1985 [PDF] - Yosemite

A Message from the PresidentA Little Bit of Heavenin YosemitebyEd HardyYosemite Valley’s automobile congestion is wid ely perceived by by Chet Brooks, Jr.the NPS, Yosemite Park and Curry Co., the press, tile environmentalcommunity aria the ~ublic as being the Park’s greatest Yosemite Valley? The Yosemite Chapel, dedicated in June 1879,Can you name the oldest building in continuous use in theproblem. While the existence of this problem is universally is exceeded in age and use only by the Clark Cottage at Wawona,acknowledged, the exact extent of overcrowding within the Park is built in 1876,not wel understood.Originally part of the old Village near the foot of Sentinel Rock,The NPS Parking and Traffic Management Committee, under the first services were held on June 7, 1879, However, at that time,the capable leadership of Bruce Fincham, believes that the problemrequiring immediate attention is the overcrowding at the east Chapel was moved to its present location in 1901, and in 1966, theboth roof ana windows had yet to be added to the structure! Theend of Yosemite Valley, a small portion of a seven square mile natural stone foundation was added to protect the building in thealley. The Parking and Traffic Committee works from the very event of high water in Cook’s Meadow. The foundation was part ofreasonable assumption that the number of accommodations and a restoration and refurbishing project that cost more thanparking spaces define the appropriate level of visitation. It is $20,000. The original building cost less than $2,000!management’s challenge to balance Park use and capacity, withoutunduly restricting use.first was held on October 24, 1884. The happy event was recordedMany’, many weddings have taken place in our Chapel, but theA number of changes have already gone a long way toward on film by noted Yosemite pioneer photographer, George Fiske,alleviating the congestion problem in Yosemite Valley. Several whose home and photographic studio were located nearby on theyears ago the NPS created a one-way loop entering Yosemite south bank of the Merced River.Valley on Southside Drive and exiting on Northside Drive, thus By 1901, most of the Valley’s newer or more "important" businesseshad been built or been moved to the upper valley, that areaimproving traffic flow and reduc’ng congestion. The advent of afree shuttle bus further helped reduce automobile traffic. between Superintendent’s Bridge and Sentinel Bridge. VirtuallyTo address campground congestion in the Valley, the NPS surrounding the Chapel, this area is a treasure trove for historyimplemented a reservation system. This system eliminated the buffs. The locations of many of these buildings are preserved byintense congestior~ at the carnpground entrances where vehicles small concrete markers with brass plaqueset in the top. Onlined up before dawn to await the few spaces that might becomethese plaques are written the names of the buildings and busi.available.nesses which stood there.In the future the same controls planned for this year (whereby On November 12, 1973, the Yosemite Chapel became the firstday visitors were to be kept away from the east end of the Valley building in the National Park to be placed on the National Register ofwhen it was full) should be continued but with a more positive Historic Places.slant to the media. Everyone is aware that a first-class restaurant If your curiosity still beckons, near Sentinel Bridge you will find arequires reservations, why not a first-class National Park? Were small number of the Valley’s scattered Sequoias. Can you tell themone to just show up at the restaurant one might get in and then from the Incense Cedars that surround them? (Sequoias have individualneedles which point upward and are gray-green in color,again, one might end up walking down the street to anotherestablishment. Without a reservation for Yosemite Valley, a person Cedars have foliage which is flat, yellow-green, and appears tomay visit the Vaiiuy on a peak day, or may visit Tuolumne Meadows,Glacier Point, the Tioga Corridor, the Mariposa Grove of Big So, there you have another stroll through the Valley’s pioneerdroop.)Trees, or some other location in Yosemite National Park if the 3ast -- looking for a "little bit of heaven" right here in Yosemite!Valley is full.One further step that might be implemented to optimize the useof limited parking in Yosemite Valley’s east end is to requireovernight visitors, on days when the limits appear likely to bereached, to park only at their destinations once they pass El Capcrossover (scenic turnouts not affected, disabled exempt). Implementationof this procedure could be as simple as a ticket similarto that used at ski a teas, coded an dated each visit. For exam pie,a blue card would indicate North Pines only, a green card for dayuse areas only, etc. This requirement would ensure that overnightguests would not unfairly use two s oaces per car -- one in a dayuse area (such as the Village Store or Visitor’s Center to which onecould travel by shuttle) and the one provided at the overnightaccommodation location.Whatever the future holds for Yosemite, this vexing problem isof immediate concern. I would be interested it7 any new thoughtsthat might help resolve it.