but the river only knee-deep and hardly moving at all. We got great exercise just using our paddles trying to move down a non-moving river, still the scenery was breathtaking! First time we have ever seen a deer standing in the river eating leaves off a bush. Also, we were there mid-week and the park was not crowded at all. Weekends are the worst for crowds because alot of people will do a Fri-Sat-Sunday trip to Yosemite.


Yosemite campground closing after 2 squirrels die of plague
Posted 2:57 pm, August 15, 2015, by AssociatedPress

"YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif.— Officials at Yosemite National Park say they are temporarily shutting down a popular campsite after two squirrels died of plague in the area.

Park officials said Friday that Tuolumne Meadows Campground will close from noon Monday through noon Friday so authorities can treat the area with a flea-killing insecticide.

Plague is carried by rodents and is spread by fleas. Transmission of plague between people is rare, and state health officials say the risk to human health is low.

An unidentified child fell ill with the plague after camping with his family at Yosemite’s Crane Flat Campground in mid-July. The park reopened Crane Flat on Friday after treating that campground for four days with an insecticide. The child is recovering in a hospital."

This is premium info.

 

[klpca]

I'm only going to offer our experiences since this thread will be read by others in the future. We have camped in Yosemite between 15-20 times over the years. We have also stayed at a private residence in Yosemite West, and stayed at Yosemite Lodge. We have stayed in Upper, North, and Lower Pines (valley campgrounds), Crane Flat, Tuolumne Meadows, and Hodgdon Meadows. My kids regularly camp in Camp 4 (Me - not going to do it). We have never stayed in Bass Lake.

We have had a bear in our site, (that we know of) exactly once. It walked through without bothering anything. We keep a clean campsite and use the bear box religiously. That's what they are there for. It is more about protecting the bears because it's a real problem if they get used to people and people food. I have never seen a bear in the bathrooms at night - the bathrooms have doors and you aren't supposed to prop them open because critters can get in. For me the bigger issue is the lack of soap, but I've started bringing my own and just leaving it there. Problem solved.

Hantavirus was an issue a few years ago in the housekeeping tents. I believe the it was a new design or a different fabric that was being used that allowed less airflow (not 100% sure though) but it seems to have been fixed. Not saying that I would stay there - just not my cup of tea - but I don't think that they are inherently unsafe.

I feel so bad for the kids killed (and their families)when the tree branch fell yesterday. Looking at the photos they never had a chance. That limb was huge. I remember the same thing happening in front of the San Diego Zoo a number of years ago. And at a camp in the Sierra's a year or two ago. There are some risks in the outdoors as there are everywhere. You have to know your own personal comfort level. Personally I'm glad when we get to the park because we're off the roads and out of traffic. I'm not a fan of the long drive.

Camping is roughing it and not for everyone, and that's ok. (I have not backpacked yet and I'm not sure that I ever will. That seems like too much work!) For me the only time that the weather bothered me was when it got down into the 20's at night. But having appropriate gear is essential. There's nothing worse than being too cold to sleep at night, but with a zero temp rated mummy bag you're good to go. You won't need anything like that in the summer months though.

Don't be afraid to camp in the park. But if you'd prefer to sleep in a bed go for it. It's all good. But I will admit that for us, camping in Yosemite has been a family favorite. I have family members who have never been and I truly feel sorry for them. The park is a treasure.

 

[Ty1on]

I'm only going to offer our experiences since this thread will be read by others in the future. We have camped in Yosemite between 15-20 times over the years. We have also stayed at a private residence in Yosemite West, and stayed at Yosemite Lodge. We have stayed in Upper, North, and Lower Pines (valley campgrounds), Crane Flat, Tuolumne Meadows, and Hodgdon Meadows. My kids regularly camp in Camp 4 (Me - not going to do it). We have never stayed in Bass Lake.

