Hi,

I am going to Yosemite 9/24 for three days. I would like to stay in the park and would love a recommendation. I would like to camp but will not have any of the usual camping gear - so a cabin seems best - Anyone been there - done that?

What sort of temperatures can I expect?

Thanks,

Laura
Dublin, Ireland
[email protected]

GO to this web site:
http://reservations.nps.gov/

Reserve a "tent cabin" in Curry Village NOW. August will be very busy and quite warm. Have a great trip!

The weather in September should be beautiful. Nights might be cool. The previous post is right about making reservations now.
You'll love Yosemite! We think it's the best of all the NPs. And, going in September, the crowds shouldn't be too bad.

Of course, 9 is September... Should be a graet time weather-wise.

Please excuse my ignorance but could you please advise where Yosemite is? We are having a discussion here in the great white north. Some have said California, some have said Utah?

Thanks, in advance for the info.

Yosemite is in California, at the state's eastern edge and in the middle, north-south.

Yosemite is one of my favorite nat'l parks. Check out 4-mile trail for a great hike with incredible views(you can drive to the top too), or Half Dome if you're feeling rugged.

You better be in great shape to climb Half Dome. It takes about 17 hours, according to the guides I've read. But, don't worry, there are plenty of hikes at all levels for all distances.
Our favorite is the 1 1/2-mile climb to the top of Vernal Falls, with the last half consisting of more than 700 steps. But the sights en route and at the top are well worth it.
Oh yes, make sure you bring you camera a lot film. As someone once told, the worst photographer becomes a pro at Yosemite!

Howard,

I must say that as crazy as a 17-hour hike seemed, it wasn't that bad. As long as you keep munching on food and drinking plenty of water, it really is a glorious feat of endurance. And once you get to Half Dome itself, it is like a personal triumph.

Yes, Yosemite is as gorgeous as everybody says. However, in the village area it is kind of crazy with all the tourists. But don't worry, the hiking trails filter out about 75% of them.

If you only have 3 days, devote one day to the Half Dome hike. You do not have to be a serious hiker to do it. You just need the guts.

Danny

Laura,

I agree with Liz that you should make your reservations immediately for Curry Village. They have cabin tents and cabins there. I was there in July a few years ago and it was very crowded in the valley - we had rented a cabin without a bathroom and had to stand in long lines for the showers. A family we met a few days ahead of our arrival had also reserved a cabin without bathrooms but had called again before arriving and were able to upgrade to cabins with bathrooms. I wish we had done that. But Sept. might not be quite as busy and crowded. The shower rooms were closed mid day so everyone was trying to use them during the same periods of time.

But Yosemite is my most favorite place...it is truly the most beautiful place. Take the hikers bus one way to the top of Glacier Point - the driver is a park ranger and will tell you lots of interesting things about the park. When you get off you get the most amazing views of half dome and the valley and then you walk down the Four Mile Trail back to the valley floor. (I thought it was called five mile trail but I guess it just felt like five miles.) You'll love it.

Be sure and visit the Awanhee (sp?) hotel and look around. It's a beautiful hotel with lots of history. Rooms are expensive and have to be reserved way in advance and men must wear jackets for dinner. We liked to have a drink on the patio after a day of hiking and then we'd go back to the low rent district. The view from the patio was just lovely and no one minded that we were in hiking clothes. We did have a breakfast in the lovely dining room, good food and wonderful service. When my friend asked for some water to refill her water bottle for hiking our waiter proceeded to put the empty bottle on his silver tray, hoisted the tray onto his shoulder and then proceeded to walk the full length of the dining room carrying the empty water bottle on the tray and then returned with it filled to our table! What a sight - we still get quite a laugh over that one.

Enjoy your visit...

I agree with the half dome hike. That was my favorite hike that I ever went on. When we reached the top the sky was incredibly blue. Going up we came across a couple waterfalls. Cool birds, deer. Up at the top there was a cute little marmot. It didn't take us 17 hours, but we hiked at a rather brisk pace, took us maybe 10 hours. There are I think places you can camp about half way on the trail, so that you don't have to do the hike in one day.
One thing that we were starting to get low on towards the end of the trip was water, make sure you bring plenty of it! (Of course I went in late July so it was a lot hotter)

Danny and Becky are being modest. That Half Dome hike isn't as simple as they make it sound. (Hey, I work out regularly, and I found the 1 1/2-mile uphill climb to Vernal Falls a trek!)
But, as others have said, Yosemite is a hiker's paradise.
The secret to avoiding the aforementioned crowds is to get up early to take the Valley sites and activities before the daytrippers come in and then go to the outlying areas (Tioga Pass, Tuolomne Meadows, Glacier Point, etc.)

You'll love Yosemite! Last July we stayed in the tent cabins at Curry Village. And yes the shower lines were definitely my biggest complaint. But other than that it was great. The hike to Vernal Falls is wonderful. Leave early in the morning to avoid the crowds. We also took a panoramic camera (borrowed) and got some great pictures. I would also recommend packing binoculars if you have them, for watching wildlife and rock-climbers.
You can rent bikes at Curry Village too. That was one of the most fun things we did. We were there when the bike stand opened, around 8:15 I think. The ride was really peaceful. Almost no one around. Enjoy!

oh don't get me wrong, you'll feel like fuckin dying when you're through with it, but it will make you rock solid and you will feel so glorious when it's all done, and standing at the top is simply breathtaking, and you feel like a champion. i'm just saying you don't need to be a world-class mountain climber or nothing.

danny

A previous poster made reference to borrowing a panoramic camera. No need to. Just go to a camera store or another retailer that has a big film department and get a Kodak or Fuji throwaway (i.e., one-time use) panoramic camera. They're great. Just remember that it's slow film (100 ASA), so only use them in sunny weather.
I prefer the Kodak, as I've gotten better color results, buth either will do.