How long to do Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon?

[kailuagirl]

We are planning to do a week in Disneyland in the fall and would love to include some national parks. Last year we did disney and grand canyon and it was fabulous. Trying to figure out how long we need at each park. It's me, dh and dd9. Thanks!

 

[bcla]

We are planning to do a week in Disneyland in the fall and would love to include some national parks. Last year we did disney and grand canyon and it was fabulous. Trying to figure out how long we need at each park. It's me, dh and dd9. Thanks!

OK. Some of the conversation in the previous thread (where you posted) was about Tioga Road, so it doesn't sound as if that's going to be an issue with your plans.

It really depends on how much time you really want to spend and what you want to see. The last time I did Yosemite and SEKI I spent five nights in Yosemite and four nights in SEKI. Most of it was camping and backpacking, although one night was in a cabin. I did most of my hiking in Yosemite, although I did have a longish hike at Redwood Mountain Grove at Kinds Canyon NP. I think it's the single best giant sequoia experience anywhere, but it will require a decent amount of hiking compared to just walking a short distance from a parking lot near other sequoia groves.

Yosemite can be seen in one afternoon or over a week. I'd recommend at least the Valley Floor tram tour.

Also - an exact time of year might be helpful to know. Glacier Point is a great place to see Yosemite Valley from a higher vantage, but the road may close sometime in November due to snow.

 

[kailuagirl]

Thanks!! We are planning end of Sept/early October

 

[bcla]

Thanks!! We are planning end of Sept/early October

OK then. Not likely that Glacier Point Road or even Tioga Road closes during that time. Those are really nice parts of Yosemite, but they're not as heavily visited. A few years ago there was so little snow that Tioga Road was reopened around Christmas/New Years, and people went skating on Tenaya Lake. They only closed it because they didn't have the seasonal law enforcement they needed for the number of visitors.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tiogaopen.htm

Around that time it will start getting a bit colder. I wouldn't expect the waterfalls to be that great, although a little rain might get them started again. Spring is really the best time for the waterfalls since the rivers are fed by melting snow. The rock is still spectacular any time of the year.

 

[JimMIA]

They only closed it because they didn't have the seasonal law enforcement they needed for the number of visitors.

Sorry, couldn't resist. At EVER, that's what we call a "semantic closure." If you use the word "work" in a sentence, it must be closely preceded or followed by the word "seasonal" or the area gets closed. Because only seasonals do actual "work."

 

[bcla]

Sorry, couldn't resist. At EVER, that's what we call a "semantic closure." If you use the word "work" in a sentence, it must be closely preceded or followed by the word "seasonal" or the area gets closed. Because only seasonals do actual "work."

Have they closed a road due to snow? And has there been a time when one could ice skate on a lake there? I'm guessing not, but there's that expression "When Hell freezes over".

That was just the rationale they gave. I think they were worried that someone might split their head on the ice and they'd have to airlift them out in the middle of winter.

 

[bcla]

Sorry, couldn't resist. At EVER, that's what we call a "semantic closure." If you use the word "work" in a sentence, it must be closely preceded or followed by the word "seasonal" or the area gets closed. Because only seasonals do actual "work."

Have they closed a road due to snow? And has there been a time when one could ice skate on a lake there? I'm guessing not, but there's that expression "When Hell freezes over".

If it did freeze over, would it take care of the python problem?

 

[melk]

We are currently in CA and did two nights at Waksachi Lodge in Sequoia and then two nights in Yosemite valley. We could have used one more night in Yosemite as the crowds made it difficult to do everything we wanted. But that's our fault for going over the Fourth of July weekend.

 

[JimMIA]

If it did freeze over, would it take care of the python problem?

We had a very cold snap (for us) a few years ago and it did kill a lot of pythons. But there are so many that it didn't make much difference. Almost all of the smaller fauna (possums, racoons, marsh rabbits, etc) are gone and the whole system is unbalanced.

