YOSEMITE-II BACKCOUNTRY TRAIL CREW
JULY 2005 MONTHLY OVERVIEW
KIVA VIGIL, BACKCOUNTRY TRAILS SUPERVISOR

OVERVIEW:

Well hello, reading public! How are you today? Have you been able to stay cool in these early first weeks of August? Seen the new Star Wars Film? What was that? Have we seen it!?? Uh excuse us! We’ve been in the woods, remember? But here’s an account of what’s been going on in Yosemite. You know, with actual stars and no wars.

Ok, Ok. So you recall from last month that our crew split. Ripped asunder, cut in half. Yadda-yadda-yadda. Doug’s camp worked on the Mono Meadows Trails in early July, throwing in decks and rip-rap on badly eroded trail. During that time that Doug’s crew was building trail, Stevie’s crew was hiking to their first backcountry camp, 14 miles up to Merced Lake. That camp move went jolly well and soon it was the weekend, with numerous new vistas’s calling for scrutiny. So Stevie’s crew took off to explore the high country. And when Doug’s crew hiked over to Half Dome to, (they thought), meet up with Stevie’s crew they found themselves stood up. Left in the lurch, not even a note. So they went and had a good time anyway and then Kiva came back and explained to Doug’s crew how they got hosed. Doug’s crew (hence forth to be known as the Douggies) did offer much gnashing of teeth and waving of fists in the general direction of Merced Lake. Kiva eventually told the Douggies that Stevie’s camp was 14 miles away, with trees around it, so their displays of anger were fairly futile and so the Douggies finally let it go.

Besides, there was simply too much to do at Illilouette Creek to save much energy for disappointments. Lots of rock work, trail maintenance and the occasional saw run thrown in for good measure. There were lovely spots on the creek for bathing and swimming and kicking and splashing and breath holding and hair flinging and toe dipping and slick granite sliding. Weekend hikes have taken people to Hart Lake, Arch Lake, Upper Ottoway Lakes, and various peaks along the way.

And now, if you can dig it, that’s only half the story. There was all the action and high drama happening with Stevie’s crew (henceforth to be called the Stevers.) After having a fine weekend without the Douggie’s, the Stevers hit the trail, doing some log runs, a bit of rock work on the switchbacks towards Vogelsang and rebuilding a bridge. The Stevers performed all tasks groovily under the constant attentions of their mosquito buddies (Ha! Insert a chuckle from the Douggies. Completely mosquito free!), and blazing sun. Spirits have been resigned to the insect onslaught and haven’t prevented hikes to Bernice Lake, Emmet Lake, Mt. Florence and Lyell Peak.

And what does the future hold for our intrepid Stevers and Douggies? Well, they know because Kiva told them. On August 2^nd, the Stevers move further up the Merced Drainage, 9 miles to Triple Peak Fork. Yep, you heard correctly, the Merced Drainage. Not to be out done, the Douggies move 9 miles deeper into the wilds and will etch out their little piece of civilization at Buena Vista Lake on August 8^th. Of course, to give all that craziness just a little more zesty appeal, over the weekend of August 5^th, all the Douggies and Stevers will gather at Red Peak Pass, the current teams will re-integrate, and completely new Stevers and Douggie groups will return to their prospective homes. It will be quite an event, this reunion being billed as Party on the Pass. Probably the biggest excitement these parts have seen since the fire last year, and you know how hot that got. The Air around both camps crackles with uncertainty. Will the Half Dome grudge be finally laid to rest? Might the weekend be filled with dirty scowls and refusal to share tuna-mac? Could the concentration of so much youthful energy greatly affect local weather conditions, with the reunited crew dancing at 10,000 feet as colossal forces clear the heavens? We have no idea! You should all check back in next month and we’ll happily let you know. Till then, keep hiking.

Ha – Ha! You thought we all had been playing hooky from our schooling because we hadn’t mentioned any of it in our overview. Nope, we saved it all to be included in its very own curriculum section. Notice this paragraph’s title. So there! We had classes on communications, crew t-shirts, and newspaper, civics and problem solving. Kiva led some fun classes playing Chinese jacks, writing circle stories, and tracking euchre. Tough guy John Knotts (WEB—Redding, CA), taught everybody how to set tile and related some of his personal experiences in that trade. James Sylvia (CCC—Tahoe), had everybody improving their fashion style with his course in hemp necklacing. El Houcine Ait Ahmed (CCC—Los Padres/SLO), stepped up to the plate on a night when Kiva was unexpectedly absent and led a night of French class. Legendary Ben Herbert (Yosemite, 1995), also increased the crew’s communicative ability with his lessons in American Sign Language. Lastly, and also ending this section of our crew report, Amanda Atkinson--Dervish Designer of Delicious Diets (Yosemite, 2003), and Brandi Bosch--Ninja Warrior (Yosemite, 2001), facilitated a song writing class where the crew rewrote Crosby, Still’s, Nash and Young’s song "Ohio" with backcountry themes. Sadly, this original version is not yet cleared for release on the public airways. You maybe able to catch the re-mix in our crew newspaper.

On July 5^th, Jenna Haywood (WEB—Michigan), was medically separated 1 day before we left for the backcountry. She needed some time to rehab a strained back and we all wished he the best. On a related note, Jenna returned to the crew on July 28^th, fully healed and without any make-up on.

On July 16^th the backcountry program and Michael Cole parted ways. We hope he is doing well.

Steve Yune (CCC—Chico), had to leave us on July 26^th with tendonitis in his left ankle. He is recuperating at home in Chico and we are sure his fraternity brothers are taking good care of him.

One crew member had a weird thing growing on the back of his heel, but he cut it off and is doing fine.

Another crew member smashed her finger pretty good but it didn’t really bother her because she’s so tough.

Finally, one other member of the crew needed to take a day off the trail to deal with some severe nausea.

Trail Maintenance: 

   Buena Vista Trail    -- 9.0 miles

   Pohono Trail     -- 2.0 miles

  TOTAL:      --12.0 miles  

Retainer bars:        --10 each

Waterbars:        --12 each

Causeway & Single-tier Wall:     -- 6.67 linear yards

           ( 20 lin. ft.)

Trail Tread Rip-Rap:       -- 29 linear yards

Multi-tier Retaining Wall:      -- 110 square feet

"Memory, prophecy and fantasy – the past, the future and the dreaming moment between – are all one country, living one immortal day. To know that is Wisdom. To use it is the Art."