To the Tetons!

So many friends said if we’re in Yellowstone, why not also visit the neighboring Grand Tetons? So we did!

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Those mountains. We’ve been looking upon such ranges for 3 months now, and still, that view stopped us. The Grand Teton Range is the youngest of the Rocky Mountain formation - roughly 10 million years old. It’s those jagged youthful peaks, not yet worn down by erosion, that gives the Teton’s its signature look. And Jackson Hole, although unaffordable for these two campers, charmed us with great food and a great vibe (as well as shootout theater) around town.

But here, we recall a word of warning from a recent interview: “Beware anyone who claims to be an expert of all the National Parks.” Each place has a unique history, both known and unknown, and a unique mix of explorers and settlers that shape the character of any place. John D. Rockefeller, donor to so many wild lands, is again present here, but in an entirely different way than in Yellowstone.

While we’ve enjoyed our visit, it is with great respect to both places that we focus our time in Yellowstone. We hope we will have an opportunity in the future to uncover the campfire stories of Grand Teton National Park!

Interview Recap: Bob Richard

Although now retired, Bob Richard still gives the occasional tour with the guiding company he founded, Grubsteak Expeditions. And what a great way to see it, with a guide whose enthusiasm for the park is renewed with every visit. His stories go back four generations to his great grandfather, who began guiding in Yellowstone in 1906. His grandfather proposed to his grandmother at the Lake Hotel, and recently, he renewed his own vows at the same hotel - the most romantic spot in Yellowstone.

As a photographer, historian, guide, and pilot, Bob considers Yellowstone to be “his backyard.” It’s no mistake he was asked to be Yellowstone’s first frontcountry horse park ranger in 1956. He stresses the importance of the Langford, Washburn & Doane Expedition, who after their visit in 1870, recommended preservation over use of the Yellowstone lands to Congress. Becoming a National Park in 1872 ensured visitors the chance to enjoy a land with incredibly diverse opportunities for enjoyment.

If you only have half a day, Bob recommends that you charter a flight, or extend your visit. At 2.2 million acres, you’ll learn something new with every visit.

Interview Recap: Jim Garry

Wildlife biologist. Political consultant. Author. Folklorist. Storyteller. Jim Garry is a fascinating man, and ever gracious, as he helped us work through a flat tire. Over shrimp tacos in Gardiner, we swapped stories and learned about Jim’s many hats.

Originally from Texas, Jim joined the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in 1969. He’s been freelancing ever since, which gives him a lot of experience in a lot of fields. We talked about Wyoming politics, and the idea of the American West. As the least populated state in the country, Wyoming is a “medium size town with a long Main Street.”

But what’s kept Jim here all these years is his work with the grizzly bear.

As a consultant for the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, a team working towards the preservation of the bear, Jim has logged hundreds of hours observing these animals. He shared a story about coming face to face with a mama bear and her cubs, witnessing the power and intelligence of this animal, not 7 feet apart. Jim was hooked. For him, the grizzly bear is the West manifest.

Jim’s warmth extended to the tourists of Yellowstone. He’s glad the Park Service has hired Mandarin-speaking seasonal staff this summer, to accommodate an influx of Chinese tourists. Jim shared that while many Americans are also responsible for unsafe behaviors, foreign tourists harbor different cultural understandings of safe and not safe, often finding themselves in dangerous situations in a wild place. And his desire to visit a geyser basin in Greenland helps him understand the Yellowstone tourist: that Old Faithful is not only an international icon, it’s a site for pilgrimage.

Interview Recap: Paul Shea, Yellowstone Gateway Museum

“Yellowstone chooses her own. And when Yellowstone chooses you, you don’t get away...”

In our interview with Paul Shea, Director of the Yellowstone Gateway Museum, recalled this quote from Judy Meyer’s “The Spirit of Yellowstone,” to describe his own experience. Originally from Sparks, NV, Paul thought he’d spend one summer as a bus tour guide in Yellowstone. But coming to Yellowstone changed Paul’s life. For him, it’s a spiritual connection; one that kept bringing him back as a seasonal worker, until he ultimately settled in West Yellowstone.

We visited Paul in Livingston, MT, where he currently resides as the director of the Yellowstone Gateway Museum. Paul shared the history of Livingston, one of many gateway towns to the park. Founded in 1883, Livingston was halfway on the Northern Pacific’s rail line between Milwaukee, WI, and Puget Sound, WA. So, Northern Pacific located their rail-car factories here. Even when the rail was replaced with the Yellowstone Trail (one of the first transcontinental roads from Plymouth, MS, to Puget Sound, WA), Livingston still welcomed automobiles as they drove into Yellowstone.

