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Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park. Who hasn't heard of this place? Well, if you havn't, it's a good thing you're reading this then! You certainly don't want to miss out on this area for some excellent valley and mountain flying! Yosemite is the result of millions of years of volcanic, glacial, and erosive activity. It began over 500 million years ago, and it, along with most everything else, was covered by the ancient seas. Over time, a long time, molten rock thrust up through the sea floor and cooled, forming granite. I find it amazing the temperatures that must have been reached back in this molten time of the earth forming. Liquid rock, imagine! Hot, hot, hot! As time marched on, so did the eroision that water and glaciers brought forth. Even granite can't withstand the test of time, water, ice, and wind. What eventually was created form Mother Earth's hammer and chisel was a region of rolling hills, and streams.
As the Sierras were being formed by massive geologic activity, they transformed the Merced River into a chisel that carved deep, river canyons. The glaciers creeping in and out had their hand in shaping the valley, transforming them from "V" shaped valleys to a more "U" shaped valley. The ice just carried the rock and earth away.
As the Sierras were being formed by massive geologic activity, they transformed the Merced River into a chisel that carved deep, river canyons. The glaciers creeping in and out had their hand in shaping the valley, transforming them from "V" shaped valleys to a more "U" shaped valley. The ice just carried the rock and earth away.
The tributary streams that fed the Merced River did not have the horsepower to carve as deeply as the Merced, so that the result was a series of beautiful waterfalls, dropping from Yosemite Valley's rims. Over time, enough sediment washed down into the valley to fill in "Lake Yosemite", and all that's left is the Merced River, which flows through the valley to this day.
Yosemite's early inhabitants were, of course, Native Americans, and lived in the region anywhere from 7,000 to 10,000 years ago. The most recent tribe to inhabit the region is the Miwok, who called the valley "Ahwahnee", which is thought to mean, "place of the gaping mouth". No, this is not the spot on the beach in the summertime with the "good view"! ;-) These people refered to themselves as the Ahwahneechee. The Ahwahneechee lived off the land, harvesting acorns, hunting and fishing. Oh, what a life! But guess what. As all things that are too good to be true, times changed for the native inhabitants with the discovery of gold in 1849. Hence the name "49er's". Understandably, this really ticked off the Ahwahneechee, who attacked a trading post in the Merced River Canyon. Unfortunately, things escalated from there, and the miners formed a state-sanctioned "Mariposa Battalion", and entered the valey on March 27, 1851,
Yosemite's early inhabitants were, of course, Native Americans, and lived in the region anywhere from 7,000 to 10,000 years ago. The most recent tribe to inhabit the region is the Miwok, who called the valley "Ahwahnee", which is thought to mean, "place of the gaping mouth". No, this is not the spot on the beach in the summertime with the "good view"! ;-) These people refered to themselves as the Ahwahneechee. The Ahwahneechee lived off the land, harvesting acorns, hunting and fishing. Oh, what a life! But guess what. As all things that are too good to be true, times changed for the native inhabitants with the discovery of gold in 1849. Hence the name "49er's". Understandably, this really ticked off the Ahwahneechee, who attacked a trading post in the Merced River Canyon. Unfortunately, things escalated from there, and the miners formed a state-sanctioned "Mariposa Battalion", and entered the valey on March 27, 1851,
This is a region that's very diverse, and can offer quite a few hours of simming enjoyment. A great area to explore by helicopter. I hope you get a chance to fly the area. I don't think that you will be disappointed! If you can get there in real life, do it! You won't be sorry! Just treat the area with respect. If you can't visit Yosemite, well, that's the beauty of MSFS! The adventure is just a megabyte away!
For more information on Yosemite, visit the National Park Service's site, where you'll find loads of history, tourist information, and whatever else you could possibly want to know about one of the most beautiful places on the planet!
I want to thank the folks at Flight1 for providing me with two great utilities, Flight Environment and Ground Environment Pro. They make a world of difference!
For more information on Yosemite, visit the National Park Service's site, where you'll find loads of history, tourist information, and whatever else you could possibly want to know about one of the most beautiful places on the planet!
I want to thank the folks at Flight1 for providing me with two great utilities, Flight Environment and Ground Environment Pro. They make a world of difference!
pursuing the Indians. Tenaya, the chief, had been leading raids on the white settlers in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. He was captured, along with most of his tribe, and they were marched off to the reservations located in the foothills. The tribe later returned to the valley, which is named after them.
