The Ghost of John Muir Cries
We went to Yosemite this weekend, this long Easter weekend. (Be like Mr. Bir Toujour and pronounce it "yoss-MITE.") I'd never been but always wanted to. In a proir incarnation, Lefty Bir was a rough-and-tumble nature gal who went on 26-mile day hikes, fueled on nothing but brackish water and pounds of GORP. Often the lack of a map or the misuse of a map was involved, but I always made it through. In such a manner I accomplished the summiting of Grand Teton, the physical feat I am most proud on in my life (and I don't think I'll ever top it with anything else, which is sad and comforting all at the same time).
Anyhow. Now I am soft, with a spongey tummy and a flabbier ass (my legs are still nice and shapely, but who knows how much longer that will last). I used to go on runs of multiple hours, traversing miles of trails, roads, and sidewalks across neighborhoods. Now I am happy when I run 3.4 miles in light spring rain at dusk, when I used to run in the snow in the dark. I am a wuss, but maybe I'm smarter now, too.
Hiking and camping, to me, is more enjoyable when it involves a lot of work--comfortable work, not work in snow or rain. And not ill-fitted backpacks. These criteria eliminate 3/4 of all camping and backpacking adventures right there (hence why I prefer day hikes).
On this trip, which was quite generously planned and executed by my bother and his girlfriend, we car camped in Yosemite Valley. It's almost April, but there's still snow blanketing much of Yosemite, so hiking and camping options are more limited. No matter--tons of folks had the bright idea to celebrate the rising of the Lord by invading the Valley over the weekend. TONS of FOLKS.
Yosemite is so beautiful--duh, it's a total given. Another given it the level of human traffic in and out of the Valley. Jesus, it's like a little Disneyworld down there. I think that the park's most impressive physical features are all visible in this one span of 15 driveable miles or so somewhat damned the land. Yellowstone has a similar nature/amusement park-ness to it, but it's a larger park and it's attractions--geysers, hot springs, peaks, waterfalls--are more spread-out, and thus not as much a cause for concentrated development and congestion.
Yosemite Valley is almost so amazing that it seems fake. And for every breathtaking mass of granite, there's a pile of litter, a cheesy gift shop, a shuttle bus burping fumes, overdressed tourist families arguing. These latter forces kept on overpowirng the former, the awesome geography of the place that will be there once we humans all kill each other off. It's like seeing a really great movie but having everyone in the theater talking the whole time.
Maybe we will go back some day, some day when the snow is melted and we can access the more remote, quiet parts of the park. Even with all of the people (and I am one of "those people", so I sould be quiet), it was a wonderful time. For now, here I am back in the Bay Area metropolis, feeling bad for John Muir, and eveyone else in the world who prefers things unspoiled.
Anyhow. Now I am soft, with a spongey tummy and a flabbier ass (my legs are still nice and shapely, but who knows how much longer that will last). I used to go on runs of multiple hours, traversing miles of trails, roads, and sidewalks across neighborhoods. Now I am happy when I run 3.4 miles in light spring rain at dusk, when I used to run in the snow in the dark. I am a wuss, but maybe I'm smarter now, too.
Hiking and camping, to me, is more enjoyable when it involves a lot of work--comfortable work, not work in snow or rain. And not ill-fitted backpacks. These criteria eliminate 3/4 of all camping and backpacking adventures right there (hence why I prefer day hikes).
On this trip, which was quite generously planned and executed by my bother and his girlfriend, we car camped in Yosemite Valley. It's almost April, but there's still snow blanketing much of Yosemite, so hiking and camping options are more limited. No matter--tons of folks had the bright idea to celebrate the rising of the Lord by invading the Valley over the weekend. TONS of FOLKS.
Yosemite is so beautiful--duh, it's a total given. Another given it the level of human traffic in and out of the Valley. Jesus, it's like a little Disneyworld down there. I think that the park's most impressive physical features are all visible in this one span of 15 driveable miles or so somewhat damned the land. Yellowstone has a similar nature/amusement park-ness to it, but it's a larger park and it's attractions--geysers, hot springs, peaks, waterfalls--are more spread-out, and thus not as much a cause for concentrated development and congestion.
Yosemite Valley is almost so amazing that it seems fake. And for every breathtaking mass of granite, there's a pile of litter, a cheesy gift shop, a shuttle bus burping fumes, overdressed tourist families arguing. These latter forces kept on overpowirng the former, the awesome geography of the place that will be there once we humans all kill each other off. It's like seeing a really great movie but having everyone in the theater talking the whole time.
Maybe we will go back some day, some day when the snow is melted and we can access the more remote, quiet parts of the park. Even with all of the people (and I am one of "those people", so I sould be quiet), it was a wonderful time. For now, here I am back in the Bay Area metropolis, feeling bad for John Muir, and eveyone else in the world who prefers things unspoiled.
posted by Lefty at 7:57 AM
1 Comments:
John Muir held tight to the top of a tall pine in extreme winds and became one with all that is Yose-Mite. But he was pissed when they flooded the Hetch Hetchy just so that San Franciscans could drink water. When in the forest, act like the FOREST! Huh?
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