He was eager to share his vast knowledge of Yellowstone lore. There’s the postcard of a New Yorker, charmed by his Yellowstone experience of being robbed on his stagecoach, “the best $20 he ever spent in his life.” The “Let Me In” campaign, to allow automobiles that were stubbornly opposed by the military, who was in charge of the park until 1916. And Wylie Way and Shaw & Powell, the more well known camping and Yellowstone guide operations, who in the offseason, would give lectures nationally to tell a growing nation of the wonders of Yellowstone. Next time you’re in Yellowstone, with some time on your hands, trek one hour north to Livingston, MT, to learn all this and more, at the charming Yellowstone Gateway Museum!

Interview Recap: Lee Whittlesey, Yellowstone's Park Historian

After two full days in the library, we thought we had a good handle on the vast literature of Yellowstone. After an hour’s conversation with Lee Whittlesey, Park Historian for 16 years, we realize that we’ve only scratched the surface.

Originally from Oklahoma, Lee came to Yellowstone on a family trip. He recalled attending an employee party, and thinking it magical - he had to find a way to be here. After studying law, he felt more compelled to live and breathe history, returning to school to receive a master’s degree in the subject.

“The number of big animals. The 10,000 hot springs, geysers, mud pots, and steam vents,” he started. “We have petrified trees. We have the big canyons. We have the tall waterfalls. We have every kind of natural feature that is in every other national park… I could argue that this could be called Yellowstone National Historical Park. Because it’s got the deep history. It’s also got the deep nature and the deep science. The complexity is what has kept me here all these years, because you can't ever know it all or learn it all.” 

With bubbling enthusiasm and an encyclopedic memory, Lee recalled the facts, figures, explorers, characters, and stories of Yellowstone’s near 150-year history. In fact, it was Lee that started the extraordinarily popular “Death In…” genre of books with his book, “Death in Yellowstone.” He told us which stories and books not to miss, and which ones to avoid. We left the meeting in a daze, as excited as ever, but also more intimidated, to tackle the vast collection of stories of Yellowstone National Park.

The Importance of Words

Over a campfire, Ranger Maggie led a program, “The Importance of Words in Early Yellowstone.” While we have social media to share our snapshots, she explained, early explorers had only the power of words to share their Yellowstone experience. Recorded stories from the Yellowstone region largely came from the first fur trappers and explorers.

Although there are 26 native tribes associated with Yellowstone, their stories are absent from European record. William Clark, of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, surmised that Natives were afraid of these geysers, which is now widely believed to be false. More likely is that Natives weren’t telling Europeans about these sacred lands.

French fur trappers and mountain men were the first to explore these lands, with Jim Bridger telling the tallest tales of all - of a mountain made of glass (Obsidian Cliff), and a lake where a fish would be fully cooked on exit. With the Washburn Expedition of 1869 was Truman Everts, who was separated from the party. He was found 37 days later with both frostbite and severe burns, weighing only 50 pounds. His story, “37 Days of Peril,” published in Scribner’s Monthly, was the first to enthrall the nation. Then came the Hayden Expedition in 1871, sent by the US Geological Survey. A team of scientists described their many findings, and painter Thomas Moran captured the landscape. Their descriptions of the region’s thermal features led to Yellowstone being declared the first National Park in 1872.

Interview Recap: Ranger Amy Rether, Yellowstone National Park

Graciously, Yellowstone Park Ranger Amy Rether agreed to meet with us after her shift, and just before she went chasing waterfalls on the Wolf Lake trail. Amy has been an interpretive ranger in the Canyon Village area for the past two summers, originally having studied Parks, Recreation, and Tourism in Environmental Education - a perfect fit! Her insight into the Yellowstone communities was invaluable and a great view behind the scenes. In a park so large (up to 3 hours driving end to end), it’s divided into three districts and park employees are offered housing in the different areas.

As a ranger, Amy is excited to work with so many great colleagues, and meet so many visitors from all over the world. Working in the Grand Canyon area, a canyon that’s often 4000 feet wide and 1200 feet deep, has helped her confront and overcome her fear of heights.

She also clued us into some hidden aspects of the park. Like the big horse round-up & parade in Gardiner, MT each summer. Or the Christmas celebrations on August 28, where all the hotels decorate with lights and sing carols. And that each year, many of the boardwalks built over the geysers and hot springs need to be moved to accommodate the movements of the active volcano below. But Ranger Amy would like you to know that there’s no evidence that the volcano is going to blow up. And to be careful of the big animals, because, as she says, she “wants you to go home with awesome memories, not awesome scars.” Noted.

