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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jun 23, 2016 - 05:18pm PT
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Slabs
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fosburg
climber
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Jun 23, 2016 - 06:10pm PT
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This was a cherished gas station? Are you allowed to still hang out thereabouts and talk sh#t or did they make that illegal?
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aspendougy
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Jun 23, 2016 - 07:46pm PT
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That ice locker is incredibly uninviting!! Very sad indeed.
It does help to have a historical perspective. I remember going up the Tioga Road before the new one was built. I was around six years old. It was a real adventure, especially down to Lee Vining, it scared my Mom to death.
Then a couple of years later, the new road opened. I recall it was around 1958. Just prior to that, both Ansel Adams and Dsvid Brower had strongly protested the desecration involved in dynamiting the granite slabs near Olmstead Point, as part of the construction of the new road. You can read Ansel Adams letter in Trexler's (sp?) book on the history of the Tioga Road. It is very strongly worded.
The new road opened up the area to many more visitors, and made possible the subsequent flowering of the climbing scene in Tuolumne. Yet for the previous generation, it was somewhat of a desecration. I always felt the road was a reasonable compromise. Strait, functional, but not a four lane beast. I wouldn't be surprised if both Ansel Adams and David Brower saw the work near Olmstead Point and said, "Not nearly as bad as I imagined."
But going up the old road as a little kid was exciting.
One question I have? Pratt and ?? (Wally Reed) did the regular route on Fairview in the Summer of 1958, and I was wondering if that was indeed the first summer that the road was opened?
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
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Jun 23, 2016 - 07:52pm PT
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(OP photo) Can I get some block ice outta that thing?
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jun 23, 2016 - 09:20pm PT
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It is ironic.
First, YMS guides had run of the TM Visitor Center, which was and is a somewhat decent building with a little charm of its own, IIRC.
Wasn't it faced or built up with river stone to mid-height or some such?
Then they crammed us into the ribcage of the gas station, and we quibbled, but made do. Lovingly, we called our makeshift lair in the back The Rat Room.
Now we pine away for the demise of that indignity because we've been stuffed into a decommissioned icebox.
And yes, slabs.
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Curt
climber
Gold Canyon, AZ
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Jun 23, 2016 - 09:27pm PT
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This IS sooooooooo stoooopid .......
Since you say everything is stoopid, I guess it was just a matter of time until I agreed with you on something.
Curt
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
Shetville , North of Los Angeles
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Jun 23, 2016 - 10:20pm PT
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You've got to be joking...? Seriously...?
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
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Jun 23, 2016 - 11:13pm PT
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I happened to drive one of the Litell (SP) sisters from Mammoth to the valley in 1990.
She had us stop at the Tuolumne gas station.
I prettymuch jaw dropped to see Shultz and Croft recovering from their Nose speed record (the day before) in a van next to the bathroom.
Croft was scolding Mary cuz she had already washed the chalk off her hands of whatever she had climbed earlier.
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nita
Social climber
chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.
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Jun 24, 2016 - 12:01am PT
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*
This thread is lamenting the end of a gas station.
No...IMO, it's lamenting an end of an era..Great times and youthful memories...
The gas station was also a mountain shop, store, Mountaineering school, gathering place, a kitchen, picnic area hang-out, party place, gym, winter food stash, and Home to a lot of handsome dudes and dudetts.
The Tuolumne Lodge housing is a whole other story.....My tent was steps from the JMT and i fell asleep each night listening to the Tuolumne river. Columbine flowers, wild onions, tiger lilies, penstemon flowers grew behind the employee tents... and the swim hole, The finger, was just out my door down the trail a tiny bit to the right......sigh..
When they move the Lodge employing housing...The tents will be looking at the parking lot, and they will probably cram all the tents smack dab next to each other..yep, and end of an era...
BTW the tents are not permanent structures..They are only up for about 3 months.
My tent after a heavy winter...
