1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:03,390 (soothing music) 2 00:00:05,670 --> 00:00:07,420 (dramatic music) 3 00:00:07,420 --> 00:00:09,700 - [Narrator] Where soaring granite peaks, 4 00:00:10,900 --> 00:00:14,090 waterfalls, among the world's tallest, 5 00:00:14,090 --> 00:00:18,740 sweeping meadows, and gigantic sequoias 6 00:00:18,740 --> 00:00:22,070 conspire to create a beauty beyond belief. 7 00:00:23,810 --> 00:00:27,510 Join us as we head skyward with rock jocks. 8 00:00:30,890 --> 00:00:32,760 Glide through the valley. 9 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:34,820 - [Paraglider] Yeah baby! 10 00:00:34,820 --> 00:00:37,450 - [Narrator] Seek out the places where the deer, 11 00:00:37,450 --> 00:00:39,620 the bear, and the bear patrol roam. 12 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,750 - [Man] No bear on scene, and damage to three vehicles. 13 00:00:45,860 --> 00:00:48,520 - [Narrator] And recharge at the queen of lodges. 14 00:00:50,830 --> 00:00:53,210 In a legendary landscape, 15 00:00:53,210 --> 00:00:54,230 we'll explore 16 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:58,210 all the wonders of Yosemite. 17 00:00:59,330 --> 00:01:01,200 America's treasure. 18 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,950 (dramatic music) 19 00:01:13,890 --> 00:01:16,080 (gentle music) 20 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:18,690 The first visitors might have wondered 21 00:01:18,690 --> 00:01:19,860 if they were dreaming. 22 00:01:21,750 --> 00:01:25,360 Set amid Northern California's Sierra Nevada, 23 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:28,800 Yosemite National Park reigns supreme. 24 00:01:31,140 --> 00:01:35,330 On the horizon, Mount Hoffman is the geographic center 25 00:01:35,330 --> 00:01:38,660 of the 750,000 acre area. 26 00:01:39,890 --> 00:01:44,080 Yet one valley, hailed as the incomparable valley, 27 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:48,350 is so celebrated that many think it is Yosemite. 28 00:01:49,900 --> 00:01:53,940 - Although Yosemite Valley is only 5% of the park, 29 00:01:53,940 --> 00:01:57,010 it's where 95% of the visitors go. 30 00:01:58,430 --> 00:02:00,540 Yosemite Valley itself is only 31 00:02:00,540 --> 00:02:04,410 one mile wide, and seven miles long. 32 00:02:04,410 --> 00:02:06,820 However, Yosemite Valley contains 33 00:02:06,820 --> 00:02:10,410 the icons that people come to see. 34 00:02:10,410 --> 00:02:12,170 - [Narrator] Icons like El Capitan, 35 00:02:13,130 --> 00:02:16,200 one of the largest monoliths of granite on earth. 36 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:22,020 Among the world's greatest concentration of granite domes, 37 00:02:22,020 --> 00:02:24,690 Half Dome dominates. 38 00:02:26,650 --> 00:02:29,730 Although it's actually 3/4 of a dome, 39 00:02:29,730 --> 00:02:32,960 the celebrated shape can be seen from all sides. 40 00:02:33,900 --> 00:02:35,360 And there's no other half. 41 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:40,580 The face of the mountain eroded away, bit by bit. 42 00:02:42,630 --> 00:02:46,260 While Yellowstone is America's first national park, 43 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:50,350 Yosemite set the stage. 44 00:02:53,220 --> 00:02:56,850 Profound beauty, and a botanical wonder, 45 00:02:56,850 --> 00:03:00,330 the giant sequoias were cause for President Lincoln, 46 00:03:00,330 --> 00:03:02,200 in the midst of the Civil War, 47 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:04,360 to set aside land to be held 48 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:08,180 for public use, resort, and recreation. 49 00:03:09,530 --> 00:03:12,100 - This was known as the Yosemite Grant, 50 00:03:12,100 --> 00:03:13,160 and was the first time 51 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:15,220 in not only the history of this country, 52 00:03:15,220 --> 00:03:16,920 but the history of the world, 53 00:03:16,920 --> 00:03:18,660 that a piece of land was set aside 54 00:03:18,660 --> 00:03:21,280 strictly for preservation. 