I applied for
and was awarded one of the Yosemite Volunteer in the Park
(VIP) projects for the weekend of June 13-15 this year. The
project itself is for the morning and early afternoon of
Saturday the 14th.
Volunteers receive a free pass to Yosemite Park good for Friday,
June 13 through Sunday, June 15.
Volunteers also get to camp for free in a campground in Yosemite
Valley beginning at noon Friday June 13 to noon Sunday June 15.
Other intangible benefits include:
* - Spending the weekend meeting other geocachers,
* - Summer camping in Yosemite Valley at the VIP campground,
and
* - The personal satisfaction that you have contributed to Yosemite
Park.
Getting there
From the north come into the Park by way of Highway 120.
Take Highway 120 to Yosemite Valley. At the junction with Highway
140 turn left and proceed into the Valley.
From the west and south come into the Park by way of
Highway 140. At the junction with Highway 120, continue easy on
Highway 140. Note that 140 is subject to traffic delays due to
landslide rework activities.
From the east follow Highway 120 from Lee Vining, passing
by Tuolumne Meadows and then Tenaya Lake to Crane Flat. At Crane
Flat turn left and head down into the Valley. You should fill up
your gas tank at Lee Vining.
The Gate Pass To be uploaded later.
I will upload an image of the Gate Pass. It will be specific for
the weekend of our project. Open the image and print out the pass.
You will need to show the pass at the Park entrance both when you
arrive AND when you leave so make sure to keep it in a secure place
(like your wallet) after you show it the first time. Or you will
need to pay the Park Entrance Fee.
The VIP Project.
All volunteers are expected to participate.
The Park Ranger will arrive at 9 am Saturday at the campsite at
which time he/she will review the details of the project with us,
review safety considerations, and have each of us complete
mandatory paperwork (Agreement for Sponsored Voluntary Services,
Parental Approval (where applicable), and List of
Participants.)
The project is scheduled to last until 3 pm with a one-hour
break for lunch. However, for what it is worth, it has been my
experience in the other projects that I have participated in that
the work was complete before 1 pm.
Resource management restoration projects may include, but may not
be limited to, planting, non-native plant removal, soil
decomposition, and maintenance of restoration sites.
EDIT 2/29/08: I spoke with the project coordinator again
today and clarified 2 points:
1) Camping is definitely limited to 25 at our campsite as
the Yosemite Association will also be having an outing and staying
at the Yellow Pines campgrounds the same weekend. Only those who
have already posted "Will Attend" prior to today (Leap Year) may
plan to camp at the Yellow Pines campsite.
2) The CITO We can however have more than 25 volunteers
participate in the project. If you are not among those who posted
Will Attend prior to today, you can still participate in the
restoration project, but you will have to make your own
camping/lodging arrangements. Please Post a "Will Attend" note
including the number of volunteers in your group (and plan to meet
us in the campground by 9 am.) I will need to share that
information of the extra volunteers with the park's staff so that
they can add additional staff for the project if necessary.
More to follow. Tasks are very much subject to change according
to the discretion of the Park staff! 
Geocaching in the Park
Other related events: I would be happy to assist with any other
add-on events (i.e. S'Mores and Snores on Saturday Night and
perhaps a Father's Day Brunch on Sunday at the Ahwahnee Hotel) if
there is interest.
Virtuals: there are a number of virtuals in the Park. For nice
Valley hikes, I would recommend "Sierra Point" and "Fort
Monroe".
Yosemite Valley Map
CAMPING We will now be camping in Yellow Pines
Campground, camp site B in Yosemite Valley for the weekend.
(Red + in map above.)
As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any
questions. Phone number available upon request.
I look forward to seeing you there!
Enjoy! And happy caching!
50sumtin