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(soothing music)
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(dramatic music)
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- [Narrator] Where soaring granite peaks,
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waterfalls, among the world's tallest,
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sweeping meadows, and gigantic sequoias
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conspire to create a beauty beyond belief.
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Join us as we head
skyward with rock jocks.
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Glide through the valley.
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- [Paraglider] Yeah baby!
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- [Narrator] Seek out the
places where the deer,
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the bear, and the bear patrol roam.
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- [Man] No bear on scene,
and damage to three vehicles.
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- [Narrator] And recharge
at the queen of lodges.
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In a legendary landscape,
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we'll explore
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all the wonders of Yosemite.
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America's treasure.
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(dramatic music)
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(gentle music)
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The first visitors might have wondered
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if they were dreaming.
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Set amid Northern
California's Sierra Nevada,
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Yosemite National Park reigns supreme.
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On the horizon, Mount Hoffman
is the geographic center
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of the 750,000 acre area.
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Yet one valley, hailed as
the incomparable valley,
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is so celebrated that
many think it is Yosemite.
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- Although Yosemite Valley
is only 5% of the park,
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it's where 95% of the visitors go.
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Yosemite Valley itself is only
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one mile wide, and seven miles long.
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However, Yosemite Valley contains
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the icons that people come to see.
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- [Narrator] Icons like El Capitan,
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one of the largest monoliths
of granite on earth.
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Among the world's greatest
concentration of granite domes,
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Half Dome dominates.
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Although it's actually 3/4 of a dome,
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the celebrated shape can
be seen from all sides.
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And there's no other half.
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The face of the mountain
eroded away, bit by bit.
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While Yellowstone is
America's first national park,
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Yosemite set the stage.
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Profound beauty, and a botanical wonder,
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the giant sequoias were
cause for President Lincoln,
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in the midst of the Civil War,
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to set aside land to be held
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for public use, resort, and recreation.
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- This was known as the Yosemite Grant,
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and was the first time
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in not only the history of this country,
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but the history of the world,
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that a piece of land was set aside
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strictly for preservation.
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(intense music)
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Powerful geological forces
raised the Sierra Nevada
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to its present height.
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During the Ice Age some
three million years ago,
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glaciers carved the U-shaped canyons.
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- If we look straight across
and imagine that there was ice
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from the rim of the falls all the way
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almost over to where we are,
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That's a lotta ice.
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And a lot of weight, and a lot of power.
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As this ice was slowing
moving through the valley,
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it just plucked rocks away.
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- [Narrator] Glacier handiwork
created Yosemite Falls.
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At over 2,400 feet, it's the tallest
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waterfall in North America.
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(dramatic music)
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Across the valley, Bridal Veil Falls
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is named for its lacy mist.
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Powered by snow melt and gravity,
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peak season for waterfall
watching is spring.
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(water roaring)
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With over 800 miles of
trails, Yosemite is a Mecca
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for daytrippers and backpackers.
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According to Ann Marie
Brown, guide and author of
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"250 Great Hikes in
California's National Parks,"
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the best way to get away from
the crowds is to head up.
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- It's just a matter of truth
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that the vast majority
of people will stop going
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as the elevation gets higher and higher.
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- [Narrator] Amid the many
scenic climbs out of the valley,
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the Mist Trail is a must do.
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(pleasant music)
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It's here, Vernal Falls
cascades over giant steps
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carved as glacial ice
moved down the valley.
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The trail, a manmade work of art,
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runs right along the edge of the spray.
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The falls drop 317 feet.
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At its base, sunshine meets mist,
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light breaks into the vivid
colors of the rainbow,
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all in a place that looks like Eden.
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(pleasant music)
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Nevada Falls is yet another perfect union
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of sky, rock, and water.
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The Mist Trail winds relentlessly up.
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For the super fit, with
muscles aching for more,
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it's onward to Half Dome.
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In 1870, geologist Josiah D.
Whitney declared that Half Dome
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would probably never been
trodden by human foot,
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but hidden from his view,
on the eastern side,
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a rocky buttress provides access.
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The shortest route, 17 miles round trip
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with an elevation gain of 4,800 feet.
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- At the bare minimum,
you're gonna be on your feet
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for seven to eight hours,
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and then whatever time you spend
on top of the Dome as well.
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But the rewards are huge.
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I mean, it's the outdoor
equivalent of running a marathon.
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- [Narrator] A steep set of switchbacks
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acts like a grand StairMaster.
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On the shoulder of Half Dome,
the climb borders on vertical.
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Things get more and more intense.
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- [Hiker] All right, here we go.
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- [Narrator] Until a pair of steel cables
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becomes a lifeline.
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- He's like, "I made it
this far, I gotta do it."
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It's a little hairy.
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Gives ya some feeling of having
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achieved something noteworthy.
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- [Hiker] We're almost there!
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- [Narrator] It's a
scramble to the lofty crest.
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- Difficult, but exhilarating
and challenging and great fun,
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once you get to the top.
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- I'd add terrifying.
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- [Narrator] Those who
make it to the summit
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say it's like the top of the world.
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- It's fantastic, isn't it?
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- It really is, it's just,
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it's sort of almost unreal, actually.
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(dramatic music)
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- [Narrator] There's
no place like Yosemite.
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This legendary landscape is home
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to over 300 species of wildlife.
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The Western rattler, the
park's only poisonous snake,
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ranges in color from yellowish
to a smoky shade of black.
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Visitors rarely see or
hear a mountain lion.
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(mountain lion growls)
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This biggest cat in North America
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is out and about, feasting on mule deer.
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Though encounters are unlikely,
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the park recommends not to hike alone.
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Yosemite's most popular
mammal is its largest.
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Called black bears, most
are shades of brown.
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Here, they don't always hibernate.
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- It depends on the elevation.
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At lower elevations, 2,000
feet, a bear may not hibernate,
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whereas at higher elevations
it definitely will,
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but it all comes down to
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whether it has a food
source available to it.
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- [Narrator] Yosemite Valley,
the prime tourist destination,
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is also prime bear habitat.
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With a nose for food, and the steady flow
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of humans carrying it,
bears get into trouble.
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By 1998, things were out of control.
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1,400 car break-ins, and
$650,000 of property damage
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caught the attention of Congress.
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Increased funding allowed the
park to focus on the problem.
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(intense music)
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- Probably another bear break-in.
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- [Narrator] At five
o'clock in the morning,
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the bear management team
is in the thick of it.
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- [Man] No bear on scene,
and damage to three vehicles.
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- We have more than one
bear that breaks into cars,
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but we have one bear who's
really the main culprit.
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Oh my goodness, look at this car.
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- They just pulled in here.
- Yeah?
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- Probably within the
last hour and a half.
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The bears jumped up on the hood,
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walked over the top of it,
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then came down and pulled the window out.
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Good, good, good prints.
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- That's not a small bear
either, is it? Look at that.
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- [Narrator] Bears will
break in if they see anything
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even associated with food.
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- There's a whole cooler back there.
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- [Narrator] If they continue
to frequent developed areas,
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they're monitored by collars and tags.
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- So I'm just running
through the frequencies
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of bears that this could be.
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If it's a radio collar bear,
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we have a list of frequencies.
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I'm trying to see who's closest.
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- [Narrator] One bear has
been spending a lot of time
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in the more populated parts of the valley.
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- [Sherri] And that makes
us feel uncomfortable,
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because she may get too
close to people then.
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We're gonna try to get a collar on her.