Interview Recap: Ken Voorhis & Neil Mathieu, Yellowstone Association

To kick off our time in Yellowstone National Park, we sat down with Yellowstone Association’s Ken Voorhis, Director of Education, and Neil Mathieu, Director of Retail. Ken almost seemed like an old friend - we were first introduced via the Great Smoky Mountains Association, the very first park we visited on this trip and where Ken worked (with the Great Smoky Mountains Institute) for 29 years! 

The Yellowstone Association supports the park through sale of educational materials in park stores and nearby towns, as well as in-depth classes and programs provided through the Yellowstone Association Institute. Topics range from wolf management and ecology, to capturing the colors of Old Faithful. We were fortunate to attend an evening campfire of ‘Lakota Creation Stories: The Animals of Yellowstone,’ which we’re excited to share more about in a later post! 

 Ken spoke of the significance of this place, not only for its ability to get to untrammeled wild places fairly quickly, but for the founding history. Here is not just the first National Park in the country, but in the whole world. He shares that the park is an amazing demonstration of the inherent conflict in the motto, “For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People” - a phrase that constantly balances preservation and public use in the mission of the Park Service. Having lived here 3 years now, Ken also spoke of the magnificent Yellowstone winters. 

While midday August temperatures hover in the mid-70’s (a nice change for us), Yellowstone in winter can get as cold as 0º to 20º F, dipping below zero at night and in higher elevations. Winter also brings the absence of large crowds. Ken describes it as the time you really get to know and learn about the community here — the personality of Yellowstone: an eclectic, tight-knit group of people from all walks of life. 

Our conversation with Ken and Neil also gave us insight into the kinds of stories visitors are seeking in the bookstores, as well as some types of stories they wished to tell. With their insight and community connections, we’re ready to take on that challenge of capturing the stories of Yellowstone National Park!

Interview Recap: Linda and Luke Black Elk

On Friday evening, we hurried over to the Lamar Buffalo Ranch to attend a campfire hosted by Linda and Luke Black Elk on a night where they would be sharing Lakota stories of the animals of Yellowstone. After a short delay of waiting for bison to clear the road, we had a chance to listen and speak to this dynamic duo. 

Linda and Luke Black Elk were in Yellowstone to teach their “Native American Plants & Their Uses” and “Lakota Creation Stories” courses with the Yellowstone Association. Back home in South Dakota, Linda teaches Ethnobiology at a Sitting Bull College, and Luke is currently studying hydrology. They both work as consultants to promote native sciences in colleges. 

Around the campfire, Luke and Linda regaled us with abridged versions of Lakota stories—since some, in their entirety, can take literal days to tell. Luke told us of how the Raven, once all-white, became black. He told us of stone boy, and why black-tail deer are not to be trusted. Linda joined the campfire, and shared stories on the topic of love. She told us how we are related to the stars, and of two girls that married stars. Although tragic, their marriage gave us “Fallen Star,” a recurring character of Lakota stories, with abilities similar to Hercules of Greek mythology. And Linda’s directed us to details of the star story, showing us how the narrative contained hidden lessons on the correct ways to harvest and propagate a beloved Lakota plant. 

Afterwards, Luke and Linda graciously answered our questions about being Lakota and their connection to Yellowstone. The Lakota are one of 26 contemporary tribes associated with Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone and its thermal features were considered sacred, so many tribes were able to utilize this place without conflict. Luke explained that the Lakota would travel hundreds of miles on foot to gather materials and perform ceremonies in this region. He explained passionately that being Lakota meant being humble, and always generous. Linda shares that while their relationship with the park today remains good, it is also bittersweet. But things are looking up - new legislation, passed very recently, now allows native tribes to gather materials from National Parks for ceremonial and cultural use. 

We look forward to reading the many Lakota references and books Luke & Linda pointed us towards!

A Cathedral of Granite: Yosemite National Park In Review

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Two weeks before we arrived in Yosemite, the first family visited on Father’s Day Weekend. In addition to promoting the Every Kid in a Park initiative and hiking the 4-mile trail, President Obama stood in front of the tallest waterfall in North America to say: “There’s something sacred about this place, and I suppose that’s why the walls of this valley were referred to as cathedral walls, because here at Yosemite we connect not just with our own spirit, but with something greater. It’s almost like the spirit of America itself is right here.”

He’s not the first president to proclaim the beauty of this place. 100 years before, President Theodore Roosevelt spent 3 nights camping in Yosemite with naturalist John Muir. 50 years prior, was President Abraham Lincoln, considering the petition of a private group of California citizens, arguing for the preservation of Yosemite’s sequoia trees and granite rocks, both larger than life. So during one of the bloodiest times of the Civil War, Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant to create the first federally protected land.

