This was Derek’s first trip to Yosemite! Luckily it’s early season so it wasn’t very busy…not like you hear about in the summer season. We had zero wait time at the South entrance gate…just drove right in. Phew.
First stop was Bridalveil Falls. Famous for its misty, wind-blown appearance – often called “Pohono” or “Spirit of the Puffing Wind” – it is one of the first major sights in Yosemite Valley. We did the short walk out to the base and in the early morning and shaded, it was chilly! Next we did a short stop at the Tunnel Overlook to snap some photos and admire the valley. Yosemite is popular for a reason…there is so much rugged beauty!
Awahnee Lodge
Rather then battle driving to each of the additional things we wanted to see, we parked and hopped on our bikes. We set off for Mirror Lake but were waylaid by The Ahwahnee Hotel. The backdrop is breathtaking. The Ahwahnee Hotel opened for business on July 16, 1927. It consisted of a main tower with three wings off of it. The north wing would house an entry lobby, the south wing would be the site of a Grand Lounge and the west wing would hold an enormous dining room. To help reduce the risk of fire, the building was made mostly of steel, granite and concrete that was stained to look like it was made from wood.
A hurdle that had to be cleared was where to get the building materials. Since the hotel was being built in a national park, nothing within the confines could be used in the construction since it is all protected under federal law. Thousands of tons of building materials, furnishings and equipment had to be brought to the site by trucks over primitive dirt roads. An amazing task to be undertaken in 1926!
Fun fact, in 1943, The Ahwahnee took on an interesting guest, the United States Navy. The Navy took over the building and used it as a convalescent hospital for those wounded during World War II and briefly renamed it “The “U.S. Naval Convalescent Hospital Yosemite National Park, California”. Since then, plenty of famous people of stayed here.
Mirror Lake
After touring the lodge, we rode to Mirror Lake. Ansel Adams famously captured this lake. In the 1860’s, Capt. William James Howard built a summer house on the lake’s shore. A dance floor, measuring sixty feet by forty feet, extended out over the water. The Mirror Lake House, as it became known, was a favorite night spot. A one-mile toll wagon-road led up to the lake from the Valley. In 1879, the commissioners of the state board governing Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove bought the toll road, made it toll-free, and removed Mirror Lake House.
From this point, the battle to “save” Mirror Lake began. There was talk in 1882 of clearing trees and brush in order to improve the lake view. By 1884, they recognized that sediment was filling the lake and reducing its size and beauty. The first dam was constructed that year, and consisted of a few large granite blocks moved into the narrowest point of the lake’s outlet. The lake’s size increased by six times. But sediment deposition began anew farther up the lake. So in 1885-1886, a retaining dam was built on Tenaya Creek above the lake. This trapped sediment before it reached the lake, the park service believed it would save and restore Mirror Lake. Within a year, however, it was obvious this was only a short term remedy. Dredging occurred until 1971 with the sand being used for winter roads. The lake is probably going to disappear and become a meadow at some future point. But, it was glorious when we hike it.
Stay tuned for part two!
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