People go to Yosemite for many reasons. Some simply marvel at some of the world’s most spectacular granite walls and tallest waterfalls. Some wander the meadows and watch wildlife or fish. Others hike, whether it’s a 2 mile loop on level ground, a 5000 foot vertical ascent or a multi-day backpacking trip. Most go for a combination of activities, and to share the time with family and friends.
Then there are the rock climbers. A hardy and daring group of adventurers who are called by the granite monoliths and drawn to scale those vertical walls. Climbing is not for everybody. Most of us, however, vicariously share a slice of the thrill and the beauty when we see the climbers high above, and perhaps envy them for their courage and dedication.
As a result of the reservoir and limited access, few climbers go to Hetch Hetchy. But some, like Lucho Rivera, love it and know it well.
Since Restore Hetch Hetchy has asked the National Park Service to expand access for all forms of recreation at Hetch Hetchy, including climbing, we thought we would promote the area by making a film. With humility, we asked some top climbers and outdoor cinematic experts for their help
The logistics were no simple task. Gate hours are limited and camping is mostly prohibited. There are seasonal climbing restrictions to protect peregrine falcons in some areas. Yosemite would require a wilderness permit. And we needed to put together a team.
Burkard partnered with veteran filmmaker James “Q” Martin. Q hired cinematographer Mikey Shaefer (if you’ve seen Free Solo, Mikey is the guy saying “I can’t look”) and Nelson Klein as his crew.
Lucho was a logical choice as a climber as he knows Hetch Hetchy well, including the walls east of Wapama (climbing west of Wapama during spring is prohibited to protect nesting peregrine falcons). Professional climber (and comedian) Timmy O’Neill had ascended the walls in Yosemite Valley for 30 years, and was excited to go to Hetch Hetchy for the first time with Lucho to “show him the ropes”.
The team was complete. The experts would converge during the third week of May. We hoped for good weather.
We gathered for dinner at the Evergreen Lodge. Some were old friends and happy to see each other; others were just getting acquainted. The mystique of Hetch Hetchy was intriguing – everyone seemed to want to know more about its history and our plan for restoration. Dinner ended a bit after 10 p.m. Some went to bed while others stayed up several more hours packing gear for the early morning start.
The weather cooperated, cooling off during the third week of May – ideal for hiking and climbing but chilly at night for the guys on the rock. The loads, including ropes and other climbing gear as well as camping supplies, were heavy. Everyone got an early start so they could hike the four miles to the base of Hetch Hetchy Dome and get started.
The crew carried heavy packs on the four mile hike to the base of Hetch Hetchy Dome. Wapama Falls was spectacular but fortunately not high enough to make crossing its bridges dangerous. (Photo: James Q Martin)
Lucho Rivera leads the way up the rock. Timmy and the film crew depended on Lucho’s experience and knowledge of Hetch Hetchy’s granite walls. (Photo: James Q Martin)
Timmy O’Neill high on the wall above the reservoir. Timmy has climbed in Yosemite Valley for 30 years but this was his first trip to Hetch Hetchy. (Photo James Q Martin)
As the sun sets, Timmy and Lucho share a much needed drink of water after a long and wonderful day on Hetch Hetchy’s walls. (Photo: James Q Martin)
The raw footage is in the hands of editors. The film should be available in July. We can’t wait to see it and to share it.
This week, “rock” stars from throughout the west converged at Hetch Hetchy. The occasion was not another Woodstock or Coachella, but rather the opportunity to climb granite monoliths at Hetch Hetchy and record the event for posterity.
Yosemite Valley is known as the climbing Mecca of the world, but few venture to scale the similar walls at nearby Hetch Hetchy. The logistics of climbing at Hetch Hetchy are more challenging due to the existence of the reservoir, as well as limited gate hours and a prohibition on camping – things Restore Hetch Hetchy is committed to changing. So, as part of our outreach, we asked some well known climbers to scale Hetch Hetchy Dome and a crackerjack crew to film the event.
The film, due for completion in July, will be a joint production of Burkard Studio and Q Media. Chris Burkard and Q Martin reached out to Lucho Rivera, an experienced climber from San Francisco who has explored many of Hetch Hetchy’s walls and to Timmy O’Neill, who has climbed in Yosemite for 30 years but had never been to Hetch Hetchy.
Restore Hetch Hetchy representatives (staff, board and volunteers) saw the group off early Tuesday morning and welcomed them back Thursday afternoon. The timing was good, as the rain and hail on Friday would have presented problems.
We are excited for the film and will soon share some still pictures from the adventure on Hetch Hetchy Dome.
Shown below, after a good night’s sleep in a real bed, Lucho Rivera with Mecia Sarafina, and Timmy O’Neill (left) with Sound Man / Rigger Nelson Klein, Director James “Q” Martin and Cinematographer Mikey Shaefer.
We are thrilled that, in its latest episode, America’s National Parks podcast explained the Hetch Hetchy story. Host Jason Epperson’sinterview with Executive Director Spreck Rosekrans covers our campaign to restore the valley as well as our five recommendations for improving access until the reservoir can be relocated.