By the time 1855 rolled around, that species of human known as the "Tourist" appeared. With the good words and influence of some Californians in high places, Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant. This act set aside the Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias as a public reserve, supervised by the state. This was a first for the federal government, setting aside land soley for the protection of the area and for the enjoyment of future generations.
In 1872, Yosemite was the first tract of land to be named as a National Park. The National Park System was implemented to administer all national parks "in such manner and by such means as to leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Yosemite has gone through so many changes, both in appearence and administrations over the years, that there is quite an extensive history written about it. More than what I think may hold your attention here, to be sure! If you want to know more about Yosemite, or any other National Park in the United States, visit the dedicated site for Yosemite, or visit the National Park Service site. Loads of information at these resources.
By the time 1855 rolled around, that species of human known as the "Tourist" appeared. With the good words and influence of some Californians in high places, Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant. This act set aside the Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias as a public reserve, supervised by the state. This was a first for the federal government, setting aside land soley for the protection of the area and for the enjoyment of future generations.
In 1872, Yosemite was the first tract of land to be named as a National Park. The National Park System was implemented to administer all national parks "in such manner and by such means as to leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Yosemite has gone through so many changes, both in appearence and administrations over the years, that there is quite an extensive history written about it. More than what I think may hold your attention here, to be sure! If you want to know more about Yosemite, or any other National Park in the United States, visit the dedicated site for Yosemite, or visit the National Park Service site. Loads of information at these resources.
For my flight around the Yosemite Valley, I took off from Mariposa-Yosemite Airfield (Q68) and followed the valley in the way, roughly, that you would normally take if you were driving by automobile. Needless to say, in real world aviation, flights through the valley aren't allowed. If you fly low and slow through the valleys, you'll notice how the terrain changes from rolling hills with gentle valleys, to steep-sided, granite walled valleys. You'll also notice how the terrain changes from the valley flora to the stark landscapes of the high country, at the head of the valley, past Half Dome.The level of detail is of course, dependant upon yopur settings and any enhancement addons. At present, I am utilizing Flight Environment and Ground Environment Pro from Flight1. There are loads of scenery enhancements out there to make yofur virtual flying as enjoyable as possible, and for the most part, they are worth it!
Half Dome is represented in the sim, but it really does not do the star of the valley justice. In real life, the side of Half Dome is quite sheer, whereas in the sim, it looks to be a bit more rounded off. Perhaps in another thousand or so years, but not now. It's still the extreme challenge for mountain climbers. As you wind your way up the valley, Yosemite Valley proper
Half Dome is represented in the sim, but it really does not do the star of the valley justice. In real life, the side of Half Dome is quite sheer, whereas in the sim, it looks to be a bit more rounded off. Perhaps in another thousand or so years, but not now. It's still the extreme challenge for mountain climbers. As you wind your way up the valley, Yosemite Valley proper
bag, anything that doesn't belong will warrant investigation. They're very tenacious! As my wife and I were entering the park a few years ago, we seen a not so happy camper, leaving the park, with plastic taped over her drivers door. Hmmm...I wonder what hors 'durve Mister or Missus Bear feasted upon?
I want to remind everyone that it is not only dangerous to feed the bears, but it also makes them unafraid of humans. We tend to be a bad influence on the animal kingdom. What happens can be explained by this very sad example. A few days before we started getting ready for our trip, there was a news story that a mother bear and three of her cubs had to be put down as a "public nuisance". It seems that this family of bears got quite used to being fed by the humans in their territory, and after repeated captures and relocations to the high country, this family always found its way back down into the valley of fast food and easy feeding. It was deemed necessary to euthanize the bears as a safety precaution for the humans. I think it's too bad that it even got to that point. So, please, don't feed the bears!
The other thing that is worth mentioning is the Giant Sequoia Groves, with trees over a thousand years old. These are monuments to Mother Nature! If you haven't stood next to a tree that you can't see the top of, or is about as big around as a small house, then you just haven't seen a tree! Words alone cannot describe these gargantuan examples of redwood trees, it's something that you just have to experience. I haven't come across any scenery or tree autogen enhancements that will accurately portray the redwoods, so you can't really get a feeling for the majesty that they represent in the sim. However, the region offers loads of valleys, mountains, and lakes to explore in the virtual world.
