High Sierra Topix

+1
should we be +1ing this post or will a final letter be posted on a new thread?

+1.

Yes we need these busses! +1

Rockyroad wrote:Is the proposal to totally eliminate the bus routes or just the "free" portion?

I'm not convinced anyone really knows what's going to happen.

I heard about this from a bus driver who told me that the free Valley-TM buses, which were new this year, might return to what they used to be: a once a day paid bus. Like you, it's not a fee that is a problem. Rather it's the once a day feature. The old scheduled time for travel made it essentially useless for me. I never rode it. The 3X daily approach makes it work for me.

The other thing I was told was that the Tuolumne free shuttle which has been running for quite some time (15 years?) was also on the chopping block. I don't know what to make of it since it just came from one bus driver. Is it true or hyperbole? I don't know. Maybe someone can find out.

I can't tell you how many times I have driven to Yosemite in one car while my partner drove in a separate car, for lack of alternative transportation options. I don't think the Park is serious about reducing car usage except in the eastern most part of the Valley.

+1

+1

Mark,

In your final email to the NPS, include a link to the HST thread for this.

+1

I am also going to write a short letter as well.

+1

mike

Draft 2 -

yose_planning@nps.gov

Superintendent Don Neubacher
Attn: Tuolumne Meadows Hiker Bus.
Sir,
It has come to our attention that the free buses Tuolumne may not be continued next season. These routes include both the small shuttle - Olmsted Point - Lodge, and the recently introduced Valley - Tuolumne Meadows Hiker bus.

Speaking from the perspective of a vibrant, educated, backpacker community, HighSierraTopix, perhaps you do not realize the magnitude of this decision. Perhaps you do not realize how important/ necessary the services these bus routes provide? Without these convenient park assets, buses to pick us up - (The ability to access trailheads, both entering and leaving, without depending on one's own car) - this only leaves dependence on using multiple autos or hitch-hiking as our only other alternatives. As backpackers, where we enter the Yosemite wilderness and subsequently exit from, (perhaps a week later?), are usually far different locations.

Do we really want more cars along the 120 corridor and the expansion/addition of more (larger?) trailhead parking lots? Do you want more groups standing on 120, hitching rides/ cars pulling over along an already-crowded park road?

We are aware of the new plans, recently drafted, for both the Tuolumne and Merced River drainages...seemingly enacted to both protect our park and provide continued future access. These plans seemingly encourage more wilderness backpacking. The dropping of the buses seems contrary to the overall message sent. By dropping the bus services, you are making it more difficult to access the backcountry, without increasing dependence on the automobile.

We here at HST are a dedicated group of avid outdoorsmen, men and women who regularly traverse Yosemite's high-country granite... correctly. Active members include both NP Rangers and SAR personnel. We pride ourselves as being a dedicated group, arguably some of the hiking elite Sierra. We are the true keepers of the park's wilderness, and we rely heavily on those Tuolumne buses. All are in agreement that the Tuolumne buses are vital tools.

In conclusion, our message is simple - Please keep the Tuolumne bus, hiker shuttles!

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