Yosemite: A Convenience or An Opportunity?

A draft I just found in the draft box. Now I can post with pictures...

Travis and I just returned from a weekend getaway in the north at Bass Lake and Yosemite National Park. We stayed at a lake house with twelve of the cast of Scandal! Big Top Trouble and visited the Yosemite Valley yesterday afternoon.

One of our adventures over the wonderfully relaxing and exciting weekend was our eight-mile roundtrip hike to the top of the Yosemite waterfall where we recorded his weekly vlog from the summit. There were a large number of people at the top of the waterfall and along the climb—surprising for the extraordinary effort it took to complete the four-hour hike up the steep switchbacks. We were able to see most of the valley and Half Dome for at least half of the hike and reveled in being misted in the spray from the powerful plunging plume to our right. (Alliteration anyone?)

It was an extraordinary experience to be in the valley with all of the waterfalls and the lush vegetation and sheer cliffs of granite. However, I realized very early on that the valley was crowded with thousands of people clamoring to see Half Dome and the extraordinary waterfalls. The sentiment of the crowd—as far as I could glean—was of awe, but not a respectful awe.

Rather, the Yosemite Valley has turned into a drive-in amusement. It was a convenience rather than an opportunity. I’ve often noticed this when visiting other national parks. Guests drive for hours to see the natural occurrences that have become undeniable symbols of the American landscape. A family will hop out of their car for a few minutes to take pictures and then storm back into the comfort of air conditioning and cooler full of juice boxes. So lost seems to be a desire to explore the natural beauty that is provided. While exploration and engagement with these parks takes an immense amount of respect and knowledge, the passion for appreciating that beauty has been lost.



Perhaps we are too comfortable with our modernized suburban or urban daily lives to care to explore the parks. Or perhaps an opportunity for a few minutes at a lookout with a couple of snaps of you and Old Faithful is all that is needed to get by on our week-long vacations escaping the grind. I however, am not satisfied with such a glimpse. The four hours that we took to hike from the valley floor into the heights of what some call the most beautiful place in America was worth more than the aching knees and dirty hands. Travis and I were able to share an accomplishment beyond driving in and driving out. And let me tell you, the view from the heavens was extraordinary!

RwmW