Wawona Tunnel Thread

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mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Topic Author's Reply - Feb 9, 2013 - 12:23pm PT
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Topic Author's Reply - Feb 9, 2013 - 12:45pm PT
Some old shots of the Chinquapin gas station, located on the left side of the GP road back in the day. There is now a "rest station" on the other side of the GP Road. The ranger station is just across the highway, pictured.

VVV Those are not mine, W. I copied 'em out of the Library of Congress catalog file.
nita

Social climber
chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.
Feb 9, 2013 - 01:07pm PT
Mouse, This is one of the postcards i owned for eons..kman won it in a S.T. contest. I think he has it at his home in Yosemite West.

edit...Mentioned before..There used to be a fallout shelter in the tunnel. It had green three foot tall barrels - labeled: Survival supplies furnished by, the Office of Civil defensed-Department of Defense. Water supplies & food rations. ...and lots of cobwebs...



Wally, Without a doubt.. Chinquapin was one of the coolest housing units provided by Curry..
Fletcher

Trad climber
The great state of advaita
Feb 9, 2013 - 01:10pm PT
Thanks for the map in the original post. I've rambled up the Pohono Trail a few time over the years and that old Wawona Road has always fascinated me. You see remnants from the trail and both sides of the new road as you drive it.

Maybe it's just me, but the trees at Chinquapin seem a lot bigger now! Looks more open than I recall.

Eric

Edit: Nice shots, Fet!
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Topic Author's Reply - Feb 9, 2013 - 01:42pm PT
Just reflecting on how things change.

We oldsters remember things which are no longer around:
Mtn. Shop in Yosemite Village--now in Curry
Coffee Shops which are now restaurants
Waitresses with some style and are worth tipping
Bars which have morphed over the years
Gas stations no longer extant--Camp 4 and Chinquapin
Roads impassable due to rockfall--Coulterville Rd. to Foresta
Whole cliffs which are no longer all that safe to climb on--Apron
Bears who no longer have garbage to frolic in
Rangers who dislike carrying
A lounge with a fireplace--is it asking too much?

The Valley is now the Ditch.
And a chick is now just a...

pyro

Big Wall climber
Calabasas
Feb 9, 2013 - 02:52pm PT
mouse do u have any history/info of the Curry Ice skating rink?
the Fet

climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
Feb 9, 2013 - 02:52pm PT
A lounge with a fireplace--is it asking too much?

I did a tour of the Awahnee maybe 4 years ago. The guide said the first floor is public space. It is a dedicated national landmark or something like that.

Ever since then when we want to kick it at in the evening we head there.

During WWII it was a hospital/recuperation place for soldiers. Probably lots of other cool facts that I'm forgetting.
nita

Social climber
chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.
Feb 9, 2013 - 07:02pm PT
It's been said before...The Lodge Lounge was an end of an era....sigh....
It was the place to hang out, meet people, dry your clothes, stay warm, make plans, work out, read, eat, make swear words with the carpet squares, and people watch.....

Tunnel vision....to take this great place away...
Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
Feb 10, 2013 - 08:38am PT
Hey ß Î Ø T Ç H, nice photo. I remember those days....

Nita, you're making me cry. That fireplace was such a refuge in the winter, now just a sad memory...

What's your top speed through the tunnel ??

Yeah, something like 100 mph. We used to go there in the middle of the night. Stand on the sidewalk while your buddies drive by at 100 mph with the horn blowing the entire time. Awesome doppler effects.
BBA

climber
OF
Feb 10, 2013 - 11:35pm PT
Pyro asked about ice skating at Camp Curry. They put a barrier of logs around the parking lot then added water. It froze. Viola! Here's a picture of my grandfather and aunt ready to skate. My grandfather could cut figures in the ice having learnt how to skate on the canals of Holland when he was young.


There is more to winter activities back in the day. How about a sleigh ride?


That was easy. But wait, there's more! A tobaggan run at Camp Curry!


And how about a dogsled ride?