We have had a bear in our site, (that we know of) exactly once. It walked through without bothering anything. We keep a clean campsite and use the bear box religiously. That's what they are there for. It is more about protecting the bears because it's a real problem if they get used to people and people food. I have never seen a bear in the bathrooms at night - the bathrooms have doors and you aren't supposed to prop them open because critters can get in. For me the bigger issue is the lack of soap, but I've started bringing my own and just leaving it there. Problem solved.

Hantavirus was an issue a few years ago in the housekeeping tents. I believe the it was a new design or a different fabric that was being used that allowed less airflow (not 100% sure though) but it seems to have been fixed. Not saying that I would stay there - just not my cup of tea - but I don't think that they are inherently unsafe.

I feel so bad for the kids killed (and their families)when the tree branch fell yesterday. Looking at the photos they never had a chance. That limb was huge. I remember the same thing happening in front of the San Diego Zoo a number of years ago. And at a camp in the Sierra's a year or two ago. There are some risks in the outdoors as there are everywhere. You have to know your own personal comfort level. Personally I'm glad when we get to the park because we're off the roads and out of traffic. I'm not a fan of the long drive.

Camping is roughing it and not for everyone, and that's ok. (I have not backpacked yet and I'm not sure that I ever will. That seems like too much work!) For me the only time that the weather bothered me was when it got down into the 20's at night. But having appropriate gear is essential. There's nothing worse than being too cold to sleep at night, but with a zero temp rated mummy bag you're good to go. You won't need anything like that in the summer months though.

Don't be afraid to camp in the park. But if you'd prefer to sleep in a bed go for it. It's all good. But I will admit that for us, camping in Yosemite has been a family favorite. I have family members who have never been and I truly feel sorry for them. The park is a treasure.

More premium info.

And to bolster your comments about the branch incident.....It was tragic. But people die every year in strange ways. Lightning strikes, tree fellings, bus collisions, drowning.....I write this not to be depressing, but to highlight that if a person wants to ensure their personal safety, they should construct a bubble in their home and live in it.

As for me, I would rather risk getting killed by a falling branch or a cougar or a bear or a fall on the Mist Trail than to not see the glory that a park like Yosemite has to offer. And for you statisticians out there, multiple millions visit Yosemite every year. Deaths there in a year can typically be counted on one hand.

 

[Rene McDaniel]

I'm only going to offer our experiences since this thread will be read by others in the future. We have camped in Yosemite between 15-20 times over the years. We have also stayed at a private residence in Yosemite West, and stayed at Yosemite Lodge. We have stayed in Upper, North, and Lower Pines (valley campgrounds), Crane Flat, Tuolumne Meadows, and Hodgdon Meadows. My kids regularly camp in Camp 4 (Me - not going to do it). We have never stayed in Bass Lake.

We have had a bear in our site, (that we know of) exactly once. It walked through without bothering anything. We keep a clean campsite and use the bear box religiously. That's what they are there for. It is more about protecting the bears because it's a real problem if they get used to people and people food. I have never seen a bear in the bathrooms at night - the bathrooms have doors and you aren't supposed to prop them open because critters can get in. For me the bigger issue is the lack of soap, but I've started bringing my own and just leaving it there. Problem solved.

Hantavirus was an issue a few years ago in the housekeeping tents. I believe the it was a new design or a different fabric that was being used that allowed less airflow (not 100% sure though) but it seems to have been fixed. Not saying that I would stay there - just not my cup of tea - but I don't think that they are inherently unsafe.

I feel so bad for the kids killed (and their families)when the tree branch fell yesterday. Looking at the photos they never had a chance. That limb was huge. I remember the same thing happening in front of the San Diego Zoo a number of years ago. And at a camp in the Sierra's a year or two ago. There are some risks in the outdoors as there are everywhere. You have to know your own personal comfort level. Personally I'm glad when we get to the park because we're off the roads and out of traffic. I'm not a fan of the long drive.

Camping is roughing it and not for everyone, and that's ok. (I have not backpacked yet and I'm not sure that I ever will. That seems like too much work!) For me the only time that the weather bothered me was when it got down into the 20's at night. But having appropriate gear is essential. There's nothing worse than being too cold to sleep at night, but with a zero temp rated mummy bag you're good to go. You won't need anything like that in the summer months though.

