The Summer of Haves and Have-Nots

Tom Stienstra’s column in today’s San Francisco Chronicle (“FINDING RELIEF:  Fires, gas prices limit destinations for outdoors trips”) rates favorite destination spots throughout California.  (Hey, we all have our opinions.)  According to Stienstra, Big Sur, the Trinity Alps, the Lassen Volcanic area and Sequoia-Kings Canyon are all areas to avoid due to being “devastated by low lake levels, heavy smoke from fires and high temperatures.” (have-nots)

He got it right when giving Yosemite National Park an approval rating.  I encourage anyone joining a Northern California whitewater rafting trip to visit Yosemite.  Additionally, I would encourage anyone visiting Yosemite to consider adding a trip on the Merced River or the Tuolumne River.  (The Tuolumne River water flow is controlled by up river dams, and is runnable March through September.  Merced River flows are dependent on snow melt from the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  Commercial trips usually run April through June.)

Here’s what Stienstra had to say about Yosemite:

“Yosemite: Yosemite Valley is hazy, but not super smoky, and it affects the photogenic vistas people hope to capture, but not their adventures. All valley campgrounds packed daily. Temps 50 to 92. (209) 372-0200 or nps.gov/yose.  Rating: have”