Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.

Yosemite NP

UboatUboat
in Not Sports Related
In three weeks I make my debut in the USA for a three week holiday. It's all fairly obvious and predictable stuff, but in the middle of it we've got five nights in an RV in Yosemite NP - two nights at Mammoth Mountain and three at Indian Flat. I have no idea what to expect and nothing really planned. If anyone has done something similar I'd really appreciate any dos and don'ts along with general advice about the area. Cheers.
«1

Comments

  • ForeverAddicktedForeverAddickted
    Did a Day trip to Yosemite when I went on Holiday to San Francisco a few years ago

    Cant really mention the "Do's and Don't" you can guarantee that you'll love it there - Beautiful place
  • MacronateMacronate
    Don’t upset Yosemite Sam, he’s a bit trigger happy.
  • _MrDick_MrDick
    ForeverAddickted said:

    Did a Day trip to Yosemite when I went on Holiday to San Francisco a few years ago

    Cant really mention the "Do's and Don't" you can guarantee that you'll love it there - Beautiful place

    Don't feed the bears, is one of the 'Dont's'
  • UboatUboat
    Addickted said:

    Don't go.

    It's a fecking massive super volcano, well overdue an eruption and with increasing severe geometric signs since 2004. It would explode with a force a thousand times more powerful than the Mount St Helens eruption in 1980.

    Enjoy :smiley:

    My wife loves disaster films so at least she'll know what to do. From what I can tell you get into a small quirky group of all ages, genders and races and make sure you're not one of the two or three who 'don't make it'.
  • UboatUboat
    Thanks JohnBoy. Looks like I'm going to be able to do most of that.
  • i_b_b_o_r_gi_b_b_o_r_g
    Keep eye out for a matabooboo while you're in the park itself
  • JohnBoyUKJohnBoyUK
    Uboat said:

    Thanks JohnBoy. Looks like I'm going to be able to do most of that.

    Have you used a RV before? The one thing I would say, empty your tanks at every opportunity. Both the grey tank (sink and shower) and the black (the pit of evil) fill up a lot quicker than you expect, speaking from experience lol.

    As soon as you get your RV, drive to the nearest Walmart. Buy a mattress topper. You do not want to be sleeping on a rubber mattress.

    If you do go via Nevada afterwards, especially Death Valley, be prepared to melt in the RV as most of the aircon only works when the engine is running. After one sleepness night in the high 30Cs, we made a run for Vegas a day early.

    We drove LA > San Fran via Santa Barbara, Monterrey amd San Jose along the PCH, picked up the RV in San Fran then done Napa, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Death Valley then dropped the RV off in Vegas.

    So if you're stopping in any of them places and need any suggestions, send a PM.

    Will leave you with one more shot. Of our RV in Artists Drive in Death Valley. No idea why they call it Artists Drive...

    image
  • killerandflashkillerandflash
    Yosemite is great. There are lots of nice walks around there, plus the sequoias

    https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/valleyhikes.htm

    Some of the trails are quite steep and strenuous, but you need to leave the valley floor to really appreciate the area. The Mist and John Muir trails up to the Vernal and Nevada falls are justifiably popular, the former has better views but has quite steep steps and is more dangerous, it's not for young children for example.

    Alternatively there are viewing points you can drive up to or take shuttles to.
  • Sponsored links:


  • kimbokimbo
    How do I follow this thread? I want to go here sometime and would like to capture all the advice.
  • eaststandmikeeaststandmike
    That last pic of the RV in the middle of nowhere looks a bit suspect JohnBoy, you sure the 30c heat was not being generated from cooking the crystal meths Breaking Bad style?
  • UboatUboat
    It seems RVs aren't allowed in Death Valley in August, so we'll be going to Vegas by a different route.
  • JWADDICKJWADDICK
    Addickted said:

    Don't go.

    It's a fecking massive super volcano, well overdue an eruption and with increasing severe geometric signs since 2004. It would explode with a force a thousand times more powerful than the Mount St Helens eruption in 1980.

    Enjoy :smiley:

    Isn't that Yellowstone rather than Yosemite?
  • cafcfancafcfan
    JohnBoyUK said:

    Uboat said:

    Thanks JohnBoy. Looks like I'm going to be able to do most of that.

    Have you used a RV before? The one thing I would say, empty your tanks at every opportunity. Both the grey tank (sink and shower) and the black (the pit of evil) fill up a lot quicker than you expect, speaking from experience lol.

    As soon as you get your RV, drive to the nearest Walmart. Buy a mattress topper. You do not want to be sleeping on a rubber mattress.

    If you do go via Nevada afterwards, especially Death Valley, be prepared to melt in the RV as most of the aircon only works when the engine is running. After one sleepness night in the high 30Cs, we made a run for Vegas a day early.

    We drove LA > San Fran via Santa Barbara, Monterrey amd San Jose along the PCH, picked up the RV in San Fran then done Napa, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Death Valley then dropped the RV off in Vegas.

    So if you're stopping in any of them places and need any suggestions, send a PM.

