Yosemite Day 3

By Kyndal Goen

Kbg45@txstate.edu

Total Steps Taken: 15,234

Fact of the day: California ground squirrels are a very common sight among park visitors, however, most of them do not know that these native squirrels actually carry the Black Plague! These squirrels also have a very unique way of fending off rattlesnakes. The squirrel pushes all of its blood into its tail and whips it around quickly back and forth. This confuses the snake’s thermodynamic sensors in its nose, mistaking the furry creature for another rattlesnake. Thus leaving the common ground squirrel essentially rattlesnake resistant.

Majestic Tour

Wednesday marked the half-way point of the trip and for most of the group, that meant stepping things into high gear. The day held promise for Jake and I, and we each began our morning with successful interviews and a full itinerary waiting for us. First up on the list was a Majestic Yosemite Hotel tour, which started at two. Seeing as there was so much time before the tour, we took it upon ourselves to capture some b-roll of the interior and exterior of the hotel.

Majestic Yosemite Hotel
Photo by Kyndal Goen

When two o’clock rolls by, we gather in the hotel’s spacious green back lawn to begin the tour. We are greeted by our guide Corey, who tells us a little bit about his background and some history of the hotel as well. Peering up at the ten-story building in the middle of a national park sparked a bit of confusion and a tad bit of frustration. Why would anyone want to lodge in such luxury when in a place that urged people to reconnect with nature? Our guide seemed to have sensed the crowd’s apprehension of the idea of this hotel, and came to the establishment’s defense. Corey explained that in order to fund the park, it needed to attract the attention of some very influential people; thus the Majestic Yosemite Hotel was built. The idea worked, and with the donations of various wealthy parties, Yosemite, among many other national parks, began to see an uproar of funding and park attendance.

Naturalist Stroll

Wildflowers among Pinecones
Photo by Kyndal Goen

Second up on the day’s activities was the naturalist stroll through the back woods near the Majestic Hotel. Our guide, Marty, took us walking down the trail, stopping to identify trees, flowers and animals. We encountered a couple of ground squirrels and were even lucky enough to spot a coyote taking a nap in the tall grass. Marty led the group through the meadow and over to a small grouping of young sequoia trees. It was amazing being able to touch the bark and get a closer look at the branches. He then rounds us to a bridge overlooking the roaring river. Marty describes how there was debate between whether the valley was formed by river or glacier, and showed us sketches of what Yosemite likely looked like millions of years ago and how in fact, glaciers did form the ridges of the towering granite. As we gaze around the tall walls around us, our guide reminds us that our surroundings are changing rapidly and we have a responsibility to preserve and protect these shared lands so that future generations may enjoy our national parks for years to come.