TCT #8 -- Wapama Falls, Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite NP

Wapama Falls, Hetch Hetchy (Yosemite NP)

John Muir, Yosemite's biggest fan, adored the Hetch Hetchy Valley, calling it "one of Nature's rarest and most precious mountain temples." On Saturday, August, 4, we get to visit one of the most lovely features in the Hetch Hetchy area of Yosemite National Park, Wapama Falls.

As post-Gold Rush San Francisco boomed, the scant local water supply became a problem.  The city started casting about for a likely river to dam to meet its needs. In 1908, San Francisco was devastated by the great earthquake, but it was the subsequent fire that's said to have wreaked the greatest damage, and the city's water problem moved from chronic to critical.  Enter an idea born in 1882 -- dam the Tuolumne River at Hetch Hetchy Valley and route the water to San Francisco.  The only problem required an act of congress to resolve -- Hetch Hetchy was protected in Yosemite National Park.  After a five-year resistance campaign by the Sierra Club and John Muir, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Raker Act of 1913, and the dam was completed 10 years later (and raised 15 years after that).

John DeGrazio in the
Yosemite"Tunnel View" Bear cap.
Sales benefit the Yosemite NP
Bear Management Team. 

At 5 miles, the hike to Wapama Falls and back is one of the easiest in Yosemite National Park.  However, in summer, I'd call it "moderately-easy."  Though there is little elevation gain, the heat will be a challenge adding difficulty.  Bring plenty of water.  Wapama Falls is the second-tallest waterfall in Yosemite National Park and one of the top twenty in North America.  At lake level, the falls spreads out into three or four channels traversed by footbridges.  To learn more about our destination,

I reached out to John DeGrazio, founder of YExplore Yosemite Adventures and host of KAAD-LP's "Yosemite Can O Peaches" program.  For 12 years, John and YExplore's professional guides have been leading personalized backpack, birding, wildflower, snowshoe, and photography trips into every corner of Yosemite (for more info about YExplore, here's a link to their website: https://www.yexplore.com/).  For all he's seen of our national jewel, John says the Wapama Falls hike is one of his favorites.  If he's not out on another Yosemite adventure, John will be joining our August 4th trip.  Not to cost you any bookings, John, but I sure hope you can make it!  In TCT #8, John paints a vivid picture of Wapama Falls, Hetch Hetchy, and the Twain Harte ditch.  You read that correctly; we did our interview al fresco, and John in true naturalist fashion found something remarkable at every bend in our trail.  TCT #8 also features "Three T" trail reviews (what was tough, trippy and tremendous?) of our high country hike to Relief Reservoir.

Trip Report - Relief Reservoir, Kennedy Meadows, 7/7/18

Anticipated summer crowds on the popular Relief Reservoir trail failed to materialize, and we had an outstanding post-holiday high country hike!  The trail starts just east of the Kennedy Meadows Resort and Pack Station.  Hilly at first, it follows the Middle Fork Stanislaus River upstream to one of the meadows.  Soon you enter the Emigrant Wilderness and with the benefit of steps hacked out of the granite, you begin your ascent along the stream, which you will cross twice via sturdy footbridges. 



First footbridge over
Middle Fork Stanislaus River

 

All along the way you'll see discarded material from the construction of the dam (1907-1911).  Indeed, some of the trail takes the old road and railroad built to move construction material.  Besides manmade artifacts, there's stunning natural scenery: Trees, some appearing to grow straight out of immense granite boulders; Wildflowers along the trail and in cracks and meadows; Birds singing and chirping; Craggy, snowy mountain peaks; Water in creeks cascading down the canyon walls and, in some seasons, spilling over the trail.

The steep incline inspired some of us to take more "beauty breaks" than others, so the group ended up pretty spread out.  So much so that the advance wave missed the turn around point and added some extra mileage.  We intercepted most of the faster Trail Heads at about the 4.5 mile point at the Grouse Creek crossing and directed them back to the north end of the reservoir to reconvene at an overlook.  Once reunited, we scrambled down to the dam to survey the surroundings at lake level then scrambled back up to the trail for a group photo.

 

Trail Heads on the dam

Southern view of
Relief Reservoir
at dam level

The Kennedy Meadows trailhead, about 57 miles east of Sonora, is your gateway for many adventures in the Emigrant Wilderness including trails to Sharon Lake, Kennedy Lake, Upper and Lower Relief Valleys, Brown Bear Pass, and more including our hike to Relief Reservoir.  Turn off of Highway 108 at the road to Kennedy Meadows Resort and Pack Station.  From here, it's about .5 mile to the trailhead parking lot (a bit past Baker Campground on your left).  There is plenty of parking and a vault toilet.  Walk .5 mile along the trail/road from the parking lot past the resort to the actual trailhead.  This is a strenuous hike starts at 6,127' and gains 1,200' over about 3 miles to the reservoir.  In the summer it's a hot AND popular hike, so it's good to get an early start if you're venturing out on a weekend or holiday.  Because this is such a heavily trafficked route and shared with equestrians, it's essential to know trail-yielding conventions:  Downhill hikers yield to uphill hikers; large groups yield to smaller groups or solo hikers; bikers yield to pedestrians and everyone yields to horses.  When horses appear, step off the trail on the down-slope side; don't reach out to touch the horses.



Here's a link to the Stanislaus National Forest's Highway 108 hiking trails webpage:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/stanislaus/recreation/?cid=fseprd524369&width=full

Here's a link to the Tuolumne County Historical Society webpage about Relief Reservoir:

https://www.tchistory.org/TCHISTORY/Wonders_11.htm

NOTICE -- Two (2) hikes to Relief Reservoir, 7/7 & 7/14

Immerse yourself in history -- and rugged beauty -- on this hike into the Emigrant Wilderness where the Clark-Skidmore wagon train of 1852 was stranded without supplies as they crossed the Sierras to the Southern Mines. At just over 7 miles round trip, this trail is demanding due to the high elevation and steep, steady ascent of 1200’ to a high point of 7360’.


There are two, count 'em 2, hikes offered -- 7/7 and 7/14.  Same details, different days:

It may be hot; bring plenty of water. Bring lunch for a picnic at the reservoir. On leash dogs OK. This will be a strenuous hike.

Two stops on the carpool/caravan:
First stop/meeting point - 6:45am at the Starbuck's in the Junction; leave at 7am
Second stop/meeting point - 7:15 at the Mi Wuk Ranger Station; leave at 7:30
Or meet at the trailhead parking lot at Kennedy Meadows on the left just before the resort and pack station. Hike starts at 8:30.