Anniversary Story Book Committee - Inspiring Generations: 150 Years, 150 Stories in Yosemite

Inspiring Generations

The stories in the book reflect the views and experiences of the individual contributors and in no way should be construed to reflect those of Yosemite Conservancy or the National Park Service. The publisher has purposefully preserved each authors voice and slight variations in style are intentional.

Individual contributions copyright 2014 by the individual authors.

The design and layout of this book are the property of Yosemite Conservancy.

Credits can be found on and following.

Published in the United States by Yosemite Conservancy. All rights reserved. No portion of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

yosemiteconservancy.org

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013945036

Cover and book design by Nancy Austin

ISBN 978-1-930238-55-8

All materials are from sustainable sources.

CONTENTS

T HE MUSE OF YOSEMITE...

We had just emerged from the Wawona Tunnel when someone hollered from the back of the car, Stop here! It was late and everyone was tired, but the Valleys iconic sights (Bridalveil Fall, Half Dome, El Capitan) filled the windshield and commanded our attention. An approaching sunset painted the sky with a broad palette of colors. The scene was jaw-dropping. Yosemite was showing off.

Earlier in the day, we hiked the western boundary of the park with our new congressman. It was warm and sunny and the breeze blew lightly, to the point where you had to hold onto your map. Along the way, we discussed some of Yosemites complex history, its current pressures, as well as how vital Yosemite National Park is to California, the U.S., and the world.

But now we were at Tunnel Viewand the heart of Yosemite Valley lay before usunobstructed, magnificent, completely availablejust as it has always been and just how it should always be. This was the first time our new congressman had seen the Valley this way, and as we drifted among the visitors and the majesty soaked in, I overheard him say, Wow, this... is... really amazing. A smile stretched across his face as the charm of Yosemite took hold. In that short moment, the magic of the Valley had reenergized and inspired him, as well as the people next him, and everyone therejust as it has done for visitors for over 150 years.

Each day, this glacier-carved Valley high in the Sierra Nevadawith its meandering snow-fed rivers, spectacular waterfalls, gigantic sequoia trees, towering granite cliffs, historic landmarks, and extraordinary animalsastounds, mesmerizes, and enchants people from around the globe. Its preservation embodies every element of the conservation movement and is a testimony to Americas commitment to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein... unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.

As a young boy, our family camped in Yosemite Valley. We hiked the trails, plunged into the icy Merced, and gathered to watch the now historic firefall from Glacier Point. One of my earliest Yosemite memories is being held by my mother in Stoneman Meadow as a bear passed too close. These types of experiences have become the fabric of my life, and I am forever privileged to have had so much time in such an incredible place.

Inspiring Generations is a collection of memories and experiences about one of the most beloved places on earth. Each author pays a tribute of respect, admiration, and awe for what is an international symbol of scenic beauty, recreation, and conservation of spectacular resources. In the pages of this book are stories of love, adventure, discovery, rejuvenation, and inspiration. They are a slice of Yosemite National Park. In these stories, you will hike the John Muir Trail, float the Merced River, smell an alpine flower, hear a songbird, revisit traditions, and reenergize your spiritjust as our new congressman did during his visit. Yosemite is a muse for the soul, and that muse reverberates in the stories and experiences shared within Inspiring Generations.

Don Neubacher, Superintendent

Yosemite National Park

Don Neubacher has been the superintendent of Yosemite since 2010.

Prior to this, he has worked at Golden Gate National Recreation Area,

Point Reyes National Seashore, and Glacier Bay National Park.

Y OSEMITE CONSERVANCY PROFOUNDLY THANKS the four hundred individuals who, because of their love for Yosemite, set their memories on paper as part of the story contest that became this book. All four hundred stories now reside in the Yosemite National Park archives. From the original four hundred submissions, one hundred fifty were chosen by a team of volunteer readers who, without identification of authors, read, ranked, and categorized each story. A special thanks go to Suzanne Gladstone, Nancy Rice, Jack Slocombe, Leslie Strayer, Jeannie Tasker, and Lynn Upthagrove for hours of reading and conference call discussions to ensure the integrity of their mission. Volunteer projects require champions who believe in their project enough to make it a reality. Thank you to Jeannie Tasker and Kassandra Hardy for being the champions of this book.

What Auntie Brought

Carol Eve Ford

I N THE MID-1950S, a few days before our much-anticipated annual camping trip to Yosemite, Daddy sat my three brothers and me down. How would you kids feel about Auntie joining us this year? She loves Yosemite, and shes asked to go along.

We looked at each other as if hed just said something in Russian. The thought of Auntie in Yosemitecampingwas incongruous! Auntie, our grandmothers older sister, was ancient: a bent, squarish little octogenarian with flat-brimmed straw hat, silver-white hair, wire-rimmed glasses, always a midcalf-length dress, nylons with seams, sturdy lace-up shoes, and block heels.