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- [Narrator] A bear trap
is made more comfortable,
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then baited with a bag
of food at the back.
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- So it goes in, and it
grabs the bag of food,
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which pulls it down,
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and when it's pulled down,
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it just closes behind it.
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And we do have one bear
who has figured this out,
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and he grabs the bag,
and sticks his foot out,
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and catches the door.
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So we have one bigger trap
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that we always have to catch him in,
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because he has figured
this whole system out.
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- [Man] Get outta here
bear, get outta here!
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- One of the tools that we
use to make the situation
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more negative for the bear,
the conditioning more negative,
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is we use paintball guns.
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We had some clear paintballs
specially designed for us,
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and they're just full of kind
of a greasy oil in there.
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Get outta here bear, come on, move,
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get outta here, come on, move!
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You always wanna yell at the same time,
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so that they know a human is doing it.
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To reinforce that humans are scary.
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- [Narrator] Bears are so
intelligent, wildlife experts say
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they only stay one step ahead of them.
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- We'd develop a bear-proof
food locker, or a dumpster.
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Eventually, they figure it out
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and we have to come up
with another design.
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- [Narrator] In the back country,
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bear resistant canisters are a must.
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Hanging food from trees no longer works.
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The bears caught on to the trick.
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- [Ranger] Hello, folks.
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- Hi.
- Hello.
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00:13:05,321 --> 00:13:06,240
- We're just out doing our bear rounds,
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making sure that all
those little brownie bites
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and Oreo cookies get put
away when you're done.
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- Yes.
- Okay.
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- Oh you are too far from an open car.
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Because if it's open
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and you're not there, you're too far away.
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- [Narrator] To date, the
park's tough love policy
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has paid off.
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Conflicts have been reduced by 80%.
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Beyond bears, Yosemite
has a rich human history.
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Native Americans called
the valley Ahwahnee,
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meaning place of gaping.
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Tucked away in the corner,
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amid tall trees and granite walls,
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the namesake Ahwahnee Hotel
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is the queen of national park lodges.
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Built on several levels,
it's protected and private.
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- The granite ledges
and walls of the valley
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actually seem to just keep extending out
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into the grounds of the Ahwahnee,
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and incorporate the building.
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It's brilliant, it's
artistic, and it's natural,
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and it feels right to
be here in the valley.
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- [Narrator] Celebrated park architect
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Gilbert Stanley Underwood
left nothing to chance.
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Every detail blends into
the beauty of the landscape.
252
00:14:26,930 --> 00:14:31,653
The four diamond hotel first
opened its doors in 1927.
253
00:14:37,110 --> 00:14:39,663
The centerpiece is the Great Lounge.
254
00:14:40,900 --> 00:14:43,353
With a 24 foot beam ceiling.
255
00:14:46,100 --> 00:14:48,716
German Gothic wrought iron chandeliers
256
00:14:48,716 --> 00:14:52,693
cast a warm glow over an enormous space.
257
00:14:53,830 --> 00:14:56,530
Flanked by two stone fireplaces,
258
00:14:56,530 --> 00:14:58,763
there's a lot of detail to absorb.
259
00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:04,600
Despite the massive scale,
it's warm and inviting,
260
00:15:04,614 --> 00:15:08,143
like being a guest in a country manor.
261
00:15:12,270 --> 00:15:16,100
Views of Yosemite Falls, Half Dome,
262
00:15:16,100 --> 00:15:19,133
and Glacier Point bring the outside in.
263
00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:23,800
The JKF Suite is named for the president
264
00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:26,153
who stayed here in 1962.
265
00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:31,673
It has a deck with a private view.
266
00:15:36,590 --> 00:15:40,910
Fine dining in the 34 foot
trestle beam dining room
267
00:15:40,910 --> 00:15:43,933
is a quintessential Yosemite experience.
268
00:15:45,596 --> 00:15:46,429
(glasses clink)
269
00:15:46,429 --> 00:15:48,310
- Coming to a place that's going to
270
00:15:48,310 --> 00:15:50,450
cater to the special needs of guests,
271
00:15:50,450 --> 00:15:53,137
and to make your visit very memorable.
272
00:15:53,137 --> 00:15:55,570
(people clapping)
273
00:15:55,570 --> 00:15:58,330
- [Narrator] For many,
there's a special connection
274
00:15:58,330 --> 00:16:00,833
to the Ahwahnee, and to Yosemite.
275
00:16:03,260 --> 00:16:05,930
While you're enjoying the great outdoors,
276
00:16:05,930 --> 00:16:09,413
take a moment to remember
those who came before.
277
00:16:11,810 --> 00:16:14,342
The individual eternally
linked with Yosemite
278
00:16:14,342 --> 00:16:17,967
is naturalist John Muir, who wrote,
279
00:16:17,967 --> 00:16:22,257
"No temple made with hands
can compare with Yosemite."
280
00:16:23,860 --> 00:16:26,920
During industrial times, he excited people
281
00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:29,243
that a place like this even existed.
282
00:16:30,570 --> 00:16:32,250
- The United States is a new country.
283
00:16:32,250 --> 00:16:37,007
It didn't have the kind of
history that Europeans had.
284
00:16:37,007 --> 00:16:40,700
Had American history, but not
an ancient recorded history,
285
00:16:40,700 --> 00:16:42,520
or a history that had large buildings,
286
00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:44,270
cathedrals, et cetera.
287
00:16:44,270 --> 00:16:46,740
And what became the temples
288
00:16:46,740 --> 00:16:49,749
for the United States
were these wild areas.
289
00:16:49,749 --> 00:16:51,730
(gentle music)
290
00:16:51,730 --> 00:16:54,620
- [Narrator] In 1890,
Yosemite was set aside
291
00:16:54,620 --> 00:16:56,943
as America's third national park.
292
00:16:59,840 --> 00:17:03,770
Two years later, Muir co-founded
the famed Sierra Club,
293
00:17:03,770 --> 00:17:05,613
dedicated to conservation.
294
00:17:07,290 --> 00:17:11,233
He described the Sierra
as the Range of Light.
295
00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:15,070
Another visionary, America's premier
296
00:17:15,070 --> 00:17:17,720
landscape photographer Ansel Adams,
297
00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:20,293
opened the public's
eye in a different way.
298
00:17:23,360 --> 00:17:25,960
- Ansel came to Yosemite
for the first time in 1914,
299
00:17:26,860 --> 00:17:27,920
and fell in love with it,
300
00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:30,110
and came back every year of his life.
301
00:17:30,110 --> 00:17:31,669
- [Narrator] Hiking the back country,
302
00:17:31,669 --> 00:17:35,583
he became familiar with the
ever changing patterns of light.
303
00:17:37,910 --> 00:17:39,860
- He definitely caught the moment.
304
00:17:39,860 --> 00:17:43,500
The moment, the one second
where the light had changed.
305
00:17:43,500 --> 00:17:46,090
The one moment where the clouds
were covering the valley,
306
00:17:46,090 --> 00:17:49,323
that's what Ansel did
that no one else could do.
307
00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:52,149
- [Narrator] Every day around the park,
308
00:17:52,149 --> 00:17:56,903
amateurs and professionals are
out to get the perfect shot.
309
00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:00,240
- [Guide] What I'm gonna do
right now is I'm gonna show you
310
00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:02,620
a photograph that Ansel
took in this meadow.
311
00:18:02,620 --> 00:18:06,000
- [Narrator] The Ansel Adams
Gallery, a park institution,
312
00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:09,685
leads photo walks that
follow in Ansel's footsteps.