That’s Yosemite. It draws the most influential figures espousing the highest praise. Here is where we, as a nation, figured out what a National Park would be. And that awkward, sometimes painful, beautiful process, have produced countless stories that have crystallized into legends worthy of such a magnificent place. As we move on to Yellowstone National Park, we reflect on the themes we discovered in Yosemite National Park.

Scale and Humility

Standing on the floor of Yosemite Valley, it’s hard to imagine anything bigger than the granite cliffs that tower over you. Or walking at the base of a Sequoia or Redwood tree, our human body feels insignificant. You can find higher elevations elsewhere in the world, but the difference of scale between the floor of Yosemite Valley and the sheer granite cliffs creates an awe unmatched anywhere else. So many different people draw different lessons from this landscape, whether they were searching for it or not. Some ponder the place of man in this universe. Some reflect on the act of preservation, birthed here, and how a group of people would protect a place for us to enjoy, for all eternity. This landscape will teach, if you’ll slow down to listen.

The formation of the valley was once hotly debated. In one camp were geologists who argued that uplift, earthquakes, and erosion made this wondrous valley. On the other side were naturalists, led by John Muir. He observed patterns in the rock, and concluded that glaciers must have played a part in carving this valley. History has proven Muir right - we now know that the formations are owed to both uplift and melting glaciers. What else could have created such unique formations like El Capitan or Half Dome? Instantly recognizable, these rocks tower over the valley and soon become familiar characters that invite your gaze.

Both mountains appear in the stories of the first inhabitants, the Ahwahneechee. Ahwahnee is thought to mean “like a gaping mouth,” and Ahwahneechee to be “people of the valley.” Their stories, captured in the “Legends of the Miwok” book, describe how the Creator turned Tis-se’-yak and her husband into the faces of Half Dome and North Dome. Or how only the tiny measuring worm, Tu-tok-a-nu’-la, climbed El Capitan to save two bear cubs, when no other animals could. Miwok stories also teach respect for the land. At the waterfall Po-ho-no, one can still hear the voices of all who have drowned. The fierce power of this valley demands that these stories be passed on.

Trailblazer

Responding to the petitions, paintings, and photographs from private citizens in California, Abraham Lincoln, during one of the bloodiest times of the Civil War, put pen to paper and signed the Yosemite Grant in 1864 — the first federally protected land in the world. Since then, the nation has been learning what it means to both protect a place’s wildness, and make it accessible for visitors.

Galen Clark became the first official guardian of the park, protecting this land with little to no support - once even foregoing a salary for four years. As ranchers continued to test the new regulation, a unit of African American cavalrymen (the Buffalo Soldiers) were sent to enforce the preservation of this idea. Still, the law could not prevent one of the greatest tragedies of John Muir’s career — the creation of a dam that flooded the Hetch Hetchy Valley, providing water and power to a growing San Francisco. Many say that this travesty helped launch the Park Service into existence. There was no precedent to follow, no maps or guides. By circumstance, the trail had to be blazed here.

Here are some more Yosemite firsts:

• The Yosemite Natural History Association was the very first non-profit partner to raise funds to support the park in 1923

• Their first project was the Yosemite Museum, the first to collect and interpret cultural artifacts, marking a shift in the conservation ideology of National Parks

• Rock climbers in the 1940s and 50s flocked to Yosemite’s walls, and their equipment and techniques would influence the sport worldwide

• Accordingly, search and rescue was first formally organized to accommodate a growing climbing & adventure culture

• As bears learned that humans have food, park rangers pioneered a high-tech management program that alerts rangers whenever a bear enter a highly populated area

A recent example is the permit system for the cable summit of Half Dome. By the early 2000’s, this trail was seeing up to 1000 visitors a day. An already dangerous trail was becoming even more dangerous, and suffering damage at the hands of visitors. Between 2008-2012, the park launched a series of extensive studies, and introduced a permit system that would limit hikers to 350/day. They’re hard permits to get, and some still grumble about the hike you need to apply for, but this system will ensure the preservation of one of the country’s most storied hikes. Yosemite continues to set an example for parks all across the nation.

Setting up Shop

Here in Yosemite, Stephen Mather, first director of the National Park Service, envisioned great lodges that would provide luxury accommodations for VIP visitors. This is unthinkable in a parks system today that severely limits any new construction. But consider the context. Although parks had been established, they still had no legal authority, a very small budget, and little support. In order to grow the system, Mather knew that many more people would need to experience Yosemite for themselves. Accommodations, and visitorship, were about survival.

This vision resulted in the grand Ahwahnee Hotel of the Yosemite Valley - legendary for its careful and considered use of authentic California Indian designs. The Wawona lodge was built to accommodate visitors to the Mariposa Grove. The Glacier Point Mountain House welcomed visitors who summited the peak. And believing that these experiences were not affordable for everyman, David Curry established the infamous Camp Curry, an affordable community of tent cabins also on the Valley floor. In 1923, Superintendent Washington Lewis even advocated for High Sierra Camps in the backcountry, providing meals and lodging for backpackers.

