1985 [PDF] - Yosemite

!Goals for 1985sky," only the advertising 13oys hadn’t got hold of it yet, and theskaters had to do their own job of maintaining the pond. So skatingwasn’t an activity for the guests -- when there were guests.By Ed Hardy, PresidentThe opening of the All-Year Highway in the fall of 1926 soonEach year we set goals for projects that will result ~n overall made it evident that there would be visitors in winter, many ofimprovements to Yosemitethem, and it wasn’t long before our dozen or two pairs ofA new focus is evolving for Badger Pass. With NPS approval, snowshoes and skis were being photographed several times eachthe machine set Nordic track now extends for eleven miles over weekend. Then in 1928, Ernst DesBaillets came down from thethe road to Glacier Point. The Nordic Ski School and rental shop North to tell us that skiing was a sport that had a technique andhave moved to Badger Pass. With increas’ng public awareness,Badger is growing in acceptance as a nordic/downhill family skiarea.With NPS planning efforts progressing in Yosemite Valley, wehope to be able to build one new dormitory to replace some ofthe seasonal tent housing. Since major architectural design workand financial reviews have been completed, we see a reasonablelikelihood of groundbreaking1985.1984 saw major work started on the PG&E financed ZIP EnergyConservation project in employee housing areas. When completedthis project will improve-comfort as well as save energyand money,This year, the focus of the project moves to our commercialareas where major energy conservation efforts are planned. Ourthat in some places men made a living at teaching it. Also, anice rink on a hard surface was a feasible emerprise, and quitepossibly a good many people would like to skate if we had sucha rink. Using tobaggans on tree-covered slopes was decidedlya bad business, but a fine fast and safe track could 0e built.Mr. DesBaillets appeared to know whereof he spoke, havingorganized and directed similar activities in Europe, Canada, an(~at Lake Placid. So he stayed in Yosemite as Winter Sports Direc.tor, unearthed some local skating and skiing talent, brought ina few instructors from outside, helped us build a rink and tobaggancourse and even broke it to us that curling could be doneon the ice as well as in the beauty parlor.Then began the hunt for equipment, curling stones, cutters,more skis with new kinds of bindings -- for we learned some.goal for new projects in major hotel areas is to save approximately where in the course of events that there were actually special30% of the energy used for heating, lighting and power equipment.In the environmental area, 1984 was a good year for Yosemiteas the California Wilderness bill was signed into law, protectingmost of Yosemite as wilderness, protecting rvlono Lake and muchof the Tuolumne River.1985 will see implementation of the bill with procedures toenhance the quality of the Yosemite Backcountry. An examplewill be the installation of a new radio-telephone system for highcamp administrative use, allowing for removal of the miles ofphone lines that have existed on the High Sierra Loop for manyyears.In 1985, we will continue to work toward the protection of thescenic quality of the Merced River at the entrance to Yosemite,and protection for the prime wildlife habitat on the South Forkshoes for skiing. Each ~air of skis called for two poles, whichseemed an extravagance at the time. When our strength hadagain revived a bit, we were patiently but firmly told about skiwaxes, many kinds of different conditions, another stupid idea,but apparently the skiers had some superstition on the subject,We were brought in touch with the leading manufacturers ofequipment and clothing, most of which had to be imported asthere was little available in this country and most of that no betterthan it should be. Some of us promptly acquired ski suits andmade it a point to wear them every weeken; to impress ourvisitors. For the first few winters those who wore the proper navyblue costumes were in -- tiny minority, for when trips to the snowbegan to be popular the department stores quickly procuredstocks of shaggy atrocities in red. orange, green and two-tonedeffects. I still recall one snappy model of scarlet corduroy whichof the river.was worr~ by a plumpish gal who had some difficulty with herI hope you will all enjoy working with us toward achieving asmuch as we can in 1985.center of gravity and could be traced across a snowfield by a successionof large red hearts at intervals of twenty feet or so.As I have said we had skis for years before anyone here knewthat they had any place in the field of sport. Mr. DesBaillets persuadedus that we needed a hill to put skis to their proper use.A Few RecollectionsSo the hunt was on, and we soon realized that from cliff to cliffBy Hilrner Oehlrnann, Ex-President, YPCCo.our terrain in the Valley was practically all level. The search revealeda hummock near the river, so the Park Service clearedOnly a decade ago winter sports in Yosemite, as in most otherplaces in California which boasted such thrilling activities, consistedof throwing snowballs, pulling sonny on a sled, and having of us who used to frequent it will forget its dizzy height after wethis of brush, and it was soon known officially as Ski Hill. Noneone’s picture taken on snowshoes or skis.had finally attained the degree of nerve necessary for a take-offOf course, there was ice skating too, one of the real pioneer from the top. Nor will we forget the thrill of a no-fall run of fullsports. A space in the meadow below the church in the Old Village seventy-five yards to the road. Reckless days were those.was floodect, someone provided a sGueaky phonograph, and the However, it soon becamevident that even the breath-takingfew hardy souls who could drag themselves from their evening run would not satisfy the giddy enthusiasts, There were mountainsbehin~ the Valley cliffs, mountains with mile-long slopesfiresides took their brooms and repaired thither for an hour or twoof "zestful sport in the bracing wintry air beneath a starlit Sierra(continued on page 8J