313
00:18:09,685 --> 00:18:11,500
- We're gonna talk about how to create
314
00:18:11,500 --> 00:18:13,713
light and motion and depth of field.
315
00:18:15,110 --> 00:18:17,263
- [Narrator] Ansel Adams loved Yosemite.
316
00:18:18,250 --> 00:18:20,000
Yet there was one special spot
317
00:18:21,150 --> 00:18:24,203
amid the rarefied air of the high country.
318
00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:27,520
- He took Sierra Club
trips in there when he was
319
00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:29,964
sort of leading some
of the trips for them,
320
00:18:29,964 --> 00:18:33,888
and they jokingly said, "Ansel,
you love this place so much,
321
00:18:33,888 --> 00:18:38,150
"we should call that mountain
up there Mount Ansel Adams."
322
00:18:38,150 --> 00:18:42,040
In fact, that became Mount
Ansel Adams after he died.
323
00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:46,143
Then we put his ashes there
in 1986 on his mountain.
324
00:18:47,225 --> 00:18:50,760
(birds chirping)
325
00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:54,260
- [Narrator] Although Ansel
Adams never met John Muir,
326
00:18:54,260 --> 00:18:57,550
both men left a legacy of conservation
327
00:18:57,550 --> 00:19:00,773
that continues to be an inspiration.
328
00:19:03,424 --> 00:19:06,890
(dramatic music)
329
00:19:06,890 --> 00:19:10,906
Yosemite is the centerpiece
of the Sierra Nevada,
330
00:19:10,906 --> 00:19:13,940
the longest continuous mountain range
331
00:19:13,940 --> 00:19:16,730
in the continental United States.
332
00:19:16,730 --> 00:19:21,300
Much of the park lies above 7,500 feet.
333
00:19:21,300 --> 00:19:24,923
Called high country, it
has a rugged splendor.
334
00:19:27,220 --> 00:19:29,610
From Olmsted Point, the back half
335
00:19:29,610 --> 00:19:32,193
of Half Dome looms in the distance.
336
00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:37,580
Giant boulders left behind
by receding glaciers
337
00:19:37,580 --> 00:19:40,423
look like the work of extraterrestrials.
338
00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:47,060
Amid hundreds of glacial carved lakes,
339
00:19:47,060 --> 00:19:49,373
Tenaya is the largest.
340
00:19:52,100 --> 00:19:54,563
A lone kayaker cruises by.
341
00:19:56,360 --> 00:19:59,940
Framed by granite walls and sandy beaches,
342
00:19:59,940 --> 00:20:02,433
the water is icy cold.
343
00:20:06,300 --> 00:20:08,530
The Tuolumne River meanders through
344
00:20:08,530 --> 00:20:12,570
the largest subalpine
meadow in the High Sierra.
345
00:20:12,570 --> 00:20:14,840
- We're at the gateway
to the High Sierras.
346
00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:17,990
We are at 8,600 feet above sea level,
347
00:20:17,990 --> 00:20:19,500
and there's trails that go up
348
00:20:19,500 --> 00:20:22,693
to elevations over 10, 12,000 feet.
349
00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:25,830
- [Narrator] Surrounded by high peaks,
350
00:20:25,830 --> 00:20:29,657
it's lush, cool, inviting.
351
00:20:32,048 --> 00:20:33,533
A meeting place for all.
352
00:20:36,310 --> 00:20:39,950
- And then there is the crest,
which the Tioga Pass road
353
00:20:39,950 --> 00:20:42,363
reaches almost 10,000
feet above sea level,
354
00:20:43,290 --> 00:20:46,523
and from there you can hike
up to high elevation peaks
355
00:20:46,523 --> 00:20:49,551
that have this magnificent scenery.
356
00:20:49,551 --> 00:20:52,290
(gentle guitar music)
357
00:20:52,290 --> 00:20:54,870
- [Narrator] Tioga Pass
is the highest point
358
00:20:54,870 --> 00:20:58,710
in the Sierra Nevada that
can be crossed by road.
359
00:20:58,710 --> 00:21:03,440
The Tioga Pass Resort has
been a stopoff since 1916.
360
00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:05,350
- I'll have rocky road, thanks.
361
00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:08,200
Thank you.
362
00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:09,730
- [Narrator] On the park's border,
363
00:21:09,730 --> 00:21:12,563
this local hangout is an institution.
364
00:21:14,020 --> 00:21:17,640
With rustic guest cabins,
and a general store,
365
00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:20,290
things here never seem to change,
366
00:21:20,290 --> 00:21:22,390
and that's a good thing.
367
00:21:22,390 --> 00:21:25,650
At the old fashioned
diner, the food's good,
368
00:21:25,650 --> 00:21:27,429
and the coffee's hot.
369
00:21:27,429 --> 00:21:28,660
- [Server] All right, homemade pie.
370
00:21:28,660 --> 00:21:31,800
We have blueberry, apple, and apricot.
371
00:21:35,150 --> 00:21:38,020
- [Narrator] It's not the
only touch of civilization.
372
00:21:38,020 --> 00:21:41,480
For those willing to go
the extra mile, or miles,
373
00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:43,620
the High Sierra camp system,
374
00:21:43,620 --> 00:21:46,960
continuously operating since 1923,
375
00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:50,370
is unique in America's national parks.
376
00:21:50,370 --> 00:21:53,960
- So we have a series of camps,
including Tuolumne Meadows,
377
00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:55,410
that would be six.
378
00:21:55,410 --> 00:21:58,070
And you can actually hike
to each one of the camps.
379
00:21:58,070 --> 00:22:00,467
They're only five to 10
miles apart from each other,
380
00:22:00,467 --> 00:22:03,160
so very easily accessible on foot,
381
00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:04,913
or by a saddle pack trail.
382
00:22:09,090 --> 00:22:11,810
- [Narrator] A seasonal
treat, the camps are only open
383
00:22:11,810 --> 00:22:15,603
from mid-June to mid-September,
weather permitting.
384
00:22:16,580 --> 00:22:19,590
Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, the logical spot
385
00:22:19,590 --> 00:22:21,830
to begin a loop trip, has the only
386
00:22:21,830 --> 00:22:24,103
tent cabins reachable by road.
387
00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:27,530
- One of the questions
I get asked most often
388
00:22:27,530 --> 00:22:29,310
is what the heck is a tent cabin?
389
00:22:29,310 --> 00:22:32,360
Well, it's basically a raised
wooden floor off the ground,
390
00:22:32,360 --> 00:22:33,680
just a couple of feet,
391
00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:35,360
and then you have canvas siding
392
00:22:35,360 --> 00:22:37,486
and a canvas tent on the top.
393
00:22:37,486 --> 00:22:41,340
And you'd be surprised how well
it can keep the weather out,
394
00:22:41,340 --> 00:22:43,060
and the warmth in.
395
00:22:43,060 --> 00:22:45,423
Even in really chilly conditions.
396
00:22:46,330 --> 00:22:48,084
- [Narrator] A stay at
the high country cabins
397
00:22:48,084 --> 00:22:52,273
is so coveted, reservations
are made by lottery.
398
00:22:54,564 --> 00:22:56,530
(gentle guitar music)
399
00:22:56,530 --> 00:22:59,723
Camp May Lake faces Mount Hoffman.