55 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:23,950 (intense music) 56 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:29,450 Powerful geological forces raised the Sierra Nevada 57 00:03:29,450 --> 00:03:30,780 to its present height. 58 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:35,900 During the Ice Age some three million years ago, 59 00:03:35,900 --> 00:03:39,410 glaciers carved the U-shaped canyons. 60 00:03:39,410 --> 00:03:42,320 - If we look straight across and imagine that there was ice 61 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:44,900 from the rim of the falls all the way 62 00:03:44,900 --> 00:03:46,610 almost over to where we are, 63 00:03:47,630 --> 00:03:49,530 That's a lotta ice. 64 00:03:49,530 --> 00:03:53,060 And a lot of weight, and a lot of power. 65 00:03:53,060 --> 00:03:56,370 As this ice was slowing moving through the valley, 66 00:03:56,370 --> 00:03:58,610 it just plucked rocks away. 67 00:04:00,990 --> 00:04:05,230 - [Narrator] Glacier handiwork created Yosemite Falls. 68 00:04:05,230 --> 00:04:09,430 At over 2,400 feet, it's the tallest 69 00:04:09,430 --> 00:04:11,860 waterfall in North America. 70 00:04:11,860 --> 00:04:14,610 (dramatic music) 71 00:04:19,260 --> 00:04:22,290 Across the valley, Bridal Veil Falls 72 00:04:22,290 --> 00:04:24,300 is named for its lacy mist. 73 00:04:26,230 --> 00:04:28,710 Powered by snow melt and gravity, 74 00:04:28,710 --> 00:04:32,360 peak season for waterfall watching is spring. 75 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:35,030 (water roaring) 76 00:04:37,830 --> 00:04:42,650 With over 800 miles of trails, Yosemite is a Mecca 77 00:04:42,650 --> 00:04:45,800 for daytrippers and backpackers. 78 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:48,750 According to Ann Marie Brown, guide and author of 79 00:04:48,750 --> 00:04:52,920 "250 Great Hikes in California's National Parks," 80 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:57,510 the best way to get away from the crowds is to head up. 81 00:04:57,510 --> 00:04:59,510 - It's just a matter of truth 82 00:04:59,510 --> 00:05:02,780 that the vast majority of people will stop going 83 00:05:02,780 --> 00:05:04,780 as the elevation gets higher and higher. 84 00:05:06,740 --> 00:05:10,060 - [Narrator] Amid the many scenic climbs out of the valley, 85 00:05:10,060 --> 00:05:12,780 the Mist Trail is a must do. 86 00:05:12,780 --> 00:05:15,530 (pleasant music) 87 00:05:16,750 --> 00:05:21,420 It's here, Vernal Falls cascades over giant steps 88 00:05:21,420 --> 00:05:24,550 carved as glacial ice moved down the valley. 89 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,610 The trail, a manmade work of art, 90 00:05:29,610 --> 00:05:32,130 runs right along the edge of the spray. 91 00:05:34,630 --> 00:05:38,260 The falls drop 317 feet. 92 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:43,780 At its base, sunshine meets mist, 93 00:05:43,780 --> 00:05:47,990 light breaks into the vivid colors of the rainbow, 94 00:05:47,990 --> 00:05:51,110 all in a place that looks like Eden. 95 00:05:51,110 --> 00:05:53,860 (pleasant music) 96 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:59,970 Nevada Falls is yet another perfect union 97 00:05:59,970 --> 00:06:02,170 of sky, rock, and water. 98 00:06:08,370 --> 00:06:11,300 The Mist Trail winds relentlessly up. 99 00:06:14,820 --> 00:06:18,560 For the super fit, with muscles aching for more, 100 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:20,460 it's onward to Half Dome. 101 00:06:22,930 --> 00:06:27,930 In 1870, geologist Josiah D. Whitney declared that Half Dome 102 00:06:27,940 --> 00:06:31,100 would probably never been trodden by human foot, 103 00:06:31,100 --> 00:06:34,950 but hidden from his view, on the eastern side, 104 00:06:34,950 --> 00:06:38,390 a rocky buttress provides access. 