Epperson does a nice job of recognizing Hetch Hetchy for the spectacular resource that it is. We thank him for spreading the word. Please listen – it is only about 14 minutes long – and share it with a friend.
Wapama Falls, descending from the canyon wall on the north side of Hetch Hetchy, is a sight to behold. During spring runoff, it is impressive even from the top of O’Shaughnessy Dam – 3 miles away. To really appreciate the majesty and thunder of Wapama, however, you need to hike around the reservoir to the footbridges which cross Falls Creek.
At Wapama, the water’s descent is not entirely vertical as it is at nearby Tueeulala and at most of the falls in Yosemite Valley. It twists and turns as its torrents plummet over the precipice. Wapama Falls, sometimes likened to a woman’s braided hair being continually unfurled in a windstorm, is one of a kind and best experienced up close.
Like most falls, Wapama is at its most spectacular during the peak of spring runoff. Unfortunately, the footbridges can be unsafe – 4 people have been swept off the bridges to their deaths in the last 10 years. It is hard to say exactly what flow level is safe, but the most recent deaths occurred in 2017 and 2019 when the flows were well over 1000 cubic feet per second, more than twice the levels during recent weeks in this very dry year.
Restore Hetch Hetchy has asked the National Park Service to ensure that Wapama Falls can be safely viewed in two ways. First, the footbridges should be reconstructed so they are safe – even at high water. Second the NPS should employ a quiet, non-polluting, electric tour boat that would let visitors see Wapama from the reservoir. (Visitors could also be allowed to disembark from a tour boat to explore Hetch Hetchy’s side canyons.)
These recommendations are included in our new report – Keeping Promises: Providing Public Access to Hetch Hetchy Valley, Yosemite National Park. When Congress passed the Raker Act in 1913, it clearly intended to provide park visitors with a level of access to the Hetch Hetchy canyon that is not available today. Improved access will provide additional opportunities at a time when our national parks are more popular than ever.
Restore Hetch Hetchy also believes providing improved access to Hetch Hetchy’s majesty will generate public support for relocating the reservoir so the Valley can be restored while fully protecting San Francisco’s water supply.
If you’ve not been to Wapama during the spring, the video below gives a sense of what crossing the footbridges can be like.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed has nominated City Attorney Dennis Herrera to be the next General Manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. If confirmed by the Commission, Herrera will replace Michael Carlin who has been Acting General Manager since Harlan Kelly’s resignation last fall.
We respect and honor Herrera, as we do all members and staff of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Providing reliable water to San Francisco and other Bay Area communities is an essential task.
Our issue with San Francisco, as Senator Lois Wolk explains, is not over its use of Tuolumne River water but rather how it is stored. No other city has destroyed a national treasure to find a place to store its water.
At Restore Hetch Hetchy, we will always acknowledge the importance of providing reliable water supplies as we contest San Francisco’s continued use of Hetch Hetchy as a storage tank. In our view, San Francisco officials should reciprocate by recognizing the merits of our campaign. Unfortunately, most of the City’s public statements in opposition to Restore Hetch Hetchy, such as the one Herrera made in 2018, fail to acknowledge that the reservoir lies inside Yosemite National Park.
We can do better. We can restore Hetch Hetchy without losing a drop of water. We suspect City leaders in San Francisco will be among the last to endorse restoration. Until they do, we ask that they pay us a modicum of respect by acknowledging our worthy objective of restoring a spectacular landscape in a national park.
We ask that all readers, including both supporters and skeptics of restoration, review Keeping Promisescarefully and consider its merits. Let us know if you’d like a hard copy (510-893-3400 or admin@hetchhetchy.org).
As Keeping Promises shows, when Congress passed the Raker Act allowing San Francisco to build a dam in Hetch Hetchy Valley, it expected the area would still be fully available to park visitors. Unfortunately, for the past century public access to Hetch Hetchy has been limited and few recreational opportunities have been made available.
Camping, lodging, boating and fishing are not available at Hetch Hetchy. There are few trails (and the most popular trail must be closed for safety when Hetch Hetchy’s waterfalls are at their most spectacular). The entrance gate is open only during limited daylight hours, so it’s the rare visitor who sees a sunrise or sunset at Hetch Hetchy. As a result, Hetch Hetchy is the least-visited and most under-appreciated area of Yosemite, receiving barely 1% of the park’s visitors.
We want people to visit Hetch Hetchy and learn its story. While the valley floor lies underwater, the surrounding area is still one of earth’s most spectacular landscapes. We believe improved access will both provide public benefits to today’s park visitors AND build support to empty the reservoir and return Hetch Hetchy Valley to its natural splendor.
It’s time for a change. Keeping Promises documents an incontrovertible history that has been ignored for far too long. Restore Hetch Hetchy has asked the National Park Service to initiate a public dialogue to review and modify how it manages the Hetch Hetchy area. There are ways to improve the visitor experience, consistent with both the letter and spirit of the Raker Act, that would retain the wild character of the Hetch Hetchy canyon and, of course, the water quality in Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.