400
00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:03,460
- The thing that's really
unique about the high camps
401
00:23:03,460 --> 00:23:05,687
is that each one has its own topography,
402
00:23:05,687 --> 00:23:08,090
own location, very different setting
403
00:23:08,090 --> 00:23:10,387
because of the different elevations.
404
00:23:10,387 --> 00:23:12,460
- [Narrator] In this neck of the woods,
405
00:23:12,460 --> 00:23:14,460
people tend to slow down, and chill out.
406
00:23:15,726 --> 00:23:17,129
(people chattering)
407
00:23:17,129 --> 00:23:19,712
(bell dinging)
408
00:23:20,686 --> 00:23:23,353
(bugle blaring)
409
00:23:26,089 --> 00:23:28,339
- Good evening, May Lakers!
410
00:23:29,747 --> 00:23:32,497
Come on in for a fabulous dinner!
411
00:23:33,910 --> 00:23:37,163
- [Narrator] Home cooked
meals fuel a hiker's appetite.
412
00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:43,000
Among the high country camps,
413
00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:46,210
Vogelsang is at the highest altitude.
414
00:23:46,210 --> 00:23:51,006
With 1,400 feet of elevation
gain, the air thins.
415
00:23:51,006 --> 00:23:53,923
(thunder rumbling)
416
00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:05,680
Nestled on a mountainside,
Vogelsang is a welcoming sight.
417
00:24:06,489 --> 00:24:09,322
(water trickling)
418
00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,350
- It's the highest, and it's granite.
419
00:24:13,350 --> 00:24:14,850
You know, it's just granite everywhere,
420
00:24:14,850 --> 00:24:16,300
and you can see where you're gonna hike,
421
00:24:16,300 --> 00:24:19,093
and there's a multitude of peaks to climb.
422
00:24:20,684 --> 00:24:23,434
(dramatic music)
423
00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:29,827
- [Narrator] Above the
tree line, Vogelsang Pass
424
00:24:29,827 --> 00:24:33,703
looks over the vast expanse
of the high country.
425
00:24:40,404 --> 00:24:42,019
As day turns to night,
426
00:24:42,019 --> 00:24:44,923
the mountains light up with alpenglow.
427
00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:50,250
Guests begin to grasp
428
00:24:50,250 --> 00:24:53,579
what the Yosemite wilderness is all about.
429
00:24:53,579 --> 00:24:56,329
(dramatic music)
430
00:25:04,020 --> 00:25:07,230
Behind the formation of Yosemite Valley's
431
00:25:07,230 --> 00:25:10,690
massive domes and cliffs, eight different
432
00:25:10,690 --> 00:25:13,373
types of granite shape the scenery.
433
00:25:15,700 --> 00:25:18,470
Flanking the valley, El Capitan,
434
00:25:18,470 --> 00:25:22,883
Spanish for The Captain,
rises over 3,000 feet.
435
00:25:24,962 --> 00:25:26,063
- It's quite a big rock.
436
00:25:27,050 --> 00:25:28,710
When you first drive into
the valley, you know,
437
00:25:28,710 --> 00:25:30,820
it doesn't fit into your windshield.
438
00:25:30,820 --> 00:25:32,883
So, you know that's a big rock.
439
00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:37,300
- [Narrator] While most people are content
440
00:25:37,300 --> 00:25:41,863
to gaze up in awe, others
go for immediate contact.
441
00:25:43,790 --> 00:25:46,910
Clean surfaces, high quality rock,
442
00:25:46,910 --> 00:25:49,900
and a gravity defying level of difficulty
443
00:25:49,900 --> 00:25:54,343
make Yosemite one of the world's
top climbing destinations.
444
00:25:56,870 --> 00:26:00,483
From El Cap Meadow, people
catch the El Cap show.
445
00:26:01,810 --> 00:26:04,473
It's man and woman versus a monolith.
446
00:26:06,860 --> 00:26:08,850
When the route up the nose of El Cap
447
00:26:08,850 --> 00:26:11,680
was first climbed in 1958,
448
00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:14,623
it opened up mega
possibilities for the sport.
449
00:26:17,230 --> 00:26:19,590
- Goes up those cracks
that diagonal up and right,
450
00:26:19,590 --> 00:26:21,550
into that crescent shaped crack,
451
00:26:21,550 --> 00:26:23,360
and then you can see people there,
452
00:26:23,360 --> 00:26:25,780
and then you do a little pendulum swing
453
00:26:25,780 --> 00:26:28,860
into those cracks that go straight on up.
454
00:26:28,860 --> 00:26:30,740
Those are the stove leg cracks,
455
00:26:30,740 --> 00:26:35,620
and you end up in those
upper dihedrals up there.
456
00:26:35,620 --> 00:26:38,010
- [Narrator] To date,
over 90 different routes
457
00:26:38,010 --> 00:26:42,910
vary in length, but the
average ascent takes four days.
458
00:26:44,380 --> 00:26:47,110
Only the best opt to free climb it,
459
00:26:47,110 --> 00:26:51,173
where partners use ropes and
gear strictly for protection.
460
00:26:55,580 --> 00:26:57,317
- Free climbing El Cap is definitely
461
00:26:57,317 --> 00:27:00,303
just as much a mental
game as a physical game.
462
00:27:01,450 --> 00:27:05,300
Because there's so much
that goes along with it,
463
00:27:05,300 --> 00:27:08,100
and you have to deal with
being scared, being tired,
464
00:27:08,100 --> 00:27:10,900
and just all the logistics
465
00:27:10,900 --> 00:27:14,603
of staying on a wall
3,000 feet in the air.
466
00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:20,140
- [Narrator] In the vertical
world, you're on your own.
467
00:27:20,140 --> 00:27:22,973
There's no competency
test, or park permit.
468
00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:27,115
- Climbing is pretty self-limiting.
469
00:27:27,115 --> 00:27:30,163
You make a mistake up there, and you die.
470
00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:33,270
I would say a good
percentage of the parties
471
00:27:33,270 --> 00:27:36,950
don't make it on their
first few tries up El Cap.
472
00:27:36,950 --> 00:27:38,980
It's a big deal.
473
00:27:38,980 --> 00:27:42,070
- [Narrator] The goal is to
be successful on the descent,
474
00:27:42,070 --> 00:27:44,390
and train for the next time.
475
00:27:44,390 --> 00:27:47,015
- So what we need now is
everyone needs a helmet.
476
00:27:47,015 --> 00:27:48,016
What we're gonna do first
477
00:27:48,016 --> 00:27:49,915
is we're gonna actually
do a little bouldering.
478
00:27:49,915 --> 00:27:50,790
One size should fit everyone.
479
00:27:50,790 --> 00:27:54,690
- [Narrator] Since 1969, the
Yosemite Mountaineering School
480
00:27:54,690 --> 00:27:58,013
and Guide Service has been
teaching all levels of rock jocks
481
00:27:58,013 --> 00:28:00,960
the art of self protection.
482
00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:03,060
- Toes up, heels down,
straighten your legs.
483
00:28:03,060 --> 00:28:05,410
- [Narrator] It's no
surprise they're considered
484
00:28:05,410 --> 00:28:08,920
some of the most skilled big
wall athletes in the world.
485
00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:10,320
- So push and pull motion here.
486
00:28:10,320 --> 00:28:11,210
Look at my left hand.
487
00:28:11,210 --> 00:28:12,220
It's never leaving the rope.
488
00:28:12,220 --> 00:28:14,633
- [Narrator] Classes
cover basics and more.