105 00:06:38,390 --> 00:06:42,480 The shortest route, 17 miles round trip 106 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,620 with an elevation gain of 4,800 feet. 107 00:06:47,210 --> 00:06:49,170 - At the bare minimum, you're gonna be on your feet 108 00:06:49,170 --> 00:06:50,520 for seven to eight hours, 109 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:53,500 and then whatever time you spend on top of the Dome as well. 110 00:06:53,500 --> 00:06:55,050 But the rewards are huge. 111 00:06:55,050 --> 00:06:57,950 I mean, it's the outdoor equivalent of running a marathon. 112 00:06:59,960 --> 00:07:01,520 - [Narrator] A steep set of switchbacks 113 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:04,290 acts like a grand StairMaster. 114 00:07:09,430 --> 00:07:14,080 On the shoulder of Half Dome, the climb borders on vertical. 115 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:18,560 Things get more and more intense. 116 00:07:21,820 --> 00:07:22,800 - [Hiker] All right, here we go. 117 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:24,640 - [Narrator] Until a pair of steel cables 118 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:26,520 becomes a lifeline. 119 00:07:29,420 --> 00:07:31,530 - He's like, "I made it this far, I gotta do it." 120 00:07:32,940 --> 00:07:33,940 It's a little hairy. 121 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:36,040 Gives ya some feeling of having 122 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:38,130 achieved something noteworthy. 123 00:07:38,130 --> 00:07:39,440 - [Hiker] We're almost there! 124 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:43,100 - [Narrator] It's a scramble to the lofty crest. 125 00:07:43,100 --> 00:07:48,100 - Difficult, but exhilarating and challenging and great fun, 126 00:07:48,740 --> 00:07:50,360 once you get to the top. 127 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:51,430 - I'd add terrifying. 128 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:56,050 - [Narrator] Those who make it to the summit 129 00:07:56,050 --> 00:07:59,360 say it's like the top of the world. 130 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:00,410 - It's fantastic, isn't it? 131 00:08:00,410 --> 00:08:02,020 - It really is, it's just, 132 00:08:02,020 --> 00:08:04,740 it's sort of almost unreal, actually. 133 00:08:04,740 --> 00:08:07,490 (dramatic music) 134 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:17,660 - [Narrator] There's no place like Yosemite. 135 00:08:19,710 --> 00:08:22,370 This legendary landscape is home 136 00:08:22,370 --> 00:08:25,330 to over 300 species of wildlife. 137 00:08:29,270 --> 00:08:33,580 The Western rattler, the park's only poisonous snake, 138 00:08:33,580 --> 00:08:38,120 ranges in color from yellowish to a smoky shade of black. 139 00:08:41,540 --> 00:08:44,770 Visitors rarely see or hear a mountain lion. 140 00:08:44,770 --> 00:08:46,470 (mountain lion growls) 141 00:08:46,470 --> 00:08:48,600 This biggest cat in North America 142 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:52,410 is out and about, feasting on mule deer. 143 00:08:53,500 --> 00:08:55,530 Though encounters are unlikely, 144 00:08:55,530 --> 00:08:58,890 the park recommends not to hike alone. 145 00:09:03,950 --> 00:09:07,620 Yosemite's most popular mammal is its largest. 146 00:09:07,620 --> 00:09:11,270 Called black bears, most are shades of brown. 147 00:09:11,270 --> 00:09:14,190 Here, they don't always hibernate. 148 00:09:14,190 --> 00:09:15,570 - It depends on the elevation. 149 00:09:15,570 --> 00:09:20,570 At lower elevations, 2,000 feet, a bear may not hibernate, 150 00:09:20,770 --> 00:09:23,530 whereas at higher elevations it definitely will, 151 00:09:23,530 --> 00:09:25,590 but it all comes down to 152 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:29,070 whether it has a food source available to it. 153 00:09:30,050 --> 00:09:33,540 - [Narrator] Yosemite Valley, the prime tourist destination, 154 00:09:33,540 --> 00:09:35,900 is also prime bear habitat. 