I'm just wondering if you think it would be possible for an overseas visitor to have an extended stay in Yosemite - around a month long - at around September? Are there camping facilities to support this because I wouldn't be able to afford to stay in a condo or anything that extravagant. I have read about people virtually living at Camp 4. Is this possible?

-- Owen Davis (davisfam@networx.net.au), September 03, 1998

Answers

It is possible but it isn't strictly legal. Technically no visitor can stay in Yosemite longer than one week. There are tricks to avoid getting caught (1) change the name you register under (in the campground) at least once a week. (2) Your car is a bigger problem (hopefully you won't have one). Rangers write down every license plate in the Camp IV (Sunnyside Campground, where most climbers stay) each night. If your car is seen there for 8 days in a row, you'll get busted and probably thrown out of the park. You can park your car in the Lodge to avoid this, or even all the way over in Curry Village.

Have fun! Climbing in Yosemite is great in September!

-- George Bell (bell@advtech.uswest.com), September 04, 1998.

I am writting this not to sound like a jerk, but to get the point across. This is why climbers are having such a hard problem with access. Staying in the Valley for 8 days or more is strictly illegal. I am not saying that I am innocent, but I have grown up. Fresno is an hour and a half from the Valley, there are plenty of cheep hotels there. Find friends that live around the valley, or stay at sunny side for the amount time given. We all push and shove, but when the blame comes down we all point fingers. Lets think people before we are forced to climb inside. -Burt-

-- Burt (epiclmber@hotmail.com), November 20, 1998.

Sorry Owen Davis, no you can't live in camp 4 legally, you can get up to a week stay there. The only people that live in camp 4 (legally) are the members of YOSAR. To regester for a site at camp 4, you need to get to the rangers hut (in camp 4) early in the morning. I once got there at 6:30 am and ther was already a line. The situation sucks and many people are trying to work with the NPS, but if we don't school ourselfs we are doomed.

-- Burt (epiclmber@hotmail.com), November 20, 1998.

I couldn't agree more with Burt, who wrote that we shoot ourselves in the foot if we do anything to piss off the Park Service and in the long run we just complicate our access problems every time we make this mistake. All of us want to continue to climb in Yosemite, and in order to do so we'll have to start behaving like responsible citizens even though for most of us climbing is at least partly for the purpose of shucking that middle-class crap.

-- Bob Henley (rhenley@earthlink.net), February 01, 1999.

bro just go for it, i lived there back in the day and just climbed and everyone was super rad, back in the days of malt liquor drinking contests and climbing with hangovers. buck the system, do it, "access problems because of irresponsible climbers" fuck it the system is irresponsible blah blah blah its illegal then get arrested and then go back and climb since when are we a bunch of pansies that care about anything the system says. care about eachother take care of eachother bring back the community living vibes and dont listen to the holier than thou people saying dont do it

-- jameson kerr (laxkb420@aol.com), September 30, 2003.