Don't be afraid to camp in the park. But if you'd prefer to sleep in a bed go for it. It's all good. But I will admit that for us, camping in Yosemite has been a family favorite. I have family members who have never been and I truly feel sorry for them. The park is a treasure.

Excellent points!
I must agree with you because I have never really camped, except once with 200 fellow church members at squished together at a local lake, which was definitely NOT camping in the great outdoors. I guess that's why I prefer TIMESHARES.

Now, my husband has done tons of camping with his family when he was a kid, and I have zero family camping experience. When I was a kid growing up in San Diego, we went to Yosemite for a week every summer, but we always stayed in the little cabins on the Merced River (which were washed away in some great flood in the 80's).

My husband also went to Yosemite every summer, but his family always took tents, and like you, has camped in every area of the park. They have even done cross-country trips to Washington DC and camped the entire way there and back. But he is white, and I am African American. So when we first married, I had to explain to him that Black people (at least back then) didn't really go camping. It really was a safety issue. Back in the old days, a black family alone in the woods, was really not a good idea -- and especially not to bring your children. Lets just say, that in those days, if a black family in a tent was found dead in the woods, the sheriff never checked real hard to see who might have done it. My father and mother were both from the south and grew up during the Jim Crow era and suffered a lot of cruelty and injustice. My Dad could rattle off the names of friends and people he knew who had been beaten to death or lynched. Once they were adults both my parents quickly made their way from dangerous small southern towns to the big and safer city of Miami, where they met, fell in love, moved to California for WWII, and never looked back.

As for hauntavirus, it is extremely rare, but my husband's nephew came down with it after a camping trip in Montana. They had to put him into a medically-induced coma and cut his skull open to let his brain swell. Luckily they were able to save him, but he was in critical condition for more than a week. The whole ordeal was quite terrifying for us all.

The hauntavirus breakout in Yosemite in 2012 was in the "Signature tent cabins" which have all since been demolished. They looked similar to the canvas tent cabins, but they were made of hard-sided drywall with spray foam sandwiched in-between the 2 sheets of drywall. Apparently the deer mice were making tunnels and nests inside the sandwiched foam since it was a nice place to hide and stay warm. So, although the signature tent cabins were much warmer (especially in winter), the regular tent cabins are much safer because there is no place for mice to burrow and hide. I always feel fortunate because we had reservations for a week in the signature tent cabins the summer of 2012 when they had the outbreak, but we cancelled them last minute because of work conflicts.

So, yup, you got me. I'm a little paranoid. Because of me, we are a timesharing (or nice hotel) family. But I must admit, now that the kids are grown I am now starting to consider an RV. I love the great outdoors, and I really want to see all of the national parks. But I also have a real need to be able to lock my door and sleep in a comfy bed at night.

--- Rene

 

[DeniseM]

The West Coast is in an extended drought, and trees are suffering. So the tree issue really has nothing to do with Yosemite. A dying tree could lose a branch, or fall over, anywhere - not just Yosemite. Locally, we had a tree fall over onto the freeway and land on a car.

I do think the hantavirus is concerning, but if you avoid rough camping, and use good sanitation procedures, I don't think you have much chance of getting it. Kids that play on the ground, touch everything, and don't wash their hands very often, are at higher risk than adults.

 

[klpca]

Excellent points!
I must agree with you because I have never really camped, except once with 200 fellow church members at squished together at a local lake, which was definitely NOT camping in the great outdoors. I guess that's why I prefer TIMESHARES.

Now, my husband has done tons of camping with his family when he was a kid, and I have zero family camping experience. When I was a kid growing up in San Diego, we went to Yosemite for a week every summer, but we always stayed in the little cabins on the Merced River (which were washed away in some great flood in the 80's).

