Service in Yosemite's Tuolumne Meadows, California

Overview

The Trip

The sheer granite walls, lush meadows, and cascading waterfalls of Yosemite have long attracted visitors from around the globe. Sierra Club founder John Muir was one of its earliest champions, choosing Yosemite Valley for his home in the late 1860s, just five years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant to protect the valley and the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees. In 1890, largely due to Muir's efforts, the larger watershed received federal protection and became Yosemite National Park

Expand++

The Trip

The sheer granite walls, lush meadows, and cascading waterfalls of Yosemite have long attracted visitors from around the globe. Sierra Club founder John Muir was one of its earliest champions, choosing Yosemite Valley for his home in the late 1860s, just five years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant to protect the valley and the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees. In 1890, largely due to Muir's efforts, the larger watershed received federal protection and became Yosemite National Park.

Yosemite's spectacular high country floats nearly 5,000 feet above its legendary valley. Characterized by granite domes, sweeping meadows, clear rivers and lakes, and mind-blowing vistas, it's Yosemite's most prized destination for backpackers. Muir considered the High Sierra to be paradise -- and you'll see why.

At 8,600 feet elevation along Route 120 west of Tioga Pass, Tuolumne Meadows is the accessible starting point for many high-country adventures. The campground in the Meadows remains closed but we will travel there each morning and work with National Park Service staff on projects to help manage this well-loved area. We will have the opportunity to hike some great trails, learn more about this park's natural and cultural history, and create our own personal experiences.

The Project

In conjunction with park staff we will work on trail restoration and re-routing, planting and seeding of areas being restored, and revegetation in the Tuolumne Meadows Campground. Exact projects will be chosen by the Park Service based on need and level of importance and some of our projects may require a hike to the work site.

Collapse--

Itinerary

We will assemble at the Porcupine Flat Group Camp in the late afternoon on Saturday for introductions, orientation and setup of our base camp and kitchen. Sunday will be a day to relax, acclimate to the altitude and explore the spectacular high country. Beginning on Monday, we will work four days alongside park staff on a variety of projects in the nearby Tuolumne Meadows area, ending in the late afternoon for an optional hike before heading back to camp. Our trip will conclude on Friday with cleanup of the base camp and kitchen and fond farewells.

Logistics

Getting There

If you fly to Fresno or Merced airports, you'll need to drive three hours or more to reach Porcupine Flat. Flying to San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, or Sacramento airports will require about a four- to five-hour drive, but will likely be a less expensive flight. The airport in Reno, Nevada, is about a four-hour drive from Porcupine Flat, approaching from the other side of the Sierra. State Highways 120, 41, and 140 provide park access. Public transportation to the Tuolumne Meadows area may be available through YARTS or by shuttle from the valley; check with the leader in early summer for more details.

Carpooling is strongly recommended, and the leader will help share contact information to facilitate ride-sharing among participants.

Note that Yosemite valley is about an hour from the high country; the le

Expand++

Getting There

If you fly to Fresno or Merced airports, you'll need to drive three hours or more to reach Porcupine Flat. Flying to San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, or Sacramento airports will require about a four- to five-hour drive, but will likely be a less expensive flight. The airport in Reno, Nevada, is about a four-hour drive from Porcupine Flat, approaching from the other side of the Sierra. State Highways 120, 41, and 140 provide park access. Public transportation to the Tuolumne Meadows area may be available through YARTS or by shuttle from the valley; check with the leader in early summer for more details.

Carpooling is strongly recommended, and the leader will help share contact information to facilitate ride-sharing among participants.

Note that Yosemite valley is about an hour from the high country; the leader can help you plan a visit to the valley before or after the trip itself.

Please do not make travel arrangements until the leader has confirmed you as a trip member.

Accommodations and Food

We will be camping in the Porcupine Flat Campground in a site reserved for our group. This is a lovely but primitive campground with pit toilets; the leaders will be setting up a group kitchen with treated water and washing facilities. All food (and other “fragrant” items) must be stored in bear boxes provided by the park. There are no shower facilities at the campground, but the leaders will set up a sun shower (and you are welcome to bring your own). Count on a connection-free week as there is little cell and no internet service in the high country.

Come with the attitude that food is part of the adventure! Trip menu planning considers that there will be no refrigeration other than coolers with ice, and that food must be protected from animals. We will provide delicious, nutritious, and abundant vegetarian meals tailored as much as possible to the preferences of the group. We have a group commissary with everyone taking turns assisting the cook in food preparation and cleanup. Before applying for the trip, people with food allergies and/or strong food preferences must contact the cook to see if accommodations are possible. Our first meal will be dinner on day one and our last meal will be breakfast on the final day.

Trip Difficulty

This trip will be moderately strenuous, in part due to the high elevation. You may find yourself a bit short of breath working at 8,000 to 9,000 feet, but your body should adjust within a few days. Trails are generally well established and usually involve additional elevation change. You will need boots while we are working on the project -- they are recommended for hiking, as well.

Our work will include a range of tasks, and you will not be asked to do anything that exceeds your comfort level. Safety is a priority, and you are the best judge of your abilities. We'll each work at our own pace. At the end of each day we will be free to hike, explore the immediate areas, or just rest our tired muscles.

Minor medical conditions are no impediment to having a full, enjoyable experience. All participants must have a current tetanus shot within the past 10 years. This injection is commonly available in the combination of Td or Tdap (including diphtheria and whooping cough) from your doctor or at your local public health department for a modest cost.

Equipment and Clothing

The Park Service will provide the tools for the work project. In addition to your regular camping gear, come prepared to work with sturdy boots, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and sturdy work gloves. You will need a day pack to carry your lunch, water, raingear, sunscreen, etc.

We will provide food and other necessary kitchen equipment. You will need personal eating utensils such as bowl, cup, and spoon. A plastic food container with a tight-fitting lid is necessary for carrying your lunch to the work site each day.

We will also provide a first-aid kit for emergencies, but you should bring any personal medications you require. A full list of needed equipment will be sent to you after you've been accepted onto the trip. If you have questions, please contact the trip leader.

References

A great place to start is the NPS website for Yosemite: https://www.nps.gov/yose

Be sure to check out the maps section: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/maps.htm

Want your own map? National Geographic maps are excellent—you will want Yosemite NE (Tuolumne Meadows and Hoover Wilderness).

Friends groups are so important to our national parks! The Yosemite Conservancy is a wonderful example of citizen support: https://yosemite.org

There are many books on Yosemite—lots are stocked on the Conservancy site above. A few that your library might have copies of are:

The Complete Guidebook to Yosemite National Park by Steven Medley in the 8^th edition

Day Hiking Yosemite National Park by Scott Turner

Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Lonely Planet guide

Conservation

We will learn the human impact on this park's well-loved geology, flora, and fauna by four million visitors a year. We will also hear from National Park Service professionals about the challenges of managing public lands and discuss how policies have evolved to maintain a balance between accessibility and resource protection. The California drought, water shortages, and wildfires are also relevant topics.

We will be located near Soda Springs, the place where John Muir planned a campaign to establish Yosemite as a national park, and the site of the first Sierra Club national outing in 1901.

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 place; they’re a way to go beyond just talking about conservation; a 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.

Collapse--