The Miwoks called the valley “hatchhatchie”, which translates as “edible grasses”, and inhabited the valley for about 4,000 years before the arrival of the white man. In the late 1800s, Americans viewed wilderness as something to conquer and natural resources as infinite. John Muir considered the valley of Hetch Hetchy to be at least as beautiful as that of Yosemite, and he fought hard to keep it from being inundated, but the need of San Francisco for water (and hydroelectric power) was found to outweigh the need for wild beauty.
It is possible, however, to catch a glimpse of what the valley must have been like if you drive north from Yosemite Valley for about an hour and a quarter, reaching a part of Yosemite National Park that is much less known (and a lot less crowded) than Yosemite Valley and its surrounding high country. And unlike Yosemite Valley, there are no roads to allow you to drive around Hetch Hetchy – you must park and hike.
From the dam you can see walls of granite on the north side of the reservoir that are very reminiscent of El Capitan with Hetch Hetchy Dome on the north eastern end and two of the highest waterfalls in North America – Tueeulala, which reminds me of Bridal Veil, and Wapama, similar to Yosemite Falls.
Kolana Rock on the south side faces the dome.
Leaning over the parapet on the west side of the dam, you can see the water cascading from the outlets and the resulting rainbow.
You hike around the north side of the reservoir and in April of this year there was a lot of water along the trail, cascading down the granite
The water supports small communities of plants
Which look like this close up:
This looked like a sculpture:
I have no idea what this orange plant is, but it certainly was photogenic!
I was amazed to realize that it was blooming with little yellow star-shaped flowers. I had taken the red at first for a flower….
We found ceanothus in bloom – those in this area are white, unlike the ones with whom we are more familiar, which are purple or lavender. (It’s commonly known as “California lilac.”)
The trail was very rocky, and steep in some places.
We found maple trees beginning to leaf out and bloom (didn’t know they bloom!)
And, in a section of granite that was covered with a thin film of water, there were amazing plants….
And along the little stream:
The landscape can seem gray and forbidding, but when you look down there is beauty.
Mary
Posted from Berkeley, CA 6/16/19
Mary's Travel Blog 