Walks of a Lifetime by Robert Manning & Martha Manning

Author:Robert Manning & Martha Manning
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781493026425
Publisher: Falcon Guides

The history of the High Sierra Camps is closely tied to the National Park Service. The NPS’s first director, Stephen Mather, established the camps in 1916; Mather negotiated an agreement with a private company to build a series of mountain “chalets” in the high country of Yosemite with the objective of providing wider public access to this area of the park. The company was not financially successful, and in 1918 closed the three locations it had built. The 1920s saw the building of additional camps, and the last one was added in 1961. The High Sierra Camps are controversial because some wilderness advocates think their comfort and convenience are anathema to the ideal of wilderness. Moreover, pack stock handle resupplying, causing environmental damage to the trails and meadows and conflicting with hikers. These issues must be balanced against the value of the camps in providing access to the park and building a strong constituency for the national parks. Today camp management works to limit environmental impacts. For instance, social trails are being restored to their natural states, recycling and composting are being used where possible, solar-powered composting toilets have been added at some locations, and the use of linens has been discontinued to reduce the number of mules needed to carry items in and out of the camps.

The High Sierra Camps are so popular that there’s a lottery for their use. Entries must be made in November and results are released in January. However, there are often cancellations and open reservations start in April. We didn’t enter the lottery the year we walked the loop, but found enough openings to patch together an itinerary as long as we started at the first available camp and used the shuttle bus along Tioga Road to reposition ourselves. Because the cost of operating the camps is high, so are the fees—over $150 per person per night (in the early days, the cost was $1 per night and $1 per meal). If you prefer to do a more conventional backpacking trip around the loop, you must reserve a permit from the National Park Service, and a limited number of backpackers can arrange to eat meals in the dining tents. This part of Yosemite is not called the “high country” for nothing—elevations along the trail range from 7,800 feet to 10,300 feet, making the season for the camps short, usually from mid-June to mid-September. A free shuttle bus runs along the Tioga Road and this enables walkers to do section hikes.

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