My husband also went to Yosemite every summer, but his family always took tents, and like you, has camped in every area of the park. They have even done cross-country trips to Washington DC and camped the entire way there and back. But he is white, and I am African American. So when we first married, I had to explain to him that Black people (at least back then) didn't really go camping. It really was a safety issue. Back in the old days, a black family alone in the woods, was really not a good idea -- and especially not to bring your children. Lets just say, that in those days, if a black family in a tent was found dead in the woods, the sheriff never checked real hard to see who might have done it. My father and mother were both from the south and grew up during the Jim Crow era and suffered a lot of cruelty and injustice. My Dad could rattle off the names of friends and people he knew who had been beaten to death or lynched. Once they were adults both my parents quickly made their way from dangerous small southern towns to the big and safer city of Miami, where they met, fell in love, moved to California for WWII, and never looked back.

As for hauntavirus, it is extremely rare, but my husband's nephew came down with it after a camping trip in Montana. They had to put him into a medically-induced coma and cut his skull open to let his brain swell. Luckily they were able to save him, but he was in critical condition for more than a week. The whole ordeal was quite terrifying for us all.

The hauntavirus breakout in Yosemite in 2012 was in the "Signature tent cabins" which have all since been demolished. They looked similar to the canvas tent cabins, but they were made of hard-sided drywall with spray foam sandwiched in-between the 2 sheets of drywall. Apparently the deer mice were making tunnels and nests inside the sandwiched foam since it was a nice place to hide and stay warm. So, although the signature tent cabins were much warmer (especially in winter), the regular tent cabins are much safer because there is no place for mice to burrow and hide. I always feel fortunate because we had reservations for a week in the signature tent cabins the summer of 2012 when they had the outbreak, but we cancelled them last minute because of work conflicts.

So, yup, you got me. I'm a little paranoid. Because of me, we are a timesharing (or nice hotel) family. But I must admit, now that the kids are grown I am now starting to consider an RV. I love the great outdoors, and I really want to see all of the national parks. But I also have a real need to be able to lock my door and sleep in a comfy bed at night.

--- Rene

It's all good - really. I didn't mean it as a personal thing against you - I just wanted to offer another perspective.

I didn't camp as a kid either. It just wasn't a thing. My husband's family camped everywhere, but mostly Yosemite. I wasn't willing to try until 1994 - then I was hooked. But I completely understand that it's not for everyone. We once camped with a family who really hated it. No one had fun on that trip. Live and learn.

You should try getting the rental RV in Clovis. It's the perfect compromise. You get to stay in the valley but you can sleep in a bed, cook inside (true luxury), and have your own bathroom. As for us, it's the Coleman "Swiss Chalet", sleeps 6 tent on this trip, along with my luxurious inflatable mattress. We picked the tent up on sale as a short term replacement after we sold our tent trailer but we're still using it. We discovered that it leaks during a rainstorm on the last trip. The joys of camping. My husband only agrees to the RV if it's going to be cold.

Btw, that's crazy and scary about the hantavirus!

 

[Icc5]

Bass Lake

If its a four hour drive from South Lake Tahoe to Yosemite Valley I might have to skip it. We have a week in Tahoe and had planned on seeing some friends in Reno, heading to some silver mine, fishing and wandering around the Lake Tahoe area. It seems to me that Yosemite might be its own trip. I would overlap this trip to go to Yosemite but we are heading to Sun Valley right after the week is up.

Thanks

Bill

Unless you are a big hiker I would make Bass Lake separate so you can relax. The drive from Bass Lake is simple,easy, and relaxing. Why try stressing out by all in one trip. From Bass Lake you can go 3-4 times and see what you want at a slower pace to take more in. Get up early,make that pot of coffee and head out. You will be refreshed and relaxed to enjoy it all.
Slow down,relax, have a great trip.

 

[easyrider]

Thanks for all of the fantastic info on Yosemite. Yosemite will likely be a trip on its own this time. I always seem to try to cram to many places into some of our trips because we might not pass this way again and I want to see it all.

The tree branch , hanta virus, squirls with plauge, bears, temperature and dwelling type are things I would rather deal with than a crowded park. That was why we thought mid September might be good. Fewer tourists and the color change. Fall is our favorite mountain colors.


Bill