489
00:28:15,590 --> 00:28:16,470
- [Guide] You're gonna be moving
490
00:28:16,470 --> 00:28:18,566
over to the right, both hands.
491
00:28:18,566 --> 00:28:21,793
- [Narrator] It's a lot
harder than it looks.
492
00:28:22,980 --> 00:28:26,760
- If you let go, certainly
she's gonna fall, okay?
493
00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:28,533
So the idea is you're tied in.
494
00:28:30,124 --> 00:28:31,633
- [Guide] Way to go Meg, good job.
495
00:28:34,450 --> 00:28:37,900
- [Narrator] In the 1930s,
rope climbing took hold here
496
00:28:37,900 --> 00:28:40,630
with techniques brought over from Europe.
497
00:28:40,630 --> 00:28:43,480
By the 1940s, routes up the bigger walls
498
00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:46,230
were made possible by
a Yosemite invention,
499
00:28:46,230 --> 00:28:50,290
hammering steel pitons into the rock.
500
00:28:50,290 --> 00:28:53,733
Using gear, climbers
engineered their way up.
501
00:28:55,690 --> 00:29:00,440
The 1960s and '70s were
the golden age of climbing,
502
00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:03,730
and Yosemite was the epicenter.
503
00:29:03,730 --> 00:29:07,813
The sport evolved, as athletes
sought out ways to excel.
504
00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:13,780
Many who chartered virgin routes
505
00:29:13,780 --> 00:29:15,890
began their day at Camp Four,
506
00:29:15,890 --> 00:29:19,628
now listed on the National
Registry of Historic Places.
507
00:29:19,628 --> 00:29:22,378
(dramatic music)
508
00:29:26,900 --> 00:29:28,850
- As a young guy coming in this place
509
00:29:28,850 --> 00:29:31,680
it had a sense of a carnival going on,
510
00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:36,480
and an athletic event, a
revolution of some kind.
511
00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:39,450
Every moment, breathing,
walking, climbing moment here
512
00:29:39,450 --> 00:29:41,000
had a sense of adventure to it.
513
00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:46,183
- [Narrator] More than
a place to pitch a tent,
514
00:29:46,183 --> 00:29:49,913
Camp Four was a forum
for an emerging sport.
515
00:29:52,870 --> 00:29:55,244
Although times have changed, the spirit
516
00:29:55,244 --> 00:29:59,884
and camaraderie of the
pioneering days remains.
517
00:29:59,884 --> 00:30:02,220
- So if you guys climb Beggar's
Buttress in the morning,
518
00:30:02,220 --> 00:30:04,120
we climb Moratorium in the morning,
519
00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:06,373
we can get like a six
man team on Half Dome.
520
00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:09,630
- It's interesting to see to this day
521
00:30:09,630 --> 00:30:11,250
how many people are all around climbing
522
00:30:11,250 --> 00:30:12,321
that they still have the passion
523
00:30:12,321 --> 00:30:15,573
to make that trip from faraway
places to fulfill a dream.
524
00:30:16,990 --> 00:30:19,073
So that legacy is still going on.
525
00:30:21,790 --> 00:30:24,800
- I think one of the really
unique things about Camp Four
526
00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:28,520
is that it does not matter
what language you speak,
527
00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:31,823
and that we all have climbing
as our common language.
528
00:30:34,860 --> 00:30:38,208
- [Narrator] In the 1970s, the
invention of the modern cam
529
00:30:38,208 --> 00:30:40,293
opened up a whole new realm.
530
00:30:42,190 --> 00:30:45,363
Clean climbing is done
without damaging the rock.
531
00:30:48,330 --> 00:30:50,420
Record setter Beth Rodden shows us
532
00:30:50,420 --> 00:30:53,253
what separates the good from the best.
533
00:30:54,566 --> 00:30:58,950
Yosemite's system rates
difficulty on a 5.0 to 5.14 scale.
534
00:31:01,260 --> 00:31:06,013
At 5.13, the Phoenix is one tough climb.
535
00:31:07,190 --> 00:31:09,630
- The Phoenix has a lot of finger locks,
536
00:31:09,630 --> 00:31:12,260
which means you stick
your fingers in the crack
537
00:31:12,260 --> 00:31:13,926
and then you torque them downwards
538
00:31:13,926 --> 00:31:16,330
to try and cam them in there,
539
00:31:16,330 --> 00:31:18,040
so you can then move your body up,
540
00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:19,970
and it also has a lot of hand jams
541
00:31:19,970 --> 00:31:21,620
where you put your hand in,
542
00:31:21,620 --> 00:31:23,420
and then you pull yourself in there.
543
00:31:27,470 --> 00:31:31,110
- [Narrator] Crack climbing
is fairly unique to Yosemite.
544
00:31:31,110 --> 00:31:33,870
Because it's so hard to maintain balance,
545
00:31:33,870 --> 00:31:36,533
many new techniques were developed here.
546
00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:41,100
- There is a whole repertoire
of movements that you learn,
547
00:31:41,100 --> 00:31:43,806
and that you might call on
depending on the situation,
548
00:31:43,806 --> 00:31:46,848
and sometimes it's just
the way you might lean,
549
00:31:46,848 --> 00:31:49,430
lean with your shoulder or
what we call a flag move,
550
00:31:49,430 --> 00:31:50,680
where you stick your foot out real far
551
00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:52,300
so you can extend further.
552
00:31:52,300 --> 00:31:55,510
So it has a dance-like
gymnastic style movement,
553
00:31:55,510 --> 00:31:57,513
which is quite interesting
when you're climbing
554
00:31:57,513 --> 00:31:58,830
and you look at a rock and think,
555
00:31:58,830 --> 00:32:00,570
how will I fit into that?
556
00:32:00,570 --> 00:32:02,900
So it's kind of a never-ending opportunity
557
00:32:02,900 --> 00:32:05,500
to learn about how to move
yourself, how to breathe.
558
00:32:10,488 --> 00:32:12,180
(upbeat music)
559
00:32:12,180 --> 00:32:14,910
- [Narrator] For an aerial
tour of Yosemite Valley,
560
00:32:14,910 --> 00:32:17,503
guaranteed to get your
adrenal glands going,
561
00:32:19,850 --> 00:32:21,970
on weekends during the summer,
562
00:32:21,970 --> 00:32:24,990
a group of men and women
and their flying machines
563
00:32:24,990 --> 00:32:26,553
gather along Glacier Point.
564
00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:29,620
- Clear!
- Yah, yah!
565
00:32:31,573 --> 00:32:34,660
- [Narrator] 3,200 feet
above the valley floor,
566
00:32:34,660 --> 00:32:38,720
a harness, a hang strap,
and a 30 foot wingspan
567
00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:41,613
are all that separate
a float, from a fall.
568
00:32:53,340 --> 00:32:55,980
- Pilot hooks in here, with his harness.
569
00:32:55,980 --> 00:32:57,965
Most pilots fly in a prone position,
570
00:32:57,965 --> 00:33:02,010
so they're in this
attitude flying the glider.
571
00:33:02,010 --> 00:33:05,387
And to load up a right turn,
572
00:33:05,387 --> 00:33:08,210
you just move over to the right
side of the control frame,
573
00:33:08,210 --> 00:33:10,840
and the glider starts to
create the right turn.
574
00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:12,400
To make the glider go up,
575
00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:14,270
you simply push the bar away from you.
576
00:33:14,270 --> 00:33:17,346
It noses the glider up,
and you start to climb.