155 00:09:36,780 --> 00:09:39,610 With a nose for food, and the steady flow 156 00:09:39,610 --> 00:09:43,310 of humans carrying it, bears get into trouble. 157 00:09:43,310 --> 00:09:46,880 By 1998, things were out of control. 158 00:09:48,770 --> 00:09:53,770 1,400 car break-ins, and $650,000 of property damage 159 00:09:54,830 --> 00:09:56,760 caught the attention of Congress. 160 00:09:57,680 --> 00:10:01,840 Increased funding allowed the park to focus on the problem. 161 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:04,510 (intense music) 162 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:09,480 - Probably another bear break-in. 163 00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:11,560 - [Narrator] At five o'clock in the morning, 164 00:10:11,560 --> 00:10:14,580 the bear management team is in the thick of it. 165 00:10:14,580 --> 00:10:17,330 - [Man] No bear on scene, and damage to three vehicles. 166 00:10:19,460 --> 00:10:21,880 - We have more than one bear that breaks into cars, 167 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:25,560 but we have one bear who's really the main culprit. 168 00:10:28,180 --> 00:10:29,830 Oh my goodness, look at this car. 169 00:10:33,900 --> 00:10:36,130 - They just pulled in here. - Yeah? 170 00:10:36,130 --> 00:10:39,240 - Probably within the last hour and a half. 171 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:41,010 The bears jumped up on the hood, 172 00:10:41,010 --> 00:10:42,230 walked over the top of it, 173 00:10:42,230 --> 00:10:45,470 then came down and pulled the window out. 174 00:10:45,470 --> 00:10:47,360 Good, good, good prints. 175 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:49,660 - That's not a small bear either, is it? Look at that. 176 00:10:49,660 --> 00:10:52,120 - [Narrator] Bears will break in if they see anything 177 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:54,080 even associated with food. 178 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:57,820 - There's a whole cooler back there. 179 00:10:59,130 --> 00:11:02,010 - [Narrator] If they continue to frequent developed areas, 180 00:11:02,010 --> 00:11:04,380 they're monitored by collars and tags. 181 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:07,280 - So I'm just running through the frequencies 182 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:09,010 of bears that this could be. 183 00:11:09,010 --> 00:11:11,540 If it's a radio collar bear, 184 00:11:11,540 --> 00:11:12,960 we have a list of frequencies. 185 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:14,560 I'm trying to see who's closest. 186 00:11:16,300 --> 00:11:18,790 - [Narrator] One bear has been spending a lot of time 187 00:11:18,790 --> 00:11:22,220 in the more populated parts of the valley. 188 00:11:22,220 --> 00:11:23,590 - [Sherri] And that makes us feel uncomfortable, 189 00:11:23,590 --> 00:11:25,580 because she may get too close to people then. 190 00:11:25,580 --> 00:11:27,530 We're gonna try to get a collar on her. 191 00:11:29,060 --> 00:11:31,530 - [Narrator] A bear trap is made more comfortable, 192 00:11:31,530 --> 00:11:34,420 then baited with a bag of food at the back. 193 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:37,890 - So it goes in, and it grabs the bag of food, 194 00:11:37,890 --> 00:11:39,230 which pulls it down, 195 00:11:39,230 --> 00:11:41,250 and when it's pulled down, 196 00:11:44,030 --> 00:11:45,610 it just closes behind it. 197 00:11:45,610 --> 00:11:47,310 And we do have one bear who has figured this out, 198 00:11:47,310 --> 00:11:50,550 and he grabs the bag, and sticks his foot out, 199 00:11:50,550 --> 00:11:52,300 and catches the door. 200 00:11:52,300 --> 00:11:53,840 So we have one bigger trap 201 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:55,000 