🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <33115@sdcc12.ucsd.edu> pwei@sdcc3.ucsd.edu (Paul Wei) writes:
>
>My friends and I have planned to go camping (~1 week) at Yosemite
>in June.  I've made reservations to camp at Crane Flat.  Could 
>someone please send me any info on what is a must see/do, price 
>on any rental equiptments, etc.?  Also, any suggestions would be
>very much appreciated. 

After you admire the view of the golf course from Glacier
Point, sit on top of the tour bus for the ride around
the Valley loop road, and walk up to Nevada Falls, get a trail
map and walk away from the road.  It's amazing what an effective
tourist filter even a small amount of effort is, as long as you're
not on the  way to one of the most popular attractions like
Half Dome or Vernal/Nevada Falls.

Obey the warning signs!  People really do die because they
play in or around streams at the tops of waterfalls, and
because they stay on mountaintops during the frequent
afternoon electrical storms.  And bears and raccoons
really will steal your food (and destroy your equipment
in order to get at it) if you don't protect it.

Wear comfortable stiff-soled boots that cover your ankles.
Once you get off the paved "trails", there are many
interesting places to walk where you have to deal with
sharp rocks that make life miserable when you're wearing
running shoes.

If you're car camping in Crane Flat and making day trips,
you won't need much fancy equipment.  A tent to keep your
equipment dry if it rains, sleeping bags (temperatures down
to the middle 30s some nights), a stove and an ice chest
if you want to do your own cooking.

Take a hat, sunscreen, and a lightweight long-sleeved shirt
for long days outdoors.  Carry a water bottle, and be
careful where you fill it; there's water everywhere in
the spring, but the basic assumption has to be that it's
contaminated, because there are people everywhere, too.
Giardia is no fun.

Ordinary pots, pans, dishes, and food work just as well
outside as they do at home; fancy nesting pots and
freeze-dried food are worth taking only if you're going
backpacking.  Don't count on using wood fires, for several
reasons:

  - Wood gathering is discouraged by the Park Service.

  - Smoke is a nuisance when there's a temperature inversion.

  - Especially in late summer, the danger of forest fires can
    be serious.

  - You can't enjoy the forest by moonlight while you're
    staring into the flames.

It's a beautiful place.  Have a good time.
--

    Chuck Karish          karish@mindcraft.com
    (415) 323-9000 x117   karish@forel.stanford.edu