    Will leave you with one more shot. Of our RV in Artists Drive in Death Valley. No idea why they call it Artists Drive...

    image
    I think it's because it leads to Artist Palette - so called because of all the different colour minerals in the rocks.
  • 1StevieG1StevieG
    kimbo said:

    How do I follow this thread? I want to go here sometime and would like to capture all the advice.

    Click the star next to the thread and it will stick it in your favourite thread list.
  • kentaddickkentaddick
    edited July 2018
    Yosemite is epic. Make sure to get up super early to do the dome hike, it’s breathtaking. Hope you like heights though!

    Be careful with your food etc and be mindful there are a lot of bears around and have been known to break into people’s tents and kill people after being startled because the campers forgot to put away a tube of toothpaste in the reinforced lockers they provide. Although with RV’s its probably a lot different..

    Enjoy! The states is an absolutely beautiful country. I can see why the indigenous people absolutely worshipped it.
  • Pedro45Pedro45
    We stayed at Tioga Pass and it is lovely around there. Tuolumne Meadows is also very picturesque. It's a big park though, and the drive from Tioga to the valley takes a couple of hours (40mph limit I think, strictly enforced). The problem is that Yosemite is very busy most of the time, and when down in the valley, expect not to be alone for very long. The hikes up to the falls - Vernal Falls and the Lower Yosemite Fall are OK to walk. You are not far from Tahoe (to the north) and Kings Canyon (to the south) which are both very pretty areas too. Death Valley is a wonderful place, and well worth exploring. We stayed at Panamint Springs (which does have an RV park available) but be aware that there are not many gas stations that stay open 24 hours in that part of the world (always fill up when half empty!). If you are heading south out of Death Valley, toward Ridgecrest, beware of army helicopter manouvres (coming over the ridge straight at you!), and try stopping at the Trona Pinnacles, a very weird place that Star Trek used to film at one time they needed an alien landscape. Enjoy!
  • HexHex
    kentaddick said:

    Yosemite is epic. Make sure to get up super early to do the dome hike, it’s breathtaking. Hope you like heights though!

    Be careful with your food etc and be mindful there are a lot of bears around and have been known to break into people’s tents and kill people after being startled because the campers forgot to put away a tube of toothpaste in the reinforced lockers they provide. Although with RV’s its probably a lot different..

    Enjoy! The states is an absolutely beautiful country. I can see why the indigenous people absolutely worshipped it.

    In the visitor centre there was a photo of a car .... with it's side ripped off - bears are strong !
  • Sponsored links:


  • HexHex
    _MrDick said:

    ForeverAddickted said:

    Did a Day trip to Yosemite when I went on Holiday to San Francisco a few years ago

    Cant really mention the "Do's and Don't" you can guarantee that you'll love it there - Beautiful place

    Don't feed the bears, is one of the 'Dont's'
    ..... the other bit of advice is don't attempt to retrieve food from a bear.
  • JWADDICKJWADDICK
    Hex said:

    _MrDick said:

    ForeverAddickted said:

    Did a Day trip to Yosemite when I went on Holiday to San Francisco a few years ago

    Cant really mention the "Do's and Don't" you can guarantee that you'll love it there - Beautiful place

    Don't feed the bears, is one of the 'Dont's'
    ..... the other bit of advice is don't attempt to retrieve food from a bear.
    ... and be careful where you step! Do you know what they do in the woods?
  • HexHex
    Uboat said:

    It seems RVs aren't allowed in Death Valley in August, so we'll be going to Vegas by a different route.

    So your alternative route may take you south. If so you can visit Sequoia NP and visit Morro Rock - from the top (an easy walk) you get a spectacular panarama of the Great Western Divide.
  • i_b_b_o_r_gi_b_b_o_r_g
    But make sure you look out for the matabooboos
  • JWADDICKJWADDICK
    i_b_b_o_r_g said:

    But make sure you look out for the matabooboos

    OK I'll bite and put you out of our misery - What's a matabooboo?
  • Covered EndCovered End
    JWADDICK said:

    i_b_b_o_r_g said:

    But make sure you look out for the matabooboos

    OK I'll bite and put you out of our misery - What's a matabooboo?
    Nothing Yogi.
  • Covered EndCovered End
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boo-Boo_Bear
  • Big WilliamBig William
    Don't spend weeks plodding round Bluewater etc finding a good pair of waterproof boots and then go there during a drought like I did:-)

    It really is a beautiful place, enjoy it.
  • JohnBoyUKJohnBoyUK
    I must admit, I've never seen Breaking Bad but
    Uboat said:

    It seems RVs aren't allowed in Death Valley in August, so we'll be going to Vegas by a different route.

    Why's that? Never realised there was a restriction?
  • SwissADDICKSwissADDICK
    edited July 2018
    This May 2018 we made a West Coast trip and visited parks like Yosemite (picture), Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, places like Horseshoe Bend (Arizona), cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas and drove on the legendary Route 66. But something most impressive for me was Angels Landing in Zion National Park (Utah)
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angels_Landing

    sd.JPG 523.1K
Sign In or Register to comment.

Roland Out Forever!