FINDING HETCH HETCHY: The Hidden Yosemite

Featuring: Timmy O’Neil, Lucho Rivera
Director: James Q Martin
Executive Producer: Chris Burkard

“You always hear Hetch Hetchy is equal in beauty to Yosemite Valley. That is true.” – Timmy O’Neill

FINDING HETCH HETCHY: Yosemite Valley is well-known as the epicenter of American climbing. Its sister valley to the north has long been left in the shadows of Yosemite’s reputation. The Hetch Hetchy Valley, similarly home to towering granite walls and the majestic beauty for which the Sierra is known, stays well out of the limelight despite being part of Yosemite National Park as a result of San Francisco’s controversial dam and reservoir that covers the valley floor.

Timmy O’Neill had spent three decades scaling the monoliths in Yosemite Valley but, like so many climbers in the park, had never visited nearby Hetch Hetchy. As it follows Timmy and Lucho, Finding Hetch Hetchy shows breathtaking views of the canyon and the excellent opportunities for climbers while explaining the opportunity to relocate Hetch Hetchy’s namesake reservoir and restore the valley below to its natural beauty.

Take Action Now

Ask Yosemite Superintendent Cicely Muldoon to improve visitor access to Hetch Hetchy – FOR ALL PARK VISITORS.

CREDITS

FEATURING Timmy O’Neill – https://www.timmyoneill.com/, Lucho Rivera – http://luchorivera.com/, Spreck Rosekrans – https://hetchhetchy.org/

DIRECTORS James ‘Q” Martin, Chris Burkard

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Burkard Studio – https://www.chrisburkard.com/

PRODUCTION STUDIO Q Stories – https://qstories.com/

PRODUCERS Mike Sandifer Chelsea Walsh James ‘Q’ Martin

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Mikey Schaefer

SECOND CAMERA Chris Burkard Evan Rudman Jeffrey Brundage James “Q’ Martin Nelson Klein

ADDITIONAL TIMELAPSES Shawn Reeder

FIELD AUDIO Nelson Klein

EDITORS Jesse Clark, Chelsea Walsh

RIGGERS Lucho Rivera, Nelson Klein, Mecia Serafino

SOUND DESIGN Luc Burson

MOTION GRAPHICS Scott Hanshew

TITLE GRAPHIC Jeremy Collins

COLOR Jesse Andrew Clark

STORY CONSULTANTS Chelsea Walsh, Spreck Rosekrans, Virginia Johanessen

ARCHIVAL PHOTOGRAPHS Courtesy of Restore Hetch Hetchy

ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE SFMTA Photo Archive

MUSIC Ben Sollee

SPECIAL THANKS TO Ben Simon – Evergreen Lodge, Julene Freitas – Restore Hetch Hetchy, Erika Ghose, Jack Pier