Yosemite Valley Backpackers Camp sewer & water.

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condorhiker
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Re: Yosemite Valley Backpackers Camp sewer & water.

Post by condorhiker »

I camped overnight at the YV Backpackers' Camp on July 29. Indeed there was no running water in the camp. The NPS website notes that there is water in the "nearby" North Pines Campground. "Nearby" as in approximately 300 yards from where I camped! Try walking that in the dark with contact lenses out over the busted concrete trail!
A previous poster said that YNP stated, "no water will be available." But the question is, "Why not?" There is a large live water line to a fire hydrant in the middle of the Backpackers' Camp. It would cost next to nothing to install a spigot on that pipe.
It appears that YNP has made a conscious decision not to supply running water to the backpackers. Why? Are they trying to discourage backpackers from using the camp?
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markskor
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Re: Yosemite Valley Backpackers Camp sewer & water.

Post by markskor »

As explained to me by YNP concerning why no potable water in the Valley BP camp -
If they had potable water available in the camp, then folks would be tempted to wash dishes there and some sort of drain would then be required. Without such a drain, (BTW, impossible now as the sewer line starts at the stables/ other side Tenaya Creek), this would lead to more sanitation problems. I countered with the fact that there is water available in Tuolumne BP camp and there is no drain ...no such problems exist up there? (In fact, a ranger told me that the Tuolumne BP camp was the cleanest camp in all Tuolumne.)

Never said their reasoning made any sense.
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Wandering Daisy
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Re: Yosemite Valley Backpackers Camp sewer & water.

Post by Wandering Daisy »

I camped there earlier this year and simply took water out of the creek. I treated some for drinking and for cooking, it gets boiled. I would suspect that their reasoning is that this is a backpackers camp, and backpackers have everything they need to deal with non-potable water. In the past there has been some abuse of the backpacker's campgrounds- used by people who were not backpacking. The "inconvience" may keep out those who are not truely backpacking. Honestly, I did not find not having potable water a real problem. You could also just fill up a 2.5 liter platypus in the other campground when you unload your other stuff.
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