specialed Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 Ok all you Yosemite veterans, in anticipation of my maiden voyage to the valley this fall I think it would be useful to collect suggestions, beta for getting by in the valley dirtbag style. I've heard of various scams like poaching used food from tourists, sneeking into the cafeteria, etc. Any other wiley ideas for how to live like a king and party like a rockstar on a "leisure class" budget? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 ed, i have spent some time there, and rule #1 avoid the tool. things like poaching, theft and begging only make the issue worse. these are the things that the park anger feeds on. sure they happen and are of yosemite lore....but remember yosemite is a police state. so becareful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yossarian Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 Don't waste your time scamming food. If you cook your meals you will save enough money if you buy all your food outside the valley. I've heard you can avoid paying for showers by using a nut tool to open the door, however, every time I have been there in the Spring the showers were free. You can vegabond camp if you wish all other the place, but I usually like to just pay the $5 a night and not worry about it. Don't drive around too much as gas is expensive. Enter the park at night to avoid paying the fee. Bringing a couple of ounces to Sunnyside will also recover some of your costs. When are you heading South? I will be there in September. Always looking for someone to climb with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt.Caveman Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 I never paid for showers at all. THere is a place I went to just before Curry Village on the left side. I think it was for the housekeeping workers or something. Anyway it will be on your map. Go there there is a little store and to the left of it is a laundromat and behind it I showered and nobody said anything. As far as camping James and I just brought some brewskies and a good attitude and camped on the outskirts of peoples' campsites. Just make sure to be up and gone by 7 am ish before the Rangers do their walk through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willstrickland Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 El Cap meadows gets frequent walk throughs by headlamped rangers, avoid bivying there. Likewise, avoid the area behind camp4 (although I did sleep there several times, I awoke to bears within three feet of my bag a few times and saw alot of rangers). Also avoid trying to sleep in the line-up for camp4 permits...got roused at 3:45am twice for that one. Manure pile is actually a pretty good place to hang, you can use the bearboxes and bivy up on the formation itself, only drawback is that the shuttle doesn't run that far down valley, upside is you're right next to El cap and the Cathedrals. You could probably bivy right next to the river in many places without any probs. Lots of people just crash in the corner of some touron's site in one of the uppity campgrounds (ask first, most will be happy to have you since you're a "crazy climber type". I've gotten alot of free beer, food, and camping this way and you get to talk with people about something other than climbing). DO NOT try to shoplift anywhere, especially the village store. I saw two parties' wall attempts end when the pre-wall shopping trip led to a team member getting busted for stealing some dumb shit in the store and going to jail. Smoke down some workers from the deli (Degnan's) sandwich counter, the ice cream shop, the bar, etc and you'll have a season-long hook up. I got essentially buy one get one free sandwiches "oops, I made the wrong order...hey man wanna extra sandwich?". Save your cup from a fountain drink and smuggle a mug from the caf, viola...free drinks and coffee for the season. Bear boxes at Manure pile are usually empty. Showers at Housekeeping Camp are easy to get free, just don't pick up their provided towel at the counter and walk on into the bathroom. I always carry my shower gear in a daypack to avoid any suspicion, just look like another touron going to the loo. After two weeks you'll have it all figured out, beta is free flowing around camp4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haireball Posted July 20, 2001 Share Posted July 20, 2001 if you're camping in a van, try exploring outside the valley proper for deserted roads that are rarely patrolled. some of my fondest camping memories of Yosemite are those of car-camping undisturbed in the wide-open privacy of the NW area of the park, baking bread in a cast-iron dutch oven over a tiny manzanita fire... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialed Posted July 21, 2001 Author Share Posted July 21, 2001 YEAH good beta. I'll be "camping" in my van so one less thing to worry about. As far as buying food outside the valley, can you store lots of it? I've heard to bring a padlock for bear boxes, but wouldn't space be limited if everyone's using them? Yossarian, I'll be there in September looking for partners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik Posted July 21, 2001 Share Posted July 21, 2001 ed, tons of bear boxes, the ones in the orchard parking lot iof curry is a good place, i still have one done there. got a report on it the other day. van camping is no no unless you are in the pines car camping area and that is like $20 or something  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimL Posted July 21, 2001 Share Posted July 21, 2001 Ed, Just throw your bag out in the grass in El Cap meadow later in the evening or behind a boulder or in the woods at Camp 4. If you go to camp 4 and don't pay, just pick up your bag 1st thing in the mourning before the rangers come around. We just kept our bags and sleeping pads in our bear box at C4 and threw them out on the ground after cooking dinner. Granted we did pay for a spot for a week then "forgot" to pay for the space for the next 2. We were able to get free showers by showing up at Laundry Camp late around 9 or so. Nobody was checking the entrance to we just grabbed a towel and walked in. Also, there is always the Devil's Bathtub.. ha..ha. Avoid going to the bar and pizza joint anytime other than when you've gotten off a big climb. That place will suck you dry before you know it. Enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt.Caveman Posted July 21, 2001 Share Posted July 21, 2001 I noticed the bear boxes below manure pile were not being used when I was there too. Good spot we used to brew up coffee with picnic tables in the mornin'. I would avoid the car camping if you are on extended stay. Just do what I did in Camp4 and you will also meet many people as well. Perhaps someone to ropegun you up some harder stuff or that has the green, or even some just really cool people. Although I thought it was very very loud there too...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambone Posted July 23, 2001 Share Posted July 23, 2001 Last time I was down we bivied under the walls after fixing ropes. I hear its illegal, but I've never seen Rangers up there. Maybe we were just lucky. If the rangers start to recognize you in C4, just go climb a wall, they'll forget after a few days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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