I love the Merced river valley in Yosemite for its deep clear pools, calm power, and the meanders.

The riparian botany there is unique and beautiful. Little I've known compares to a (prohibited) night under the stars in 'the meadows.' Or a misty morning walk through the dogwood blossoms.

West of the park the rapids seem unnavigable and are truly impressive - again, that power, but with a speed not seen in the Valley.

There seems to be a never-ending dispute re for whom our National Parks exist, visitors or flora and fauna. I think they are there to preserve in as pristine a condition ancient sites for viewing by as many visitors as possible within guidelines. I'd like to see these paying guests required to undergo a formal introduction to each park and sign a form stating that they understood the orientation's safety, courtesy, and environmental protocols and the reasons for them.

If that seems extreme... In 1950, when I was still seven years old, I was fortunate to visit the wonder that was Yosemite. We stayed in large, square wood-framed tents, much like those in MASH, except that they were white--anyway, they seemed spacious to me at that age. We returned in 1960 to find cabins for rent occupying the landscape, together with parking lots, and people swarming all around. I never want to go back.

When my girls were young, our favorite spring break destination was the Fort Pickens National Park on Santa Rosa Island, off Pensacola, FL. It was quiet, safe, clean, and blessed with spacious campsite. We returned in 1999, for nostalgia's sake, for an overnight visit on the way to Miami to catch a flight to Panama so they could see where I'm from. That's another place I won't be revisiting. It was littered, as can only happen when too many insensitive "guests" are cramped together so that you are virtually sharing your meals and conversations with your neighbors. The feeling of being IN nature and history, as with Yosemite, was gone, as was that of being safe as the clientelle seemed to have devolved as much as the park itself.

When I finally got to Mesa Verde and revisited the Grand Canyon a few years ago, I was horrified how masses of visitors had impacted these sites. I think the park service does a disservice by allowing commercial intrusions AT ALL and by not limiting access to these parks, although they do off special permits for experienced backpackers and scientists to traverse particularly pristine and sensitive areas. Wanna go to a national park???? Plan ahead...years ahead. Everybody could get to their park(s) of choice and experience them as they have been (or were) for centuries, and learn a thing or two about the value of conservation and what human "progress" has spawned.

John Muir Died in Yosemite Valley on Chistmas eve.

13 years ago in 1996 ,just after Christmas , a seventy-five year flood "event" occured in Yosemite.

Although most of the Yosmite Valley suffered flood damage , it is shocking how selective the NPS Managers response has been .

ALL OF THE LOW COST Visitor serving accomodations were COMPLETELY REMOVED . The high -end cabins at AHWANEE , were flooded too , but they were restored .

In the immediate aftermath of the Flooding Event, then current stooge NPS Director and his staff talked alot about replacing "some" of these many lost units -, "... to preserve access for all economic levels lost in the flooding..." . He was soon after replaced and or ( retired?) .

Talk of replacing the lost LOW COST Cabins died down , shuttled and scuttled in the endless Yosemite "planning process-es" .

The result is my family , and many like us are frozen out . We don't make enough money to rent a cabin at the AHWANEE ; and the current NPS Managers do not give a DAM . Today there are more Rangers and Government Planners and associated Staff enjoying Yosmite at Chritsmas than there were 13 years ago , prior to the "flooding event" .

John Muir DIED in Yosemite on Christmas Eve . Today -- he would be excluded from dying in the Valley because he couldn't find a place he could afford . (kinda sounds like the very first Chirstmas Story , doesn't it .......)

Beleive IT !

Lee McLaughlin
P.O. BOX 7589
Santa Cruz Ca. 95061

I completely agree with Lee McLaughlin . Alot of , if not all access to Yosemite in winter has been lost for low and even moderate income families . Right on , Lee ! Merry Xmass someplace other than Yosemite !!

I understand the sentiment, but the big picture is that there's far more to visiting Yosemite than staying at a "destination hotel" such as the Ahwahnee or even Yosemite Lodge. Even in the summer months a lot of Yosemite visitors are staying outside of the park where there are plenty of options. This compares favorably with other national parks where the majority of the visitors are staying outside the park such as Zion or those in the Moab area (Arches and Canyonlands don't even have indoor accommodations inside the park boundaries).

I have visited Yosemite in the winter on several occasions. I haven't stayed there yet, but it's easier to get a room at Yosemite Lodge in the winter. A room still needs to be reserved several months in advance although it's not one year to the date like the summer months. I'm not sure that $179 is considered too much though. More spartan accomodations can be has such as a cabin at Curry village for $100/night.

Finding a place to stay outside Yosemite in the winter is really easy. The motels in Mariposa aren't fully booked (I once stayed on a Sunday night and there was only one other room booked at the Best Western) and I suspect it's not that packed in Oakhurst either. It was $60/night outside the park with my own bathroom and hot showers. I even ran into the same park ranger who led a guided walk at the pizza place in Mariposa.

There are a few of places between the Arch Rock entrance and Mariposa. Yosemite View Lodge is right at El Portal and of course commands the highest prices. Cedar Lodge is more affordable at $80/night right now for their basic rooms. Yosemite Bug has everything at assorted price ranges from hostel bunks to cabins and large guest houses. There's a KOA near Mariposa with cabins, although they don't open until March. There are other assorted places to stay, although some I wouldn't exactly recommend.

Of course the intrepid adventurer can still camp in Yosemite during the winter. They don't accept reservations, but I've heard Upper Pines Campground never fills up during winter. I've seen groups at Camp 4 ($5/person per night) during the winter, although I'd think it would be cheaper for large groups to be at Upper Pines ($20/per campsite up to 6 people). Just bring a snow shovel and bring extra sleeping bags. Or perhaps just rent a small RV.

I'll admit that I'm cheap. However - I don't begrudge anyone who can afford a night at the Ahwahnee or who can book a year in advance for a cabin at Curry Village. I've spent an early morning (15th of the month) waking up at 6:30 AM to get ready to make campsite reservations. I got shut out one month but got lucky the next.

One of the things that really upsets me when reading online commentary is the frequent violations of factual accuracy that occur, without reader rebuttal.

Although I also find prices for lodging in Yosemite Valley to be unjustifiably high, especially rooms at the Ahwahnee Hotel and at the heated and unheated tent cabins at Curry Village, here's what I would like to add:

"John Muir died at California Hospital (now California Hospital Medical Center) in Los Angeles on 24 December 1914 of pneumonia at age 76, after a brief visit to Daggett, California to see his daughter Helen Muir Funk." from Wikipedia

Owen Hoffman
Oak Ridge, TN 37830