The real problem is that years ago -- when there was still time to reverse the trend -- NPS made a decision to study the pythons rather than eradicate them. Grant applications proved to be a lot easier than hunting them down.

 

[bcla]

We had a very cold snap (for us) a few years ago and it did kill a lot of pythons. But there are so many that it didn't make much difference. Almost all of the smaller fauna (possums, racoons, marsh rabbits, etc) are gone and the whole system is unbalanced.

The real problem is that years ago -- when there was still time to reverse the trend -- NPS made a decision to study the pythons rather than eradicate them. Grant applications proved to be a lot easier than hunting them down.

I thought that the state conducts a hunt every year with the cooperation of the National Park Service. Aren't there also a lot of boas and anacondas?

 

[JimMIA]

I thought that the state conducts a hunt every year with the cooperation of the National Park Service. Aren't there also a lot of boas and anacondas?

The state (FL Fish & Squish) conducts a hunt by permitted hunters on a very limited scale, but it's all outside Everglades NP. Many of the adventurers get nothing. The most successful group of hunters got 15 snakes in a month of hunting.

No hunting is allowed inside the park. There has been some talk of possibly starting inside the park, but it's ten years too late for Everglades NP. And it will take them ten more years to make a decision.

Last year, a total of 106 snakes were killed in the month-long hunt outside the park. That's a drop in the bucket when you consider that one female can have 50-60 young in one batch. The FWC's hearts are in the right place (they actually care), but the results just aren't there.

The situation gets even worse when you consider that NPS captures females, attaches radio chips, releases the female, tracks her and then rounds up a bunch of males (8-10, whatever).

Problem is, the female has already bred with those snakes and she stores their semen -- to use 3 months from now, 6 months from now, a year from now to fertilize her eggs. Sound like a sound plan to you?

 

[bcla]

The state (FL Fish & Squish) conducts a hunt by permitted hunters on a very limited scale, but it's all outside Everglades NP. Many of the adventurers get nothing. The most successful group of hunters got 15 snakes in a month of hunting.

No hunting is allowed inside the park. There has been some talk of possibly starting inside the park, but it's ten years too late for Everglades NP. And it will take them ten more years to make a decision.

Last year, a total of 106 snakes were killed in the month-long hunt outside the park. That's a drop in the bucket when you consider that one female can have 50-60 young in one batch. The FWC's hearts are in the right place (they actually care), but the results just aren't there.

The situation gets even worse when you consider that NPS captures females, attaches radio chips, releases the female, tracks her and then rounds up a bunch of males (8-10, whatever).

Problem is, the female has already bred with those snakes and she stores their semen -- to use 3 months from now, 6 months from now, a year from now to fertilize her eggs. Sound like a sound plan to you?

Yeah - I also realize that it's now illegal to move several python species across state lines without a scientific permit. However, there probably isn't a shortage of snakes for sale within many states.

I looked up the hunt stats, and it looked like they were allowing it in Big Cypress. I wasn't sure if Everglades NP was included, but suspected it wasn't. I'm not sure why they can't just off them as nonnative species anyways. It's not as if the National Park Service has never done that. Around here, the former superintendent (now at Yosemite) of Point Reyes National Seashore authorized and paid for professional hunters to shoot nonnative deer species that were released decades ago as hunt animals on private ranches. They escaped and formed breeding populations. They crowd out the native black-tailed (mule) deer and tule elk. The really crazy thing about the hunt was that the shooters were doing so at night from helicopters, using night vision equipment.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Easy-Target-There-s-a-plan-afoot-to-eradicate-2561601.php
https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn/management/planning_nonnativedeermanagementplan.htm

 

[JimMIA]

I'm not sure why they can't just off them as nonnative species anyways.

Oh, I'm sure they could. After all, they shoot feral pigs. They also kill non-native fish, snails, lizards, and plants. I'm telling you...it's a research grant money thing.

It's the same mindset that blocks the water flow to entire sectors of the ecosystem -- disrupting every plant and animal species over hundreds of square miles -- to protect one endangered bird. Can't see the forest for the trees!