Hetch Hetchy - September 22, 2008

I'd never been to Hetch Hetchy. According to all of the literature, the Hetch Hetchy Valley was supposed to rival Yosemite Valley at one time. I believe this was before the dam was constructed, the dam which helps supply the San Francisco area with a large portion of their water.

The day I chose to visit Hetch Hetchy turned out to be quite warm, hot even. It begin well enough. I left my campsite in Yosemite Valley (Upper Pines Campground) and took the hour or so drive over. To actually get to Hetch Hetchy from the Valley, you must navigate the one-way roads and congestion. In 2008, one of the major roads coming into the Valley was under construction so all traffic was diverted to the major road exiting the Valley; it was slow going indeed. Eventually I was able to make it to the road connecting the Valley to Crane Flat and, from there, out to CA-120. A road inside the Park which connects Hetch Hetchy with anything doesn't exist - you must exit the Park and drive along a 2-lane road, Evergreen Road, for about 8-10 miles to arrive at the gate leading to Hetch Hetchy. Evergreen Road isn't in the best repair and, even if it was, it is so windy you really can't drive faster than about 30 mph.

O'Shaugnessy Dam, Hetch Hetchy

Once inside the Hetch Hetchy part of Yosemite National Park, you are not yet done driving. You have another 1/2 hour or so to actually reach the day parking area next to the Dam. By the time I had traversed this great distance of about 25 miles total, an hour had passed.

It was darn hot at the Dam. On the trail too. I had chosen to hike to Wapama Falls, thinking there would actually be water at the Falls. Because the word "Falls" implies "Water". I was mistaken. By late September, all of the snow has melted off a long time ago and all the Falls in Hetch Hetchy, indeed throughout most of Yosemite National Park, were dry or near dry. However, I did not know that yet so I set off on my 5.4 mile hike to Wapama Falls.

Tunnel, O'Shaugnessy Dam, Hetch Hetchy

The hike starts by going through a tunnel next to the Dam. Pretty much any hike you want to take on the North side of the lake starts by going through the tunnel. The tunnel was dark, as tunnels are, but you can see the other end from where you enter. And the Park Service had thoughtfully provided some latterns so you could kind of see where you were going. The tunnel actually felt really nice, particularly at the end of the hike when I was overheated and sweaty.

There was little to no shade on the hike. And the sun was merciless. It took about 2 hours or so but I finally arrived at where I thought the Falls would be...if there were Falls. Obviously, since there were no Falls, I am not 100% sure but you could see the water marks on the granite so I have a feeling I was in the right place. My wrist GPS unit agreed, as did a Park Ranger going the opposite way on the trail. I was going uphill at the time I made this identification, and my body finally said "No More". I found a rock and sat down right there to eat lunch. And then I started back.

The trail itself was well-marked and well-traveled. There are some interesting parts, like the stretch where many stones are joined together to create pavement and stairs. Of course, that part is right out there in the sun so you get a lot of heat reflecting off the rock. I stopped many more times on the way back to the parking area than I did on the way out to the Falls or where the Falls would be if there were Falls. I also ended up drinking most of my water which is almost unheard of for me - I tend to take much more than I ever end up drinking. This tells me it was very warm indeed.

I must say, though, that Hetch Hetchy is quite lovely. I took many pictures but there all ended up looking about the same. Here is the one I liked best.

Hetchy Hetcy Resevoir

Home | My Cats | My Travels | My Family | Contact Me