that we always have to catch him in, 202 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:57,960 because he has figured this whole system out. 203 00:11:59,110 --> 00:12:01,520 - [Man] Get outta here bear, get outta here! 204 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:04,350 - One of the tools that we use to make the situation 205 00:12:04,350 --> 00:12:07,900 more negative for the bear, the conditioning more negative, 206 00:12:07,900 --> 00:12:09,310 is we use paintball guns. 207 00:12:09,310 --> 00:12:12,610 We had some clear paintballs specially designed for us, 208 00:12:12,610 --> 00:12:17,130 and they're just full of kind of a greasy oil in there. 209 00:12:18,830 --> 00:12:19,920 Get outta here bear, come on, move, 210 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:21,230 get outta here, come on, move! 211 00:12:21,230 --> 00:12:23,230 You always wanna yell at the same time, 212 00:12:23,230 --> 00:12:25,640 so that they know a human is doing it. 213 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:27,390 To reinforce that humans are scary. 214 00:12:31,690 --> 00:12:34,980 - [Narrator] Bears are so intelligent, wildlife experts say 215 00:12:34,980 --> 00:12:37,690 they only stay one step ahead of them. 216 00:12:37,690 --> 00:12:41,860 - We'd develop a bear-proof food locker, or a dumpster. 217 00:12:41,860 --> 00:12:43,590 Eventually, they figure it out 218 00:12:43,590 --> 00:12:46,020 and we have to come up with another design. 219 00:12:47,060 --> 00:12:48,680 - [Narrator] In the back country, 220 00:12:48,680 --> 00:12:51,000 bear resistant canisters are a must. 221 00:12:55,770 --> 00:12:59,040 Hanging food from trees no longer works. 222 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:01,390 The bears caught on to the trick. 223 00:13:02,500 --> 00:13:03,700 - [Ranger] Hello, folks. 224 00:13:04,580 --> 00:13:05,420 - Hi. - Hello. 225 00:13:05,420 --> 00:13:06,340 - We're just out doing our bear rounds, 226 00:13:06,340 --> 00:13:08,150 making sure that all those little brownie bites 227 00:13:08,150 --> 00:13:10,620 and Oreo cookies get put away when you're done. 228 00:13:10,620 --> 00:13:11,450 - Yes. - Okay. 229 00:13:11,450 --> 00:13:13,980 - Oh you are too far from an open car. 230 00:13:13,980 --> 00:13:14,920 Because if it's open 231 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:17,600 and you're not there, you're too far away. 232 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:20,280 - [Narrator] To date, the park's tough love policy 233 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:21,650 has paid off. 234 00:13:21,650 --> 00:13:25,110 Conflicts have been reduced by 80%. 235 00:13:28,510 --> 00:13:32,500 Beyond bears, Yosemite has a rich human history. 236 00:13:33,670 --> 00:13:36,660 Native Americans called the valley Ahwahnee, 237 00:13:36,660 --> 00:13:38,560 meaning place of gaping. 238 00:13:43,250 --> 00:13:44,960 Tucked away in the corner, 239 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:47,790 amid tall trees and granite walls, 240 00:13:47,790 --> 00:13:50,480 the namesake Ahwahnee Hotel 241 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:54,530 is the queen of national park lodges. 242 00:13:55,910 --> 00:13:59,960 Built on several levels, it's protected and private. 243 00:14:01,410 --> 00:14:03,610 - The granite ledges and walls of the valley 244 00:14:03,610 --> 00:14:05,960 actually seem to just keep extending out 245 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:07,650 into the grounds of the Ahwahnee, 246 00:14:07,650 --> 00:14:09,500 and incorporate the building. 247 00:14:09,500 --> 00:14:13,450 It's brilliant, it's artistic, and it's natural, 248 00:14:13,450 --> 00:14:15,650 and it feels right to be here in the valley. 249 00:14:16,630 --> 00:14:18,430 - [Narrator] Celebrated park architect 250 00:14:18,430 --> 00:14:21,890 Gilbert Stanley Underwood left nothing to chance. 