In today’s park, this much use has become a mounting challenge to modern ideas of wilderness. Because people and industry are more prevalent in so many varieties, park management is also more visible. In our time at Yosemite, we found park rangers inaccessible, because of the reach of the Press Office, working to control the message of the park. But that’s not to say that the park hates its human use. Yosemite celebrates its four official partners: the Yosemite Conservancy, the Ansel Adams Gallery, NatureBridge, and Yosemite Hospitality (a subsidiary of Aramark). To many visitors, it’s these concessions that shape their visit. And so together, somewhere of and in-between these commercial ventures, lies the experience of Yosemite National Park.

A Romantics’ Confluence

The formation of many parks were aided by a unique moment - when romantic writers and painters were choosing landscape as their subject. As the first protected land, Yosemite became a mecca. Painters like Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Moran, and Thomas Hill painted this Valley. Photographers like Chris Jorgensen and later Ansel Adams, shot mountain ranges on more easily reproducible plates. Musicians wrote popular tunes about their visits to this landscape, capturing waterfalls in meter. And John Muir, who of all the lands he advocated, loved Yosemite the most. “It is by far the grandest of all the special temples of Nature I was ever permitted to enter,” he would write. Accounts like these gave President Lincoln, and soon the general public, a reason to hear the gospel of granite.

The early tourism industry, eager to capitalize on its new commercial ventures, built its attractions in the image of the romantic movement. Although we’re often wary of stories about the “good old days,” (which almost always sets up a complaint), the confluence of romantic era artists, early tourism, and yet-established-wilderness regulations make for some spectacular moments of Yosemite’s past.

David Curry had a particular flair for the dramatic. Every evening in Camp Curry, dressed in a dapper white suit as the ‘stentor,’ his call and response with Glacier Point would proclaim it: “Let the Fire Fall!” His colleague on the 3000-foot peak of Glacier Point took his cue to push the embers of a fir fire off the edge of the cliff, creating an orange streak of embers that streamed down to the valley below. Although the Firefall no longer operates, the traditions of “Elmer!” and the Bracebridge Dinner still live on. These events worked their way into the memories of visitors, the traditions of family, and the myths of a magical park that once was.

A Playground, A Community

For many of the people we spoke with, their Yosemite stories begin in their ‘adult childhoods:’ a time when one is just old enough to decide where to live, but young enough to not yet have careers, children, or many cares. And in Yosemite, with so many hotels came so many kitchen jobs, with most jobs offering modest accommodations. Even Ansel Adams got his start as a janitor in the Sierra Club, allowing him to discover his craft, and enjoy Yosemite as his playground.

And, oh what a playground. The stable climate, sheer cliff faces, and accessibility brought rock climbers from all over the world to Yosemite, revolutionizing the sport in the 1950s. That adventuring spirit still permeates this wilderness. In our Yosemite stay, we saw slack liners setting up on on the edge of the Taft Point Fissures, and spotted two ‘diving boards’ where base jumpers (illegally) and hang gliders (legally) launch from. These are in addition to the hikers, backpackers and peak baggers who tramp along the 95% of the park which is wilderness.

Living here is not just a different pace of life, but a different set of values. One’s riches aren’t measured in salary, but by the adventures and experiences one accumulates. Even for those who aren’t given housing, employees will live out of their vans, on a friend’s property, in tents, or the side of the road. It’s that enticing to be here.

It’s that “dirt on your feet” attitude that binds the community here. Towns like El Portal, Foresta, Mariposa, Tuolomne, and Mono Lake have become home for a whole cadre of roaming young adults; many who have never left. Every other Thursday night, Sal’s Taco Night in El Portal draws a raucous local crowd. The Mobil Gas Station in Lee Vining, CA, hosts music every Thursday night, which if you visit, you should also take a midnight trip to the nearby hot springs. There’s always something to do here, and that’s because of the great communities that inhabit Yosemite.

Conclusion

In Yosemite, maybe more than anywhere else so far, we leave with the feeling that we’re only scratching the surface. The challenge to fully understand a history is compounded by Yosemite’s 150 years as a federally protected land. Every nook and cranny is filled with stories about: the geology, the settlement, the park service, the romantics and conservationists, the hotels, the visitors, the adventurers, and the community. We’re sure we can find a few great ones to tell. There may be only one other park that rivals the depth of the story here, and we’re headed there next: Yellowstone National Park.

