Hetch Hetchy Hiking

[ProCaliberTraveler]

I recently met my dad at Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite National Park for some overnight camping and a 10-mile hike.

The more I go to Hetch Hetchy, the more I see how it rivals Yosemite Valley. I've been wondering what it looked like before the dam was built, so I found these images from the San Francisco Chronicle: https://www.sfchronicle.com/project...-photos-hetch-hetchy-reservoir-san-francisco/.

This was our turnaround point. We found a flat stretch of granite in the shade of a tree where we ate lunch and had a nap. There is no silence here due to the chaotic Wapama Falls, which can be seen in this image. Tueulala Falls is more prominent from this viewpoint.

 

[AlanLichty]

Looks like a neat trail to hike. I'm glad you included the link to the historic photos. There was a concerted effort on the part of John Muir to kill this project before the dam was built but given the Bay area water needs it sounds highly unlikely the dam will ever be removed (at least in our lifetimes).

 

[ProCaliberTraveler]

Looks like a neat trail to hike. I'm glad you included the link to the historic photos. There was a concerted effort on the part of John Muir to kill this project before the dam was built but given the Bay area water needs it sounds highly unlikely the dam will ever be removed (at least in our lifetimes).

It can’t hurt to fantasize about a scenario in which the dam was indeed deconstructed. In that situation, keep the parking lot where it is. Don’t build roads into the valley or construct any buildings. Hiking would be the only way to see the valley.

 

[JimFox]

Hey Michael!

You got some great photos of Hetch Hetchy! I like and enjoyed them all.

It is a shame that the dam was built where it was. If you look at the watershed and the lay of the land, they easily could have built the dam further down, or several dams instead of putting it in Hetch Hetchy. It's really sad. John Muir and others tried their hardest to prevent it, but here years later we still are stuck with it.

I do also fantasize from time to time of a day the dam is removed .I honestly don't think it would be that hard to build some other dams lower down to hold the water for San Francisco.