Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 10:33:32 -0500
Reply-To: mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: roadtrip
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Dixie, I don't know what part of summer your trip is. Yes, Yellowstone
is crowded, though not so much as Yosemite because it is much bigger and
more remote from cities. Don't let that deter you. If you go in early
summer (you may still encounter snow, but almost certainly not really
bad), you will have less competition. Arrive at campgrounds early in
the day, and you'll almost certainly get a spot, much better than the
commercial parking lots called campgrounds at West Yellowstone.
Watching bison and elk from your campsite is a thrill you don't want the
kids to miss (or you either, for that matter).
So far as Yosemite (which isn't part of your journey this time), that
can be managed, too. My family and I simply camped in the national
forest campgrounds outside the park (the ones you have to drive a bit
off the highway to get to, not the ones along the highway). We spent
little time in Yosemite itself, but did enough to see the "must see"
vistas from the city like valley. If you want smaller crowds, and still
want to be in a national park, valley floor campground, go to Kings
Canyon, further south in the Sierra. Giant Sequoias are common in Kings
Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, too, not just Yosemite.
Sure, there are too many of us these days, which puts a strain on our
national parks, but each of the parks has ways to be visited without the
crowds. We personally use our van to get there, and to relax in
campgrounds, but spend most of our time on the trails away from the
mecca sites like Old Faithful Village. Sure, Old Faithful must be seen,
but you don't have to spend all your time in the park in a town. If
wildlife is something you want to see, it can be seen in a most nearly
natural condition in Lamar Valley on the east side of Yellowstone. Only
trouble with that, if you go too early in the summer, you can't get in
from the NE because the Bear Tooth Road will still be closed by snow,
and you'll have to cross the entire park from the S or W to get there.
There is a campground in the NE, but if you want hookups and so on, it
is not for you, as it is what the park service calls a "primitive"
campground, with tables and toilets, not electricity and so on. For us,
that is better, keeps the riff raff out.
On Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 7:12 AM, Bob Stevens wrote:
> Dixie,
> Please don't take this as the "wet blanket" on your Yellowstone plans
> ....
> all the advertising and online pix reveal the scenic and pristine
> nature
> of that VERY interesting area. I'm fairly close to it (salt lake) so
> have
> been several times and never get tired of it. The thing to be prepared
> for, that Karl already mentioned, is the hordes of other people and
> subsequent "reservations" for whatever you're going to do while there.
>
> I have been to Yosemite about 4 times in my life. Stopped in
> last August on my way to another event in the Bay area and was
> disappointed in my reaction to the people-pollution. I left. I was in
> "The Village" for maybe 1 1/2 hours and had to get out of there.
> Just completely over run with people scurrying around and that
> really broke with my hope for being able to just see and experience
> the incredible natural grandeur of the place. I ended up staying in
> a campground within the park, over on the eastern side of it, so
> had to view the spectacle at a distance. Porcupine is a pretty
> cool campground but not The Village and what can be seen
> and hiked to there.
>
> Not only will you have trouble finding places to camp/stay/eat if
> you are going to plan to stay "in" Yellowstone, you will be dealing
> with them while going on the many treks to see the geologic and
> geothermal wonders of the area. Just be prepared for that so you
> don't drive the long distance you are and end up overwhelmed by
> the masses of folks.
>
> Really do hope you enjoy your journey and destination.
> Safe travels.
>
> Bob Stevens
>
> Travel aside: I drove from Salt Lake City to Glenwood Springs, CO
> yesterday.
> Left at 0630 and arrived at 1PM. Good travel time for 370 miles. Salt
> Lake
> had a snow storm moving through and the effects of that continued
> until I
> got
> just west of Grand Junction, then the roads were very clear. Snow
> plows the
> entire way. My point: there were 98 auto accidents in the Salt Lake
> area
> Monday.
> I saw 2 vehicles not-rubber-side-down. Obviously going waaaay to fast
> for
> conditions and in pretty heavy commuter traffic, even though it was
> MLK Day.
> Be wise .. take your trips but if there is weather, drive during
> daylight
> hours
> to improve your "odds" of safe travel and drive in accord with the
> conditions.
> I noticed that while driving in the very snowy conditions, if I just
> focused
> on
> where I was and those conditions, it was easy to drive safely. When I
> started
> thinking of how far it was to where I was going, I tended to lose
> focus and
> my car was going about 5-10mph faster that safe for the conditions.
> Here
> is hard to stay in sometimes. I want to think of there. Remember,
> there
> just becomes another here once you're there.
>
>
>>
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