Photography by Sean Shapiro Photography

Fire at the Flying Spur

Foresta, Yosemite West, and Wawona are all areas settled before Yosemite became a National Park. Today, they remain active communities within park boundaries. Over dinner, we spoke with Kathy and Kylie Chappell, mother & daughter, and inheritors of the historic Flying Spur property in Foresta from pre-eminent Yosemite historian, Shirley Sargent.

Foresta was first founded in 1912 with plans to establish a cultural arts center. The Flying Spur property was rediscovered when Shirley’s father, while on a hike, came across the remains of a stone chimney. Further research led them to discover this was the former property of Theodore Solomons, an explorer and one of the earliest members of the Sierra Club. He is also credited for creating the trail that is now the John Muir Trail. Shirley and her father convinced the Solomons to sell this land to rebuild the Flying Spur property. Here, Shirley wrote many books on Yosemite history (including a book on Theodore Solomons himself), and a few novels, like “Yosemite Tomboy,” which all still grace park bookstore shelves today.

Flying Spur looks much different today than it did in Shirley’s days. After a major fire devastated the community in 1990, and another in 2014, Foresta is no longer a lush forest that the name suggests. A 13 year lawsuit against the Park Service was settled, and a new agreement allowed property owners to rebuild and lease their property as vacation rentals. After Shirley passed, the Chappell’s rented their Foresta home — most notably to Dean Potter, a well known rock climber in Yosemite who tragically died in a base jumping accident off Taft Point in 2015.

Kylie now lives at “the Spur,” creating her own community of friends and guests who visit the park (like us!). For Kylie, it took a semester in New Zealand to realize the natural beauty of the landscape of her Yosemite childhood. She returned to Yosemite, and now works as the Outdoor Adventures Coordinator at the Yosemite Conservancy. She describes it as the perfect job for someone who grew up here, who now spends their free time climbing and “peak-bagging” — a new term we learned for summiting peaks. Kathy now lives in nearby Mariposa with her husband; both retired schoolteachers, and intrepid adventurers.

Photos featured in this post are from our first visit in Fall 2014, just a few months after the El Portal fire.

Yosemite's Buffalo Soldiers

When Park Ranger Shelton Johnson learned about the Buffalo Soldiers early in his Yosemite career, he was shocked by how few people knew about this important legacy. Despite growing up a shy kid in Detroit, who moved out west after receiving a degree in poetry, Shelton took a look around and saw that he would have to preserve this legacy himself.

In the years since, Shelton has developed a living history program, created the character Elizy Bowman, whose experience is captured in his novel “Gloryland,” and a PBS film, and developed the Yosemite theater program that we attended on Sunday evening. ‘Buffalo Soldiers’ was the term given to the 10th cavalry, an African-American infantry unit who fought in the Indian Wars throughout the Southwest in, from 1866-1890. The term was one of respect from Native Americans, who likened their hair to the matted fur of the buffalo, their sacred animal. After these wars, the unit was stationed in the Presidio, and were the first available when the country decided that this new protected land, this national parks idea, needed policing. The 10th cavalry was sent to patrol and protect Yosemite & Sequoia National Parks, an assignment known as “the cavalry men’s paradise.”

In addition to protecting these newly formed lands, Buffalo Soldiers also began some of the first major construction projects into these parks. It is Shelton’s work to embody Elizy Bowman, and tell the story of the Buffalo Soldiers, that has made him one of the most visible contemporary Park Rangers of Yosemite. He has appeared in Ken Burns’ films about the National Parks, and the Oprah Winfrey show. It’s his work that led us giddily to learn more about the Buffalo Soldiers, a story that we hope we’ll get to share in the final Campfire Stories!

Climbing El Cap

Look closer. There’s a tiny little speck on the face of El Capitan. Is that a person? How did they get there? You’re watching one of hundreds of climbers each year who test themselves on the 1-5 day ascent of this imposing cliff face. 

At the El Portal taco night, we talked to Ken Yager about the long legacy of climbing in Yosemite. Ken is the president of the Yosemite Climbing Association, who works to preserve the legacy of climbing here, and organizes the Yosemite Facelift, the largest organized volunteer cleanup of any national park every September. 

When Ken first visited Yosemite with his parents, he walked up to the base of El Capitan, and thought “I have to climb this.” After completing his first ascent in 1972, Ken later moved to Yosemite to keep scratching this itch. The great granite cliffs, the easy access to climbs, and the stable weather, all make Yosemite an incredible training ground for climbers. Climbing started here in 1933, and at the time, had no commercial support in the US. Climbers like Warren Harding and Royal Robbins did so for the passion for the sport, living in Camp 4 for free in the winters, sometimes eating cat food to survive. They were here to chase that feeling, of focusing only on the next route, the next hold to inch your way up a rock—what Ken calls, “a true vacation.” This golden era created a counterculture that would develop new equipment and new techniques that would go on to influence rock climbers all over the world. 