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Jun 24, 2016 - 12:45am PT
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Why don't they move the YMS back to the TM Visitor Center? Might have some blocks of chalk and shoes for sale there too? But housing YMS in a derelict ice machine!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jun 24, 2016 - 05:50am PT
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Why don't they move the YMS back to the TM Visitor Center? Might have some blocks of chalk and shoes for sale there too? Some of us remember when you could find blocks of chalk brimming a wood staved barrel inside the TM Visitor Center/old YMS location. I know you do, Bruce.
Thanks for that Nita!
xoxo
Yes, Jim Brennan. The guides should be treated better, in general.
The downsizing of the TM aspect of YMS has been going on for some time.
The guides have never been treated with much respect. It's the American way, sadly. (My best and most appreciative guided client, by far, was a European). We have a thriving indoor gym industry, and at the same time one of the best and most historical of guiding opportunities in the country has been downsized to a pillbox.
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
Shetville , North of Los Angeles
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Jun 24, 2016 - 06:57am PT
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Jim Brennan....Seriously as in how insulting to squeeze the guiding school into a ice machine...
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Escopeta
Trad climber
Idaho
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Jun 24, 2016 - 07:13am PT
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Interesting to see the comments here. Lots of true colors to be shown.
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Jun 24, 2016 - 07:44am PT
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I voted on the TRP, but almost by accident. Went into the new Visitor Center, partly because it IS such a cool old building -- I think the stonework is real, Tarbuster, a classic CCC-era structure like Ostrander. Inside there was notice of the Plan process. This was a few years ago, but not many. It was disturbing, so I wrote 'em to keep it like it is. I mean was.
There was no threat of invasion of rampant civilization like Squamish, but it was nice to park off the roadway if you were going to hike up to Cathedral. There wasn't enough room there anyway, for all the people who wanted to get off the road and hike in the woods. Made no sense to erase that parking lot. And it led to the dustiest stretch of the JMT, but that helped a lot of folks to simply get out. Now they have to keep their kids from getting run over as they strain to park on the shoulder of the road.
The planning process is out of control, but that's the Guv'ment for ya. My brother works for the Forest Service, and it's actually worse. Sensible is the last thing we can expect out of them, unfortunately. It's a shame there's nothing iconic that's immediately threatened in Tuolumne, like Camp 4 was in the Valley, to rally a sizable protest around. "We want our gas station back" doesn't have quite the right ring to it. So nothing will happen about this but a bunch of us -- the people, unfortunately, who actually do know better how the place should be managed -- reduced to spluttering about the good old days.
Just a bunch of old farts sittin' in the sun on the "Dead Pecker Bench" talkin bout the old days. Move on along, nothing to see here. Oh wait...now they removed our bench too.
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
Shetville , North of Los Angeles
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Jun 24, 2016 - 07:58am PT
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Charlie is still working...?
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Jun 24, 2016 - 08:00am PT
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For a few more months
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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Jun 24, 2016 - 08:09am PT
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Perhaps John Redhead can intervene.
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Jun 24, 2016 - 08:56am PT
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Seems like this is the current Visitor's Center?
From Aug. 2015.
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CF
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 24, 2016 - 09:00am PT
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"SAR guys are going to have to find a new place to dump in the morning"
So right on that Walleye, I couldnt believe the daily morning SAR line at the Gas Station bathroom. They should use the NPS facilities since they are NPS, oh but wait those are so dirty . They were complaining the other day because the Grill Rest Rooms were not open yet and that they had to use the Gross NPS Camp Ground Bathrooms.
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nita
Social climber
chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.
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Jun 24, 2016 - 09:03am PT
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Interesting to see the comments here. Lots of true colors to be shown. ^^^Typical smarmy response from the new supertopo flatworm.
There is nothing wrong with disagreeing or lamenting with some of the decisions that Park service/ The Government makes....
The difference between us and the as#@&%e Bundy fools you support is...None of us is going to get all hate hotheaded & pull out guns to occupy Tuolumne Meadows.....
I can disagree with some of the decisions they make ... but i can also live with them.
ps...The icebox room is just down right rude...imo
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