Yosemite National Park
|
Wapama Falls Yosemite National Park |
June 9
It is a 3-hour drive to today's trailhead at Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, in the least-utilized section of the park that is accessible by road. At the entrance station a ranger gives me a parking placard and records my auto license number. Unless one has a backpacking permit, this area is restricted to day-use only.
 |
 |
| Preview of coming attractions | O'Shaughnessy Dam |
It is well-known that this controversial reservoir is the water supply for San Francisco. Even though the Hetch Hetchy gorge already was part of the park, in the early 1900s the city twice had petitioned the federal government to dam it. John Muir consistently and vigorously opposed the proposed dam; and, as legend has it, he died heartbroken over its creation.
Teddy Roosevelt himself, struggling between his commitments both to preserve wild places and to support development, eventually declared that Hetch Hetchy Valley should be protected and "the scenery kept wholly unmarred". But panic set in when San Francisco burned down in 1906, partly because its water supply had been disrupted by the earthquake.
A massive political boondoggle ensued, with Congress failing to honor the integrity of national parklands, or to recognize the facts that the Bay Area water pipes had been broken by shifting earth rather than by any choice of water source, and that water for firefighting would logically be drawn from the nearby bay itself in any case. The "Oh Shame On Me" Dam is the unconscionable result.
The bathtub ring isn't too unsightly
This trail begins in quite an unusual fashion, by traversing the dam right into a long tunnel!
 |
 |
| Some puddle-hopping is necessary in here | ⇔ |
Yerba Santa bushes are everywhere
The trail proves unexpectedly interesting, since for some reason I had anticipated just a glorified lakeside stroll. Instead I find a verdant shelf along the reservoir's northern shore. People of all shapes, sizes, and abilities are out here today, trying their luck. Unfortunately for some, the wide, flat bunny trail ends abruptly. Those walkers in flip-flops and the like already are beginning to regret their choices of footwear; of course, they get no sympathy from me.
At the Laurel Lake Trail junction
A pretty cascade appears on the hillside to the left; but it is not to be mistaken for the greater attraction just around the corner.
 |
 |
| One of several smaller trailside cascades | It feels good here |
On the Tueeulala Trail
Beautiful Tueeulala Falls (pronounced "too-ee-ee-oo-la-la") is 600 feet high on top, plus 280 feet on the bottom:
"..descending like thistledown.." John Muir
Zooming in on the upper fall, where color seems eerily absent
A significant breeze stymies my macro-photographic efforts, but I do what I can. These guys are new to me:
 |
 |
| Layne's Monkeyflowers | Harlequin Lupine, plus a blue variety |
I can hear the roar of unseen Wapama Falls, but the sounds are coming from the other side of the lake, echoing off the cliff directly opposite the falls! Finally, the source of the noise comes into view.
Kolana Rock, 5774*, is 2,300 feet high
Overlooking the falls is Hetch Hetchy Dome, 6174*
Some local trail maintenance is in progress. The pretty, slender woman in the red hardhat is busily wielding a sledgehammer on the rocks. Go figure.
 |
 |
| Under construction | The finished product |
The last couple hundred yards of trail are built of solid stone. Doubtless the route would otherwise be prohibitively difficult to maintain, due to the constant water erosion.
 |
 |
| The only downhill section on the route | Stairway to paradise |
Hearing Wapama Falls is one thing; being there is quite another. This place is exhilarating! Excepting Niagara Falls, I have never been this close to such a volume of falling water, which some believe to be the greatest of any river in Yosemite. The falls themselves are approximateley 1,300 feet high — 300 feet less than before the valley was drowned.
This is why I go hiking
There is so much streamflow that water spills over the tops of the footbridges. Most of today's visitors are terminating their trek right here, being unwilling to incur the bath that they would receive if they were to venture farther.
Water is splashing onto the walkway and all over the place
I observe with interest as a few backpackers and several teenagers dare to run the gauntlet. I am anxious to follow them, because I just know that the best viewpoints are on the other side.
Am I really going to do this?
Finally, I steel myself for the ordeal, zip up my pack, and take the big plunge — literally. Twenty seconds and a five-inch puddle later, I have completed the crossing. The four teenagers giggle at the sight of me as I emerge from the spray totally drenched. It was cold in there, too!
But I was right! There are great photo-ops over here. I scramble down to a good vantage point and whip out my camera. Which doesn't work.
Since I had previously applied a good dose of Scotchgard to my pack, its contents are not particularly wet, but the camera is lifeless nonetheless; and wiping off the battery and memory chip does not help. Bummer. There is nothing for it but make a return crossing, take a break, and cry a little.
The only part of me that remains dry is my left foot, which did not make the acquaintance of that deep puddle. None of the other hikers present are aware of my predicament, for I am too dismayed to share my plight. Needless to say, there will be no more photos on this walk.
These folks are amused by my antics, yet are unwilling to duplicate them
§: Subsequent analysis suggests that my camera had started to die even before I crossed the creek. Apparently the few drops of spray incurred from close-ups of the bridge had managed to kill the electronics of my virtually new Panasonic FZ-35. This is a real downer, for I thought that I finally had found the ideal hiking model.
For me, being without a camera is like being at a Chinese buffet without a plate. A lot of good photo-ops were missed today; so I have unfinished business here. Shopping is underway for an ultra-compact backup unit to pack in the future — perhaps even a waterproof one!
In any case, failed hardware has little to do with the merits of this trek itself. Even though it is difficult to get a good view of the cascade from any location, being up-close-and-personal with Wapama Falls is an exceptional and unforgettable experience. In contrast to the incomparable Mist Trail and the bases of Bridalveil and Upper Yosemite Falls, only here does one actually get to stand amid the rushing water itself. I am aware of no other trail destination that can match Wapama's "spray factor" at high water.
Try to plan your visit early or late enough in the season to avoid peak streamflow, yet not so late that Tueeulala Falls has dried up. And don't be a wimp. Bring your rain jacket if you must, but make the stream crossing; otherwise you will lose out.
To be continued...
Painting by Brooks Anderson
For more information, read lecturer Ron Good's fascinating accountings of The Grand Landscape Garden, the modern Fable of Tueeulala and Wapama, and the Hetchysburg Address.
Click on the picture to go there.
Yosemite NP
Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
O'Shaughnessy Dam
Wapama Falls
Tueeulala Falls
Grand Landscape Garden
Fable of Tueeulala and Wapama
Hetchysburg Address