I want to remind everyone that it is not only dangerous to feed the bears, but it also makes them unafraid of humans. We tend to be a bad influence on the animal kingdom. What happens can be explained by this very sad example. A few days before we started getting ready for our trip, there was a news story that a mother bear and three of her cubs had to be put down as a "public nuisance". It seems that this family of bears got quite used to being fed by the humans in their territory, and after repeated captures and relocations to the high country, this family always found its way back down into the valley of fast food and easy feeding. It was deemed necessary to euthanize the bears as a safety precaution for the humans. I think it's too bad that it even got to that point. So, please, don't feed the bears!
The other thing that is worth mentioning is the Giant Sequoia Groves, with trees over a thousand years old. These are monuments to Mother Nature! If you haven't stood next to a tree that you can't see the top of, or is about as big around as a small house, then you just haven't seen a tree! Words alone cannot describe these gargantuan examples of redwood trees, it's something that you just have to experience. I haven't come across any scenery or tree autogen enhancements that will accurately portray the redwoods, so you can't really get a feeling for the majesty that they represent in the sim. However, the region offers loads of valleys, mountains, and lakes to explore in the virtual world.
Most of my memories of Yosemite are from my childhood, when my folks would pack up the camping gear, to include the huge, old canvas tent (Ahhh...I miss the smell of those old canvas tents! I'm just sentimental I guess!), into the station wagon, and off we'd go, into the great wilderness of National Park camping.
I remember the event that they called the "Fire Falls". This was a pretty awesome sight, that isn't practiced these days, due to environmental reasons, but, nevertheless, it was spectacular. Rangers would set fire to large piles of duff and wood debris, and shove these piles off the cliff, producing a "Firefall" down the side of the sheer mountain. It was something never to be forgotten! No, forest fires were not started from this spectcle, since granite has a hard time of staying lit!
Another vivid memory of Yosemite that sticks in my mind is the Black Bears. They ARE NOT tame, and have developed a fondness for human food. Not humans as food, so much as the food that's left out on the tables, or in the cars. Bears come equipped with built-in, industrial strength, can openers, also known as claws. It's uncanny, but they can actually recognize items that arn't "stock" within the vehicles. It doesn't necessarily have to be a big, juicy steak laying there. A purse, box,
I remember the event that they called the "Fire Falls". This was a pretty awesome sight, that isn't practiced these days, due to environmental reasons, but, nevertheless, it was spectacular. Rangers would set fire to large piles of duff and wood debris, and shove these piles off the cliff, producing a "Firefall" down the side of the sheer mountain. It was something never to be forgotten! No, forest fires were not started from this spectcle, since granite has a hard time of staying lit!
Another vivid memory of Yosemite that sticks in my mind is the Black Bears. They ARE NOT tame, and have developed a fondness for human food. Not humans as food, so much as the food that's left out on the tables, or in the cars. Bears come equipped with built-in, industrial strength, can openers, also known as claws. It's uncanny, but they can actually recognize items that arn't "stock" within the vehicles. It doesn't necessarily have to be a big, juicy steak laying there. A purse, box,
literally jumps into view as you round a corner. You'll fly up the valley, over the area where all the camping is done, and then climb to where the falls are, towards the top. Unfortunately, MSFS does not portray the water falls of Yosemite. Too bad! This would be an awesome sim experience if it did. If anyone knows of any scenery enhancements along these lines, drop me a note! Once you pass Half Dome on your starboard side, if you're heading east, you'll need to climb out of the valley, fairly quickly, where you come out upon the area known as Touelmene Meadows, a tougher spot to reach by foot, but better camping because of it. This is the "High Country" where the vegetation is a little more sparse. Once you get to the "Top", hang a 180 and head west up the neighboring valley, home of Hetch Hetchy, a large resevoir providing drinking water to millions of Californians. This valley has quite a bit of history behind it also, not all of it good. There were battles fought over whether or not to damn the valley up to make the resevoir. The valley lies just over the mountain range to the north of Yosemite, and is also a spot of frequent visits by tourist,but not as much as Yosemite. Which is probably a good thing, since one of the problems of Yosemite is that we are "loving it to death". Just too many people wanting to enjoy the great outdoors. Can you blame them?
Mariposa-Yosemite Q68
Pine Mountain Lake Q68
Q
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley From Above
Neighboring Valley, Home of Hetch Hetchy
Hetch Hetchy Resevoir