California dreaming

JULIE STARR finds an unexpected but persistent pest
in the wilderness of Yosemite National Park.

On my first stroll through the woods in Yosemite National Park I found myself imagining I would come face to face with Lassie. The park is so much the landscape of the television shows of my youth that I was helplessly charmed by the place, and by its cute, furry animal population.

My American friends were slightly bemused by my delight in encountering chipmunks and squirrels for the first time. They delighted in scaring me silly with stories of mountain lions and big ol' bears. Indeed, the wealth of warning signs erected around Yosemite can be a little disturbing to a first-time visitor.

The 300,000ha park was set aside in 1890 and to this day 94 per cent of it remains a gloriously unblemished wilderness. It's no surprise, then, that wildlife abounds here. But unlike in New Zealand, the wildlife here can kill you, or at least scare you half to death.

So authorities bent on protecting both wildlife and people, and perhaps wary of being sued, have no qualms about plastering the place with signs warning of mountain lion sightings, bears, poison ivy, and nasty diseases to be caught by touching squirrels or inhaling dust from field-mice droppings.

I learned, though, that mountain lions are seldom seen and can be scared off by making yourself look as big as possible and creating a lot of noise. And the California Black Bears, while big, are not so scary, as they would rather eat your sandwiches than you - although it's best not to get between a bear and her cubs.

The bears' taste for sandwiches, however, is a problem. Bears have become expert at finding human food. They are frequent, and bold, visitors to campgrounds at dinner time and break into some 1000 cars each summer. Rangers have reluctantly put down several particularly problematic bears. As a consequence, considerable effort is made to get the park's annual influx of four million humans to clean out their cars and lock their food in the bear-proof safes provided.

But there's a lot more to this park, which lies in the Sierra Nevada mountains on California's eastern border, than TV memories and furry creatures. Yosemite is a truly beautiful corner of the world, and a favourite holiday destination for Americans and foreigners alike, whether they be outdoor-sports junkies or merely moved by natural splendour.

For many, the piece-de-resistance is Yosemite Valley. Carved out by ancient glaciers, the u-shaped valley is ringed by towering, sheer cliffs. You have to go there and strain your neck to appreciate their size and grandeur.



Or you can venture on to any number of well-maintained walking trails which lead to pretty lakes and climb to viewing points for some impressive waterfalls. The latter reach their zenith in spring when tonnes of melting snow plummets to the valley floor.

Strangely, though, the highlight for me was gazing up at the grandest rock-face of them all, the mighty El Capitan, not to admire its size, but to track the progress of the tiny, ant-like figures of rock-climbers who had come to test their mettle on this 2300m monster.

On any given day in summer there can be a dozen parties of climbers attempting El Capitan. Some take a day to knock it off, others a week, depending on ability, agility and chosen route. They carry with them all the food and equipment they need and sleep on small mats bolted to the cliff-face. Mad they may be but they're awe-inspiring to watch. Just looking at those mats through binoculars from the ground made me tremble with fear.

Unfortunately, there is a persistent pest in the valley that can wholly dampen your enthusiasm for it. The place is crawling with people. I walked one trail that was like Queen St during the school holidays. Every man and his dog, and his kids, and his grandmother, was one step ahead of me or one step behind.

I was compelled to flee the valley, and ultimately the park because I couldn't find a campsite for love nor money. Which brings me to my next point: book accommodation well in advance. There's no such thing as a free campsite and park rangers will not tolerate creative camping solutions.

Avoiding swarms of people can be achieved by visiting in autumn or spring. The valley is open in winter, and beautiful with a rare cloak of snow, but many of the trails are closed, there are no rock-climbers to marvel at and much of the park is inaccessible.

Otherwise, give the valley a quick once-over and spend time exploring the other wonders on offer in Yosemite. The stands of mighty sequoias are worth a look and the old Wawona Hotel is charming. There are countless hiking trails that range from day-long rambles to ambitious expeditions that tackle spectacular mountain passes.

For me the jewel in Yosemite's crown is Tuolomne Meadows, near the Tioga Pass entrance. It's a particularly enchanting place in early summer when you can clamber up on the great, granite domes and look out over meadows blanketed in wildflowers. Or walk through mile upon unsullied mile of forest, perhaps spotting a few deer, and picnic on large flat sun-warmed rocks beside rivers swollen with melting snow.

Sounds idyllic doesn't it? And it is. Never have I been more challenged to resist lapsing into majestic-sweeping-view type cliches. Because that's what Yosemite is about - majestic views, and lots of them. Go see it. You won't be disappointed.

Casenotes

WHEN TO GO: Yosemite Valley is open year-round. For the High Sierras country, summer is best. The road usually opens in early June and closes by October.

GETTING THERE: Yosemite is an easy four-hour drive from San Francisco. Yosemite has four entrances and can be reached from the west on US Highway 140 or 120, from the south on US41 and from the west on the 120, via the 395.

There is a seven-day entrance fee of $20 a car, or $10 a person if on foot, cycle, motorcycle or horse. Yearly multi-visit passes cost $40.

There are many campgrounds in the park and hotel and motels in the valley. Book well in advance in summer.

Additional accommodation can be found on the park's outskirts.

Several campgrounds and roads are closed in winter and it pays to check when they're re-opening.

WHERE TO STAY: In the high country it is hard to beat Tuolomne Lodge (about 60 tents set on concrete floors and taken down every autumn) but it is also possible to camp out. In the valley, accommodation ranges from the expensive Ahwahnee Hotel to more modest lodges as well as camp sites.

ESSENTIALS: Mosquito repellent, hat, sunscreen, a torch and a change of warm clothing - even in summer.

MORE INFO: US National Park Service

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