Curious visitors can stop by the “Ask A Climber” program every day from 12:30-4:30p on the El Capitan bridge. You can camp in the infamous Camp 4, and imagine the energy in the air as new routes were discussed; new ‘problems’ were solved. But Ken’s work isn't done. The Yosemite Climbing Association is working towards creating a Climbing Museum in Yosemite. They’ve collected thousands of artifacts and photographs to share this story. Now all they need is a home. 

To learn more and support the Yosemite Climbing Museum, visit their website.

Photo above by Sean Shapiro Photography

Interview Recap: Ben Cunningham-Summerfield, Yosemite Museum

When we first met Ben Cunningham-Summerfield, he was demonstrating an array of traditional instruments, and carving arrowheads in front of a handful of curious visitors—part of his role as a cultural interpreter in the Yosemite Museum. His mother’s father’s tribe is the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa from Minnesota, and his father’s tribe is Mountain Maidu from Northern California.

Sitting in the shade in the heart of Yosemite Indian Village, we spoke to Ben about the challenges of being Indian in today’s America. The tribal histories we’ve encountered across the country are always complex. In Yosemite, gold miners who settled in 1849 sought to violently remove all traces of the Miwok & Maidu tribes by 1851. And on top of that, contemporary tribes must navigate a complicated process to receive federal recognition. And public understanding thinks of Indians as being a relic of the past, often asking questions in past tense.

But one thing Ben wanted us to take away from the conversation was that Indian cultures are still present, still vibrant today. We spoke about stories as being the history lessons for him growing up. But we also spoke about limitations of those stories—that some stories are for men, and some for women, and always, the source of our story should be given credit. In that spirit, we send our thanks to Ben for sharing his versions of “Coyote & Bear” and “Grasshopper & Ant.”

In our conversation, we learned Ben loves speaking to visitors from all over the world and teaching visitors of Indian culture - past and present. Ben is happy to answer any and all questions that come his way, because “you never know who you’re going to touch, and how you’re going to touch them.” It’s just one reason that makes Ben such a great interpretive ranger.

Gather 'round the fire!

Last night, we hosted a ‘Campfire Stories Night’ at the Rush Creek Lodge to ring in their one month grand opening anniversary! The property was nearly destroyed in the devastating Rim Fire of 2013 but was fortunately saved, becoming the first resort to open in the Yosemite region in over 25 years!

Thanks to the organization of Rush Creek’s staff and the free s’mores, we had a great turnout to share stories from the infamous John Muir, legendary naturalist and ranger William Neely, local poets, and Miwok legends about the creation of El Capitan and Half Dome. 

We also asked the audience to share with us why they chose to come to Yosemite, and if they had any campfire stories to share themselves. We heard a lot from the kiddos in the audience, who asked lots of good questions (especially about bears) and one really moving story from a young man who on a long hike to Hetch Hetchy, had a profound moment of realization – and “one of the most beautiful things” he ever saw – when he looked out and thought about how all of that land was there every day, protected for him and protected from becoming a highway or a shopping mall.

Interview Recap: Penny Otwell, Artist

Sometimes, you hear about a place in the old days, registered as a complaint. But painter Penny Otwell’s eloquent account of growing up in Yosemite drew us in, making us miss a bygone era of romance that we’ve never seen. She welcomed us into her home and studio in Mariposa, CA, and shared her Yosemite story.

At 18, Penny came to Yosemite as a counselor for the YMCA. She immediately fell in love with this place, and decided to stay. She was hired by John Curry & Fred Pearson themselves, and worked in the dining room of the Ahwahnee hotel. Here, she witnessed the Firefall from Glacier Point every night, and even witnessed a few heart attacks of guests enjoying the unlimited meal plan! With 3 days off each week, she realized that she could go backpacking into the high country. “People come here for a day and want to see everything. It’s taken me a lifetime, and I’m still observing.”

Penny has never been blasé about Yosemite, keeping journals and notes on her observations in nature, which we had the opportunity to take a peek at. It was only later in life that Penny decided, with no formal training, that painting would be the best way to share her passion about this place. “To understand what Yosemite is best, is by walking slowly,” she says. With an exhibition coming up in the Ansel Adams gallery this September, we encourage you to let Penny sweep you up into her vision of Yosemite.

Yosemite Loses Its Names

There’s confusion in Yosemite. This season, the historic Ahwahnee and Wawona hotels and the legendary Curry Village, are operating as the Majestic Yosemite Lodge, Big Trees Lodge, and Half Dome Village, respectively. Even Yosemite National Park is selling merchandise marked only as “Yosemite.” Here’s the short of the legal battle: the previous concessionaire, Delaware North, lost the bid this year to Aramark. Delaware North sued, claiming that Aramark needed to pay for the historic names that Delaware North had trademarked (entirely between 2003-2009) - intellectual property that they value at over $50 million.

