Yosemite Valley Campsite Available Aug 28-Sept 2

Howdy Astromart campers.

I'm just about to cancel my extra campground reservation at Yosemite but since the valley is booked up, and campsites hard to come by, I thought somebody here might like the opportunity to take them.

This is for an RV/tent site at Yosemite Valley's Lower Pines Campground (site 36) beginning Saturday, August 28th through Thursday, September 2nd (5 nights). Because it is against the nps.gov terms of service to resell these reservations I did not place an Astromart classified -- However, if one wanted to repay me the $20 per night fee they are welcome to wander over to campsite 38 to find me.

If anyone is interested let me know in the next few days, otherwise I will cancel and give them back to the park service.

Jerry

We returned from our trip to Yosemite late last night and I wanted to share a few photos of our astronomy friendly camp site with you telescope owning campers. I think it was the only site like it in all the valley -- everyone that walked by seemed to think that it had the best view and that we had lucked out. I definitely agree with their consensus. I feel very lucky indeed.

1. The top left image is of my daughter running to the edge of the Merced River. I shot this while sitting in front of our campfire ring.

2. The top right image is almost the same shot but after the sun had set. It's a time lapse shot so don't be concerned that folks on the other side of the river were having a bonfire.

3. The bottom left image was taken so you can see the majority of the site. It's actually larger with room behind my Tahoe for an additional large tent and to the left of the bear box was another twenty feet.

4. The center bottom shot shows people up on top of Half Dome's "diving board" and was taken through my Meade 102 APO (don't give me grief, I really like the little scope).

5. And the bottom right shot shows half dome and my Meade 102 just before the sun set.


On Monday morning, August 30th at 3:28 AM I awoke to an incredibly loud "CRACK" from the Northeast followed by what I thought was thunder. I unzipped my tent to look out but saw only stars in a moonlit sky. The rumbling continued and after about fifteen or twenty seconds it became obvious that it was not a weather event but instead a rock fall (it went on far too long for thunder). I looked back over my should to see my wife and daughter both sitting up looking at me with wide eyes. It woke us all up. The next day at about four thirty in the afternoon I was talking to another camper about the incident when the sound of rocks AGAIN filled the air but this time from the Southeast above Curry Village. Our neighbor rode over to find a ranger and after asking three of them the fourth replied rather nonchalantly "Oh yeah, happens all the time here."

Anyway, we had a great and exciting time in Yosemite Valley and can't wait to return soon. I hope the pictures help some of you that might have a trip planned.

All the best!

Jerry

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How times have changed! While living in Mountain View, Ca. in the mid sixties, we made several trips to Yosemite. Never even heard of reserving camping space. Motor vehicles were unrestricted as global warming had not yet become a fable. We never felt crowded, and we could still drive our car through a giant Sequoia Tree. I'm including a copy of a slide I took in 1964. It's something that's no longer there: A lone Jeffrey Pine on Sentinal Dome.

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