577
00:33:17,346 --> 00:33:19,460
To bring the glider down, you just pull in
578
00:33:19,460 --> 00:33:21,563
and you start your descent.
579
00:33:23,750 --> 00:33:25,440
Putting them together in combinations
580
00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:27,360
that creates some aerobatic maneuvers,
581
00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:29,973
make the rollercoaster rides
look like child's play.
582
00:33:33,260 --> 00:33:35,780
- [Narrator] Only certified
pilots are permitted
583
00:33:35,780 --> 00:33:37,533
to take this flying leap.
584
00:33:39,150 --> 00:33:41,767
- When you plan on flying
in Yosemite National Park,
585
00:33:41,767 --> 00:33:43,533
you're at your sharpest game.
586
00:33:44,586 --> 00:33:47,445
And you have everything
pumping in your body,
587
00:33:47,445 --> 00:33:49,600
your heart's beating out of your chest
588
00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:52,450
no matter how many times
you've done this before.
589
00:33:52,450 --> 00:33:54,690
- Please report hang gliding monitor.
590
00:33:54,690 --> 00:33:57,120
We have five hang glider pilots
ready and raring to launch.
591
00:33:57,120 --> 00:33:58,928
Are we clear for launch?
592
00:33:58,928 --> 00:34:00,060
- [Woman] Yes fine, go ahead.
593
00:34:00,060 --> 00:34:01,720
- We have clearance, surf's up.
594
00:34:02,745 --> 00:34:04,629
All right guys, surf's up!
595
00:34:04,629 --> 00:34:07,212
(upbeat music)
596
00:34:14,346 --> 00:34:15,408
- [Pilot] You get up in the sky,
597
00:34:15,408 --> 00:34:19,203
it's just the kind of euphoria
that's hard to describe.
598
00:34:22,240 --> 00:34:23,700
You know, we have granite cliffs,
599
00:34:23,700 --> 00:34:26,330
and the waterfalls that
we get to soar over,
600
00:34:26,330 --> 00:34:28,928
and we're fortunate
enough to see the valley
601
00:34:28,928 --> 00:34:31,403
in a way that nobody else gets to see it.
602
00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:44,927
- [Narrator] Granite cliffs and
peaks aren't the only things
603
00:34:44,927 --> 00:34:47,690
supersized in these parts.
604
00:34:47,690 --> 00:34:49,670
These lands were first set aside
605
00:34:49,670 --> 00:34:52,570
to protect a botanical wonder.
606
00:34:52,570 --> 00:34:55,010
The Mariposa Grove has the park's
607
00:34:55,010 --> 00:34:58,470
biggest stand of giant sequoias.
608
00:34:58,470 --> 00:35:01,360
- The giant sequoias are the
largest living things on earth,
609
00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:02,893
in terms of total volume.
610
00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:08,760
Some trees are taller, some
trees are bigger in diameter.
611
00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:11,340
Some trees live to a longer age,
612
00:35:11,340 --> 00:35:14,553
but the giant sequoia in terms
of volume is the largest.
613
00:35:15,580 --> 00:35:18,880
- [Narrator] Weighing over
two million pounds on average,
614
00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:22,073
to grasp the size of a
sequoia isn't so simple.
615
00:35:25,630 --> 00:35:28,380
Compare it to the Statue of Liberty,
616
00:35:28,380 --> 00:35:30,313
a human six feet tall,
617
00:35:31,420 --> 00:35:33,770
or the Fallen Monarch, a tree famous
618
00:35:33,770 --> 00:35:36,340
for a photograph of the US Cavalry
619
00:35:36,340 --> 00:35:38,003
positioned along its trunk.
620
00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:44,350
The California Tunnel Tree was tunneled
621
00:35:44,350 --> 00:35:47,563
in 1895 for stagecoach tours.
622
00:35:49,344 --> 00:35:50,224
- [Woman] And this is Grace,
623
00:35:50,224 --> 00:35:51,864
do you remember what the tree's name is?
624
00:35:51,864 --> 00:35:53,160
- [Grace] No.
625
00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:56,350
- [Woman] Remember it
was the Grizzly Giant?
626
00:35:56,350 --> 00:35:58,161
- [Narrator] The grove's
most celebrated tree
627
00:35:58,161 --> 00:36:00,253
is the Grizzly Giant.
628
00:36:01,690 --> 00:36:04,200
- The most recent studies
suggest that the Grizzly Giant
629
00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:07,003
is probably close to 1,800 years old.
630
00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:09,960
Give or take a few years.
631
00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:13,310
It's got huge branches, very gnarled.
632
00:36:13,310 --> 00:36:18,220
It's lost its top, so it
only rises to about 210 feet.
633
00:36:18,220 --> 00:36:21,360
It's about 96 feet in circumference,
634
00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:24,260
and about 30 feet in diameter.
635
00:36:24,260 --> 00:36:25,400
- I can't see the top.
636
00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:27,380
- It seems like a very big bird
637
00:36:27,380 --> 00:36:30,223
should live in such a
big tree, doesn't it?
638
00:36:32,140 --> 00:36:34,879
- [Narrator] One of the
fastest growing trees on earth,
639
00:36:34,879 --> 00:36:39,540
sequoias require upwards of
1,000 gallons of water a day,
640
00:36:39,540 --> 00:36:41,373
and plenty of sunshine.
641
00:36:45,240 --> 00:36:48,760
Known to live over 3,200 years,
642
00:36:48,760 --> 00:36:51,400
the secret to longevity is a sap
643
00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:53,563
resistant to fire and decay.
644
00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:56,810
- The telescope tree is phenomenal.
645
00:36:56,810 --> 00:36:59,270
That tree has been gutted by fire,
646
00:36:59,270 --> 00:37:01,020
literally struck by lightning at the top,
647
00:37:01,020 --> 00:37:02,860
eaten up by fire at the bottom.
648
00:37:02,860 --> 00:37:05,800
You can stand in the
tree, and see the sky.
649
00:37:05,800 --> 00:37:10,360
The tree is alive, and it's
producing cones, it's growing.
650
00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:12,943
(gentle music)
651
00:37:14,050 --> 00:37:16,600
- [Narrator] The Native
American word Wawona
652
00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:19,230
was meant to imitate the hoot of an owl,
653
00:37:19,230 --> 00:37:21,963
the guardian spirit of the big trees.
654
00:37:23,876 --> 00:37:26,660
(woman hooting)
655
00:37:26,660 --> 00:37:29,704
In a study of the effects
of fire on wildlife,
656
00:37:29,704 --> 00:37:34,200
US geological survey researcher
Susan Roberts and her team
657
00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:35,870
tread deep into the woods
658
00:37:35,870 --> 00:37:39,300
in search of the California spotted owl.
659
00:37:39,300 --> 00:37:42,983
To find them, she's mastered
their territorial calls.
660
00:37:44,570 --> 00:37:47,042
- And it goes a little bit like this.
661
00:37:47,042 --> 00:37:49,709
(Susan hooting)
662
00:37:51,330 --> 00:37:54,160
And that's more along the tone of a male.
663
00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:56,200
And that's the call that they use
664
00:37:56,200 --> 00:37:58,720
to say this is our territory.
665
00:37:58,720 --> 00:38:03,410
And they'll have contact
calls between the two pairs,
666
00:38:03,410 --> 00:38:05,640
and one of them is what's
going on behind me,
667
00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:07,876
what we call a contact whistle.