You can do all of these and even go cross country skiing.


The preceding group of photos resulted from a case of atheism run wild. My grandfather worked for the Yosemite Park and Curry Company as a jack of all trades and carpenter/wood worker extraordinary. The people in charge of the Bracebridge dinner wanted extra fancy props, but he refused to work on them on the grounds that it was a religious presentation and he didn't have to do such work because it was a national park and the separation of church and state applied. Nonetheless the company kept after him, so he relented and agreed if his family and their guests could attend gratis. This condition was accepted and so the folks in the photos made their way to Yosemite. It was such a big deal my Mom, who made about 33 cents an hour at Mongomery Wards, saved the menu.


drljefe

climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
Feb 11, 2013 - 12:28am PT
This is a great thread!
Loving all the history.

I tell ya, when I hit that Tunnel it is only after 12 hours of deserts, psycho truckers, central valley olfactory harassment, miles of winding coniferous video game turns, and all things related to a long single push road trip.
It doesn't matter how weary I am, the sight of the Tunnel and the instant blast of adrenalin and anticipation is f*#king unreal.
Then BAM.
Warp speed. Engage.
I'm in Yosemite.
SmokingChimp

climber
SoCal
Feb 11, 2013 - 01:08am PT
Yosemite Dispatches: Part 1
Pack the climbing gear and hit the road. A stop in Mariposa Grove then on to "the valley".
That beautiful tunnel is at about the 7 minute mark....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAKBsCOgg_c&list=UU59ZpheM5q4N6QRdzekR0MA&index=11
Ihateplastic

Trad climber
It ain't El Cap, Oregon
Feb 11, 2013 - 01:17am PT
make swear words with the carpet squares

Now that is something I remember all too well!

Too many cold winter days spent drying out in there and mantling the fireplace hood and chess with Bachar. It was a wonderful room!
Fletcher

Trad climber
The great state of advaita
Feb 11, 2013 - 02:16am PT
BBA: great old photos/images with a personal story to boot. Can't beat that! Thanks for sharing!

drljefe: We are cut of the same cloth! Well said.

Eric
pud

climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
Feb 11, 2013 - 11:26am PT
Thanks Fet !!

That's the place. Hard to believe those climbers are 1000ft off the deck.
Last time I was there I was with a girlfriend. Now married, I have kids old enough to follow if not lead a couple of those routes! Crazy!
nita

Social climber
chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.
Feb 11, 2013 - 12:06pm PT

BBA, Incredible pictures and back story....
Thanks so much for posting up .... Loved it!!



ps.. That menu is the bomb....any more pictures?


BBA

climber
OF
Feb 11, 2013 - 02:03pm PT
To Mouse, I apologize for the thread drift.

For Nita - Here are the other items my Mom had from the 12/31/1930 Bracebridge dinner.

First, the Proclamation:



The next picture is not politically correct, but it reflects the times.



The next pictures are of a setting which includes fancy woodwork done by Wm Kat.



Lastly, a rather large piece with my grandfather next to it.


I wrote a rather large book about my grandfather. One volume is of the Yosemite years at this link

https://sites.google.com/site/katbiography/volume-iv


throwpie

Trad climber
Berkeley
Feb 11, 2013 - 02:10pm PT
I've been holding my breath through the tunnel all my life...still do. My dad would slow down till we turned blue.
nita

Social climber
chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.
Feb 11, 2013 - 11:22pm PT
BBA, Wow!!...Those pictures are classic .. Was your grandfather's wooden sculpture - at the head table?

ps, I'm sure Mouse does not mind you putting up more pictures..(-;...

Pss, Thanks for the link, i will check it out later.

ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber
bouldering
Feb 11, 2013 - 11:36pm PT
In the early 80s a crew was doing some repairs or something in there. I was impressed that they had a break area in one of the turn-outs complete with VCR/ TV playing some cheezey movie no doubt. Fairly high tech for the time.
Messages 21 - 40 of total 44 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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