The Park Service has filed a petition with the U.S. Patent Office to cancel these trademarks, but changed all signs until the case can be heard in 2017. In our travels, we’ve discovered that stories often explain one of two things: why things have happened, or where a name comes from.

Place names carry great significance. And in a place like a National Park, that sense of ownership can reach some of our most emotional memories: family, memory, tradition, discovery. The name of a place can be just as emotional. Maybe it was a shrewd business move of Delaware North to trademark such historic properties. Maybe it was an oversight for the Park Service to overlook the intellectual property of their own assets. Maybe the mistake is with the Patent Office, who granted trademarks to a contractor. But the fact that a legal technicality has taken a whole network of names away is a travesty.

Here’s what we think: you can’t own names like the Ahwahnee, the Wawona, or Curry Village. In a land that is protected for the American public, they belong to everyone, especially those who have built memories over generations. Delaware North needs to drop the suit and return the Ahwahnee, the Wawona, and Curry Village as soon as possible to we, the people.

To learn more, here’s some further reading:

• "Yosemite Contractor Leaves — And Takes The Landmark's Names With It"

• “How Yosemite lost its historic names — and may win them back”
  

Interview Recap: Brenda Ostrom, Mountain Meadow Farms

We first encountered Brenda Ostrom when we spotted “Brenda’s Eggs” at the local grocery in Mariposa, CA. Since 2000, Mountain Meadow Farms has delivered a CSA share every Tuesday to: Bootjack, Darrah, Lushmeadows, Mariposa, Midpines, El Portal, Yosemite Valley, and Tuolumne and Hodgdon Meadows communities.

Driving through the park every week, said Brenda, allowed her to see the evolution of seasons in the park, and notice the simple beauty in noticing the light change on this landscape through the year. In addition to the farm, Brenda also works as a transportation consultant with the Pacific Northwest Region of the National Park Service. She worked on the Mariposa Grove project, to consolidate parking at the South entrance of Yosemite. And having conducted transportation studies, she shared one big reason a shuttle was never implemented. In a park the size of Rhode Island, the estimated operating cost came in at $50 million per year, aka too much.

Even as visitation goes up, Brenda remains positive about the future. Visitors, traffic, flow - for Brenda it’s a big puzzle she’s eager to solve. And while the park is not discussing options yet, Brenda hopes her research will set the stage for intelligent changes when the time is right. To learn more about Mountain Meadow Farm, visit their website.

Visit to the Ansel Adams Gallery: Behind the Scenes with Michael Wise

Like the mountains he photographed, so does Ansel Adams loom in the history of photography. With knowledge and enthusiasm, Assistant Curator Michael Wise led us on a behind-the-scenes Fine Print Tour at the Ansel Adams gallery. Telling stories of Ansel, Michael showed us a number of lesser known prints ranging his entire career, revealing Ansel as a technician, lover of whiskey, experimenter, and problem solver. Ansel Adams moved to Yosemite as a young man with dreams of being a concert pianist. He took a job as a janitor in the Sierra Club. But pretty soon, club members were inviting Ansel on their hikes, and purchasing his photographs as keepsakes. Once he saw that he could apply his creativity to picture-making, he left the field with these innovations: that photographs weren’t only documents, but could be fine art prints themselves. That everyone should be able to afford a photograph. And that his beloved landscapes, through technical wizardry in the darkroom, could be the star of any composition.

Interview Recap: Reed Schneider, NatureBridge

As one of the largest education program partners of the park, NatureBridge works with students to develop team-building and leadership skills, using Yosemite National Park as their very own classroom. This campus is their oldest and largest, and NatureBridge has big plans for a brand new, platinum LEED campus. 

Near the El Portal office, we sat down by the Merced River with Reed Schneider, Director of Education, to learn more about the program and what it’s like to live in Yosemite. After graduating in Nova Scotia, Reed’s passion for outdoor education brought him all over, to eventually land in Yosemite. He leads a team of 40 educators to teach social and emotional learning. He described one class through the “spider caves,” a network of caves created by fallen rock, which requires clear communication from students to navigate safely. 

 With the water rushing by at our feet, Reed points out his favorite afternoon swimming spot and describes how the park has an endless well of things to do. Spring in the foothills is a very special place—the land blanketed with beautiful, lush green and wildflowers. And although the Yosemite Valley can sometimes be a zoo, it’s special to hear 4-5 languages being spoken around you: Yosemite brings the world to you.