668
00:38:07,876 --> 00:38:10,230
(owl whistling)
669
00:38:10,230 --> 00:38:12,070
- [Narrator] This bird of prey has evolved
670
00:38:12,070 --> 00:38:14,710
into a killing machine, with night vision
671
00:38:14,710 --> 00:38:16,800
far superior to humans,
672
00:38:16,800 --> 00:38:19,650
and hearing much more acute.
673
00:38:19,650 --> 00:38:22,440
- They have what we call
asymmetric ear placement,
674
00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:26,750
so they have maybe one ear here,
and one ear a little lower,
675
00:38:26,750 --> 00:38:28,398
and the ability to turn their head,
676
00:38:28,398 --> 00:38:32,380
they can't turn it 360 degrees
like a lot of people think,
677
00:38:32,380 --> 00:38:34,999
but they can turn it and look behind them.
678
00:38:34,999 --> 00:38:37,550
They can focus in on a sound,
679
00:38:37,550 --> 00:38:40,130
and almost don't even need
to see to be able to pinpoint
680
00:38:40,130 --> 00:38:41,170
where that mouse is,
681
00:38:41,170 --> 00:38:43,470
or where the flying
squirrel is on the ground.
682
00:38:44,920 --> 00:38:46,510
- [Narrator] Curved talons are designed
683
00:38:46,510 --> 00:38:48,123
to grasp hold of prey.
684
00:38:49,980 --> 00:38:53,330
Layers of filaments and
feathers filter out the wind,
685
00:38:53,330 --> 00:38:55,643
making it a silent flyer.
686
00:38:58,781 --> 00:39:00,583
A male and female mate for life.
687
00:39:01,610 --> 00:39:03,501
This sensitive species won't nest
688
00:39:03,501 --> 00:39:07,220
unless conditions are optimal.
689
00:39:07,220 --> 00:39:09,840
The spotted owl isn't
listed as endangered,
690
00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:12,650
but its reproductive rate is dwindling.
691
00:39:12,650 --> 00:39:15,190
According to Susan, national parks
692
00:39:15,190 --> 00:39:17,750
are critical to wildlife research.
693
00:39:17,750 --> 00:39:20,970
- We're just trying to
find a little pellet.
694
00:39:20,970 --> 00:39:24,710
We have forests the way they
were 500, 600 years ago.
695
00:39:24,710 --> 00:39:26,960
To have it to see what it
would look like as a visitor,
696
00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:29,863
and to have it for science
is just beyond precious.
697
00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:34,280
- [Narrator] The part of
the park called Wawona
698
00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:35,600
was once the halfway point
699
00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:38,630
between Yosemite Valley and the foothills.
700
00:39:38,630 --> 00:39:41,663
Today, it's the historical
center of the park.
701
00:39:43,210 --> 00:39:46,743
Cross a covered bridge,
and step back in time.
702
00:39:48,770 --> 00:39:51,473
A collection of old cabins
from various locations
703
00:39:51,473 --> 00:39:56,463
is set in a timeline from
the 1870s to the 1920s.
704
00:39:57,370 --> 00:40:01,323
There's an original ranger's
patrol cabin, and a jail.
705
00:40:02,990 --> 00:40:05,610
When roads were rugged,
a blacksmith's shop
706
00:40:05,610 --> 00:40:08,413
was more of a repair shop
for wagons and harnesses.
707
00:40:11,632 --> 00:40:12,465
- You get the award for the first
708
00:40:12,465 --> 00:40:14,543
triangle of the day I think, look at that.
709
00:40:15,710 --> 00:40:16,603
Wow!
710
00:40:19,530 --> 00:40:21,330
- [Narrator] At the Wells Fargo building,
711
00:40:21,330 --> 00:40:24,259
people once bought stagecoach
tickets to the park.
712
00:40:24,259 --> 00:40:27,009
(wagon rattling)
713
00:40:30,660 --> 00:40:35,660
The Wawona Hotel, one of
California's oldest resort hotels
714
00:40:35,670 --> 00:40:38,243
dates back to the 1870s.
715
00:40:39,330 --> 00:40:41,020
The main building and cottages
716
00:40:41,020 --> 00:40:43,663
have Victorian era detail and charm.
717
00:40:45,210 --> 00:40:48,103
Inside, the parlor is
furnished with period pieces.
718
00:40:52,379 --> 00:40:54,380
To harken back to simpler times,
719
00:40:54,380 --> 00:40:56,779
wide verandas are for dining,
720
00:40:56,779 --> 00:40:59,573
and lawn chairs are for relaxing.
721
00:41:01,030 --> 00:41:04,860
The golf course, considered
state of the art in 1917
722
00:41:04,860 --> 00:41:07,010
is still a challenge.
723
00:41:07,010 --> 00:41:08,821
While you're perfecting your swing,
724
00:41:08,821 --> 00:41:11,273
keep an eye out for coyotes.
725
00:41:15,179 --> 00:41:19,900
For an unexpected retreat
into old world elegance,
726
00:41:19,900 --> 00:41:22,490
outside the park's Wawona entrance,
727
00:41:22,490 --> 00:41:27,490
the Chateau du Sureau, means
castle by the elderberries.
728
00:41:27,690 --> 00:41:29,250
This five diamond member
729
00:41:29,250 --> 00:41:32,330
of the prestigious Relais
& Chateaux Organization
730
00:41:32,330 --> 00:41:34,203
is a dream destination.
731
00:41:37,340 --> 00:41:39,979
With only 12 rooms, a stay here
732
00:41:39,979 --> 00:41:43,693
is all about privacy and hospitality.
733
00:41:46,530 --> 00:41:49,110
- The great manor houses
of Europe in the old days,
734
00:41:49,110 --> 00:41:53,050
when the affluent invited
their friends over,
735
00:41:53,050 --> 00:41:54,950
it was all about, they knew
736
00:41:54,950 --> 00:41:56,660
they were gonna be taken care of.
737
00:41:56,660 --> 00:41:58,230
They had this beautiful bedroom,
738
00:41:58,230 --> 00:42:00,960
and there was a staff assigned to them,
739
00:42:00,960 --> 00:42:03,227
and they just were spoiled.
740
00:42:03,227 --> 00:42:06,033
It's a different kind of stay.
741
00:42:06,033 --> 00:42:09,360
(people chattering)
742
00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:11,633
- [Narrator] At Erna's
Elderberry House Restaurant,
743
00:42:11,633 --> 00:42:14,513
artful dishes are always evolving.
744
00:42:18,010 --> 00:42:21,810
- I believe food parallels
all other art forms,
745
00:42:21,810 --> 00:42:23,637
and when you dive into photography,
746
00:42:23,637 --> 00:42:27,440
or get into the waterfalls out here,
747
00:42:27,440 --> 00:42:29,750
it shows in the plate also.
748
00:42:29,750 --> 00:42:32,393
I think we have a pretty
beautiful product.
749
00:42:35,660 --> 00:42:37,294
- [Narrator] The dining
room with chandeliers
750
00:42:37,294 --> 00:42:42,294
and impeccable tablescapes is
yet another idyllic setting.
751
00:42:43,960 --> 00:42:47,453
- Beauty makes your soul feel good.
752
00:42:47,453 --> 00:42:50,967
It's important that we still
remember how it used to be,
753
00:42:50,967 --> 00:42:52,530
and that it does feel good.
754
00:42:56,393 --> 00:42:59,143
(dramatic music)
755
00:43:03,150 --> 00:43:04,693
- [Narrator] Yosemite's Merced River
756
00:43:04,693 --> 00:43:08,700
originates in the snowfields
of the High Sierra,
757
00:43:08,700 --> 00:43:11,643
then descends over 12,000 feet.
