High Sierra Topix

Just now returned Tuolumne and Valley...some interesting news -
The last year's "free" hiker bus (Valley - TM) will now cost $14.50/pp - one way. YARTS ($9) is much cheaper.
The local TM shuttle - hiker drop-off bus (Olmsted Point - TM store) will now also have a nominal fee attached. No price announced yet, or how they will collect...
The Valley shuttle buses - Valley loop - seems less buses running - now only runs every 15 - 20 minutes in peak hours...every 30 on the off-hours...lots of disgruntled riders/ crowds on each stop.

First impression...Not so impressed with this new Aramark company...does not appear to be "hiker friendly."
Or maybe, they just don't understand Yosemite yet...sigh.

I guess now we know how they made the lowest bid

There was a free hiker bus?????

I paid for that years ago -- was DNC not supposed to charge?

I have had mixed experience with Aramark. The people on the phone and who I directly interacted with have been friendly, knowledgeable, and quite helpful. The facilities, how things operate, and prices have been far less than even adequate.

I suggest we all keep track of our experiences with Aramark in Yosemite this year and write identical letters to Don Neaubacher (Yosemite Superintendent), Jonathan Jarvis (NPS Director) and Sally Jewel (Department of Interior) describing what occurred. It's the only way I can see to maybe force Aramark to improve their service. It's obviously already not what we want or even require.

Aramark (maybe a Marriott co in disguise) used to, or still does have the monopoly on airport concessions before Marriott took over. I remember dismal service by ballagoolas and high prices.
GREAT idea on the letters at the end of the season. Don't know what/how things would change; because a contract is a contract and they will have to run it out or buy them out. Unless they violate the terms; it's a contract.

markskor -- Do you know what the schedule for the no-longer-free bus will be?


AlmostThere -- It was new last year, or maybe the year before, I'm not sure. I think it was 2-3 runs per day in addition to YARTS.

Talked with the Village transportation kiosk guy, (the one behind the Village store) yesterday. (BTW, was 101º in the Valley)...asked him same question. He looked in his big Daily transportation book...(lol...his bible he said), - was not there. He surmised that the bus not yet running...probably will start/coincide with water being turned on/TM campground opening ~ June 10th.
He looked further, found a memo stating prices but no mention of times...yet.
Stay tuned.

Thanks. It sounds like they don't even know what they're doing yet.

I tried using the NPS website public tranport page and it linked to a third party site and a dead end.

Thanks for keeping your eyes open, Mark! Good to have these insiders on the board...

I just saw this post on another forum:

They plan to run once-a-day buses from the Valley to T.M. and back from June 10 - Sept 20.

The bus will depart the former Curry Village at 8:00 a.m, Yosemite Village at 8:05 a.m. and Yosemite Lodge at 8:20 a.m.

Returning from Tuolumne, the bus will stop at the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, and at the T.M. Store in the early afternoon, around 2. Ish.

So the mid-summer bus options appear to be 8am (Aramark) or 5pm (YARTS) from the Valley and 10am (YARTS) or 2pm (Aramark) from TM.