Service in Spectacular Yosemite National Park

The Trip

Yosemite National Park has been the inspiration for countless artists, writers, and adventurers. Millions of visitors from around the world continue to make the pilgrimage to the heart of California's Sierra Nevada to stand in awe of its natural wonders including Half Dome, El Capitan, and Yosemite Falls. The surrounding national park boasts a diversity of natural beauty -- from sequoia groves to alpine meadows -- and microclimates that range from 2,000 to more than 13,000 feet in elevation.

The Yosemite was home to Sierra Miwok people for countless generations, and a crossroads for indigenous people on both the east and west sides of the Sierra crest. Yosemite's wonders inspired conservation efforts since white settlers first encountered the Miwok in the 1850s. Abraham Lincoln first signed the Yosemite Grant, placing the land under the stewardship of the State of California in 1864. The Sierra Nevada provided the muse for the young idealist and adventurer John Muir, who first coined the term "The Range of Light" and went on to co-found Sierra Club. Muir's eloquence, along with the support of Teddy Roosevelt and the efforts of many early environmentalists, culminated in the establishment of a much larger Yosemite National Park by Congress in 1890 and the transfer of the Yosemite Grant to the National Park Service in 1906. In the 20th century, the famous photographer and Sierra Club activist Ansel Adams continued to publicize the need to protect and preserve this irreplaceable place of beauty and wonder.

We will have the opportunity to continue in the footsteps of the people who have come before us and learn more about this park's natural and cultural history. Bring your hiking boots and your curiosity; plan to explore and enjoy Yosemite while we work and play.

The Project

We will work with the park's Vegetation and Ecological Restoration Program on the projects that are of the greatest importance to the National Park Service. Work may include removing invasive plant species, planting native species, and rehabilitating campgrounds and hiking trails. The National Park Service will provide tools and instruct us on the safe use of equipment. Flexibility is always important -- for instance, a snowfall or fire activity may change the work project or our base camp location. Participants will be kept up to date on any changes in the project, so that we can adjust to whatever surprises come our way.

We will assemble by 2:00 p.m. on day one, Sunday. After introductions and orientation, we'll set up our base camp for the week. Those who arrive early will have a chance to explore our surroundings or simply enjoy the splendor that will surround us for the coming week.

A typical day will begin by eating breakfast as a group, then making sack lunches. We will then join our park liaisons and travel to the work site, which may be anywhere from a 10-minute to one-hour drive from our campsite. Our work days will end in the mid- to late-afternoon, with time to relax and unwind before dinner. Numerous options for nearby hikes will be available for those with energy before or after the evening meal, but for many the evening will wind down with conversation around the campfire.

We will work four days in all, with one full day off to explore or relax. On Saturday morning the group will say a fond farewell as we pack up the kitchen and campsite, departing our group campsite by midmorning. The primary transportation choices during the week will be walking or driving with our private automobiles.

Getting There

Those coming into the Fresno or Merced airports will need to drive about two hours to reach the park. Flying to San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, or Reno airports requires about a four- to five-hour drive, but may be a less expensive flight.

Amtrak trains serve the town of Merced, where connections are possible to YARTS buses. YARTS operates year-round on Highway 140 through Mariposa County with multiple runs each day; check their website (http://www.yarts.com/) for current schedule information. 

State Highways 120, 41, and 140 provide park access. Please make sure the route you plan to use is open, as both human and natural activity can cause stops or delays traffic on mountain roads. Carpooling is strongly recommended.

Accommodations and Food

We will camp in a semi-developed group campground designated for our group's use. Pit toilets and drinking water will be provided at the campsite. Participants will be updated on the exact campsite location as the Park Service finalizes our volunteer work activities.

Our meals will be both part of the adventure and an opportunity for a social gathering after a day’s work or play. We provide hearty, vegetarian-friendly meals and snacks. A group kitchen will provide the opportunity for everyone to take turns in meal preparation and clean-up afterwards. Note that our trip menu planning is a detailed process that considers there is no refrigeration and that food must be protected from animals. Black bears are an ever-present consideration throughout the park, and anything with a scent must always be kept in bear boxes. In addition, before applying for the trip, volunteers with food allergies, dietary restrictions and/or strong preferences must contact the leader and cook to see if reasonable accommodations would be possible. Our first meal will be dinner on Sunday and the last will be breakfast on Saturday.

Trip Difficulty

The trip staff welcomes individuals with a positive attitude and an interest in learning with a range of physical capabilities. Our days will be full, but we will have frequent opportunities for breaks and each participant will be encouraged to work at a comfortable pace. The work projects may vary day-to-day in both content and difficulty with some requiring a mile or so of walking. At times, some members of the group will need to carry in shovels and other tools. Throughout the trip, safety will be the number one priority. While we will not be working in Yosemite’s high country, we may be camping and working at elevations around 4,000-6,500 feet that may cause minor and transient shortness of breath for those coming from lower elevations. A good conditioning program prior to the trip will help participants enjoy their time in the valley to the fullest. Potential participants who have any concerns about trip difficulty are encouraged to contact the trip leader before registering.

Equipment and Clothing

Required equipment includes a weather-tested tent, three-season sleeping bag and pad, and broken-in hiking boots. October weather in Yosemite is likely to be quite pleasant with highs in the 50s, 60s and 70s and lows in the 40s and 30s. Please be sure that you are prepared for chilly nighttime temperatures. For our work days, participants will need sturdy work gloves, long pants, and a long-sleeved work shirt. The park will furnish our work tools and the Sierra Club will provide our cooking equipment. The trip leaders will carry a first-aid kit for emergencies, but all participants are expected to bring their own personal kit and any needed medications. A detailed equipment list will be provided by the leader after registration is complete.

References

• All participants are strongly encouraged to visit the Yosemite National Park Service website prior to the trip: http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm The wealth of material on this site includes up-to-date information on current conditions in the park, ranger-led activities, and a multitude of possibilities for those wishing to extend their visit beyond our trip.
• The number and variety of guidebooks for Yosemite National Park reflects its popularity! A fairly up-to-date general guide is James Kaiser's Yosemite, The Complete Guide, with the third addition revised in 2014. More specialized guidebooks covering wildflowers, geology, history, and many other topics are available in Yosemite Village.
• Ken Burns's magnificent PBS series "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" traces the history of both the people and the places protected by the U.S. National Park Service: http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/
• Of the many iconic works on Yosemite, two deserve special mention. John Muir's The Yosemite, first published in 1912, remains just as relevant in our time when "everyone needs beauty in addition to bread." Digital versions can be downloaded for free from a number of sites including: http://vault.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/the_yosemite/
• And should you need any more convincing that Yosemite is truly one of the wonders of the world, Ansel Adams's Yosemite and the High Sierra will certainly provide it.

Conservation

Since its founding in 1892, The Sierra Club has worked to preserve and restore the natural environment we all share on this planet. Thousands of grassroots-level volunteers spearhead our efforts to conserve and sustain resources, both in our own backyards and on a global scale. Through direct experience in the outdoors, Sierra Club outings enable participants to better understand, advocate, and participate in the environmental conservation goals of the Club.

Service outings, in particular, stand out as one of the Sierra Club’s most important “boots on the ground” conservation efforts. The work done by service trip participants in our nation’s public lands is a way of practicing conservation in the most direct way possible, whether it’s improving access while preserving wilderness values, restoring wildlife habitat, or repairing human-caused damage to a natural area. Service trips are a great way to pitch in and do something tangible to make the world a better placea way to get out there and experience conservation with your whole being.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.