758
00:43:15,690 --> 00:43:18,820
Explorers who came upon
it after traveling through
759
00:43:18,820 --> 00:43:23,296
bone dry terrain called
it "the River of Mercy."
760
00:43:23,296 --> 00:43:26,046
(pleasant music)
761
00:43:29,550 --> 00:43:33,043
A float through the park makes
for effortless sightseeing.
762
00:43:39,176 --> 00:43:42,640
(people chattering)
763
00:43:42,640 --> 00:43:46,020
In the spring, outside the
park's western boundary,
764
00:43:46,020 --> 00:43:50,193
the Merced becomes mighty with
class three and four rapids.
765
00:43:51,680 --> 00:43:56,210
Frigid temperatures and swift currents
766
00:43:56,210 --> 00:43:58,523
make it one exhilarating ride.
767
00:43:59,729 --> 00:44:02,562
(people cheering)
768
00:44:06,580 --> 00:44:10,023
One of the most scenic stretches
of wild river in the world,
769
00:44:11,800 --> 00:44:16,496
the Merced mirrors the lush
and serene Yosemite Valley.
770
00:44:16,496 --> 00:44:18,940
(birds chirping)
771
00:44:18,940 --> 00:44:21,610
Once upon a time, there
was a sister valley
772
00:44:21,610 --> 00:44:23,470
called Hetch Hetchy,
773
00:44:23,470 --> 00:44:26,413
a Native American word for meadow grass.
774
00:44:27,680 --> 00:44:32,475
This treasure now lies under
a reservoir eight miles long,
775
00:44:32,475 --> 00:44:35,363
the park's biggest body of water.
776
00:44:36,940 --> 00:44:39,130
- So we're standing here
looking at a reservoir,
777
00:44:39,130 --> 00:44:41,900
which you have to remember
would never be built today.
778
00:44:41,900 --> 00:44:43,990
I mean, this is something
that 100 years ago,
779
00:44:43,990 --> 00:44:47,590
people had a real different
notion of national parks.
780
00:44:47,590 --> 00:44:50,463
- [Narrator] Even then,
the dam was controversial.
781
00:44:51,540 --> 00:44:53,963
The saga began in 1906.
782
00:44:56,669 --> 00:44:59,910
In the aftermath of a great quake,
783
00:44:59,910 --> 00:45:02,803
San Francisco burned to the ground.
784
00:45:06,070 --> 00:45:08,930
- And so when some of the
architects and engineers
785
00:45:08,930 --> 00:45:11,980
from the city of San Francisco
came here to Yosemite,
786
00:45:11,980 --> 00:45:14,550
they saw the mouth of the Tuolumne River
787
00:45:14,550 --> 00:45:16,672
in the Hetch Hetchy Valley,
and they had the idea
788
00:45:16,672 --> 00:45:18,263
to build a dam.
789
00:45:19,460 --> 00:45:21,500
- [Narrator] The proposed
dam set the stage
790
00:45:21,500 --> 00:45:24,060
for John Muir's most bitter battle,
791
00:45:24,060 --> 00:45:25,533
and a national debate.
792
00:45:27,990 --> 00:45:30,230
- He thought that this was a cathedral,
793
00:45:30,230 --> 00:45:32,249
and to build a dam and fill up this water
794
00:45:32,249 --> 00:45:35,210
was basically like taking a cathedral
795
00:45:35,210 --> 00:45:36,097
and filling it with water,
796
00:45:36,097 --> 00:45:39,463
and it was desecration
in its highest form.
797
00:45:40,830 --> 00:45:42,360
- [Narrator] In the end, progress
798
00:45:42,360 --> 00:45:44,903
and sympathy for San Francisco won out.
799
00:45:45,750 --> 00:45:49,803
Building the O'Shaughnessy
Dam was a feat of logistics.
800
00:45:51,200 --> 00:45:54,433
Hetch Hetchy was an extremely remote area.
801
00:45:56,170 --> 00:46:00,283
A railroad hauled men and
materials up mountainous terrain.
802
00:46:03,050 --> 00:46:07,320
They constructed walls 430 feet high,
803
00:46:07,320 --> 00:46:09,940
and 298 feet thick.
804
00:46:13,710 --> 00:46:18,010
Today, the dam supplies
electricity and water
805
00:46:18,010 --> 00:46:21,900
to 2.4 million Bay Area users.
806
00:46:21,900 --> 00:46:24,530
- Residents of San Francisco
enjoy some of the cleanest,
807
00:46:24,530 --> 00:46:26,773
purest water there is.
808
00:46:28,770 --> 00:46:30,080
- [Narrator] With no pumps,
809
00:46:30,080 --> 00:46:32,703
the system relies entirely on gravity.
810
00:46:36,110 --> 00:46:39,610
John Muir never lived to see any of it,
811
00:46:39,610 --> 00:46:41,328
but people claim they see his face
812
00:46:41,328 --> 00:46:43,973
in the reservoir's north wall.
813
00:46:48,070 --> 00:46:51,343
Hetch Hetchy may be a 21st century marvel.
814
00:46:52,560 --> 00:46:54,520
Deconstruction of the dam,
815
00:46:54,520 --> 00:46:57,623
and restoration of the
valley is being studied.
816
00:46:58,810 --> 00:47:00,374
- The O'Shaughnessy
Dam was done by humans,
817
00:47:00,374 --> 00:47:02,803
and it can be undone by humans,
818
00:47:03,970 --> 00:47:06,930
and our plan for restoring
the Hetch Hetchy Valley,
819
00:47:06,930 --> 00:47:10,960
it can take about five years
to deconstruct the dam,
820
00:47:10,960 --> 00:47:14,260
and the scientists tell
us the Hetch Hetchy Valley
821
00:47:14,260 --> 00:47:16,693
will restore itself on its own.
822
00:47:20,150 --> 00:47:21,570
- [Narrator] For John Muir,
823
00:47:21,570 --> 00:47:23,853
going to the mountains was going home.
824
00:47:26,971 --> 00:47:30,020
To represent the state of
California on the US quarter,
825
00:47:30,020 --> 00:47:32,530
Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger chose images
826
00:47:32,530 --> 00:47:35,563
of Muir, the condor, and Half Dome.
827
00:47:39,500 --> 00:47:41,873
Amid the grandeur of the Sierra Nevada,
828
00:47:43,451 --> 00:47:46,672
the 211 mile John Muir Trail
829
00:47:46,672 --> 00:47:50,650
winds through park lands
to wilderness lands.
830
00:47:50,650 --> 00:47:55,197
It's here Muir co-founded the
Sierra Club to, in his words,
831
00:47:55,197 --> 00:47:57,287
"Do something for the wilderness,
832
00:47:57,287 --> 00:47:59,397
"and make the mountains glad."
833
00:48:05,330 --> 00:48:08,683
From Glacier Point, it
is a glorious sight.
834
00:48:10,750 --> 00:48:15,650
Yosemite today is a haven for
black bears and big trees,
835
00:48:15,650 --> 00:48:20,117
rock jocks, scientists, and
visitors, and way beyond.
836
00:48:21,232 --> 00:48:24,300
It's the birthplace of
a conservation movement
837
00:48:24,300 --> 00:48:26,091
heard round the world.
838
00:48:26,091 --> 00:48:28,924
(dramatic music)
62681
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