Speeding In Yosemite

[hjldennis]

Some time ago in kings canyon, I had to transport my friend's young daughter to a restroom about a mile away on a serious number 2 emergency. I sped, and ranger had lights on behind me. I continued to the campsite restroom, the girl ran to the restroom, and the ranger let me off the hook. I find park rangers to be pretty cool almost all the time.

I do drive an RV sometimes, not rented, and I never wait for 5 cars behind me. Even one, depending on my speed (or lack of) and duration, is enough for me to pull over. But sometimes it's easy to miss a turnout with a slow braking though. I can imagine a nervous newbie RV driver scared to take the turnouts. And yes, driving an RV takes alot of attention. I saw many rented rv driving with tv antenna up or a roof vent wide open. I myself drove over 100 miles with one of the compartment door opened. It was a near miracle that none of the contents fell out.

[richlong8]

Are any of you like me? I have a love/hate relationship with Yosemite. I love Yosemite for the obvious reasons, but I avoid it like the plague, unless I can go at a time where it is not going to be busy. It is like an urban area in the middle of nowhere. Really takes away from the Yosemite experience. It would not surprise to read of some kind of "road rage" incident in Yosemite, or a high speed "O.J." chase thru the park. Crazy in the summertime.

[Wandering Daisy]

I have a bit of a different opinion of the "little town" in Yosemite Valley and the crowds. As a rock climber, I appreciate the fact that I can bring in my car loaded with my stuff and park at pullouts to access the climbs. It would be more difficult if cars were not allowed. Granted, international climbers have no transportation in the Valley, but they usually get a ride with the numerous locals who do have cars.

As for crowds, I am glad that the general public has access to the spectacular scenery. I have seen many a baby pushed in a stroller up to the Vernal Falls bridge. My grandchildren have been some of these! Yosemite Valley is NOT a wilderness area. It is a PARK, for the public, and that means all kinds of "public". It should not be only for those of us "fit" enough to walk. On a whole, I enjoy the general public when I am walking the trails in Yosemite Valley. So many foreign countries represented and such a diversity of people. The cars do cause traffic jams. I have figured out how to avoid most. And I think the general public is figuring out that using the shuttle busses beat driving.

And yes, I avoid summer in the Valley, but that is more because of the heat and the fact that the high country is open. I love going to Yosemite in the winter.

And yes, I have speeded, but luckily have avoided tickets so far. Over the last 15 years they really have lowered the speed limit to almost ridiculous.

[hjldennis]

Crowded Yosemite Valley is totally expected and acceptable imo, since it is justifiably worldwide attraction. Even then, it's pretty empty before 9am at any given day, right? I am a little annoyed that we cannot be up on halfdome in early morning on memorial weekend anymore, as we did every year to sort of kick off summer hiking season... Apart from Yosemite and Sierra, I am annoyed that I now wonder if I will ever want to check out the Wave, or take my kids to SupaI Falls. The Internet is to blame I guess. There was an interesting read about how Arches NP had become so accessible and thereby a zoo.

[AlmostThere]

I have had traffic woes in Yosemite, at both ends of the spectrum. The slow SUV in front of me, that backed up 25+ cars (I stopped being able to count them all as they were never all in view at the same time, after a while) between the south gate and the Glacier Point turnoff -- 5 - 8 miles per hour and never taking a turnout no matter how much we honked and flashed headlamps. I pulled an illegal racecar stunt in the parking area in front of the bathroom at the Glacier Point turnout to get in front of him and it must have got the point across -- we saw some of the very familiar cars that had been behind us after that, so he must have finally pulled off and let people by.

Then there was that three hours of sitting for fifteen minutes, inching a car length, sitting for fifteen minutes.... between Curry Village and Yosemite Village, at 2 pm one summer afternoon... Longest mile in the park.

Then there was the dude who shot past us around 80 mph in front of El Capitan, only to find us rolling up behind him when he had to stop in the parking/pedestrian zoo at the bus stop just a ways up from there....

The Honda we drove past on Tioga Road - it was on its side in the ditch, wheels still spinning. Two disgruntled, scared looking kids and a screaming red faced mom, and a really sheepish looking dad, standing on the hill nearby. Glad everyone was ok.

The times we came around corners on Tioga Road to find a rental car sitting parked in the middle of the road, with all former occupants standing on the edge taking pictures.

Good times.