251 00:14:21,890 --> 00:14:25,850 Every detail blends into the beauty of the landscape. 252 00:14:27,030 --> 00:14:31,750 The four diamond hotel first opened its doors in 1927. 253 00:14:37,210 --> 00:14:39,760 The centerpiece is the Great Lounge. 254 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:43,450 With a 24 foot beam ceiling. 255 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:48,810 German Gothic wrought iron chandeliers 256 00:14:48,810 --> 00:14:52,790 cast a warm glow over an enormous space. 257 00:14:53,930 --> 00:14:56,630 Flanked by two stone fireplaces, 258 00:14:56,630 --> 00:14:58,860 there's a lot of detail to absorb. 259 00:14:59,700 --> 00:15:04,700 Despite the massive scale, it's warm and inviting, 260 00:15:04,710 --> 00:15:08,240 like being a guest in a country manor. 261 00:15:12,370 --> 00:15:16,200 Views of Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, 262 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:19,230 and Glacier Point bring the outside in. 263 00:15:21,380 --> 00:15:23,900 The JKF Suite is named for the president 264 00:15:23,900 --> 00:15:26,250 who stayed here in 1962. 265 00:15:29,180 --> 00:15:31,770 It has a deck with a private view. 266 00:15:36,690 --> 00:15:41,010 Fine dining in the 34 foot trestle beam dining room 267 00:15:41,010 --> 00:15:44,030 is a quintessential Yosemite experience. 268 00:15:45,690 --> 00:15:46,520 (glasses clink) 269 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:48,410 - Coming to a place that's going to 270 00:15:48,410 --> 00:15:50,550 cater to the special needs of guests, 271 00:15:50,550 --> 00:15:53,230 and to make your visit very memorable. 272 00:15:53,230 --> 00:15:55,670 (people clapping) 273 00:15:55,670 --> 00:15:58,430 - [Narrator] For many, there's a special connection 274 00:15:58,430 --> 00:16:00,930 to the Ahwahnee, and to Yosemite. 275 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:06,030 While you're enjoying the great outdoors, 276 00:16:06,030 --> 00:16:09,510 take a moment to remember those who came before. 277 00:16:11,910 --> 00:16:14,440 The individual eternally linked with Yosemite 278 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:18,060 is naturalist John Muir, who wrote, 279 00:16:18,060 --> 00:16:22,350 "No temple made with hands can compare with Yosemite." 280 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:27,020 During industrial times, he excited people 281 00:16:27,020 --> 00:16:29,340 that a place like this even existed. 282 00:16:30,670 --> 00:16:32,350 - The United States is a new country. 283 00:16:32,350 --> 00:16:37,100 It didn't have the kind of history that Europeans had. 284 00:16:37,100 --> 00:16:40,800 Had American history, but not an ancient recorded history, 285 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:42,620 or a history that had large buildings, 286 00:16:42,620 --> 00:16:44,370 cathedrals, et cetera. 287 00:16:44,370 --> 00:16:46,840 And what became the temples 288 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:49,840 for the United States were these wild areas. 289 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:51,830 (gentle music) 290 00:16:51,830 --> 00:16:54,720 - [Narrator] In 1890, Yosemite was set aside 291 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:57,040 as America's third national park. 292 00:16:59,940 --> 00:17:03,870 Two years later, Muir co-founded the famed Sierra Club, 293 00:17:03,870 --> 00:17:05,710 dedicated to conservation. 294 00:17:07,390 --> 00:17:11,330 He described the Sierra as the Range of Light. 295 00:17:12,900 --> 00:17:15,170 Another visionary, America's premier 296 00:17:15,170 --> 00:17:17,820 landscape photographer Ansel Adams, 297 00:17:17,820 --> 00:17:20,390 opened the public's eye in a different way. 298 00:17:23,460 --> 00:17:26,060 - Ansel came to Yosemite for the first time in 1914, 299 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:28,020 and fell in love with it, 300 00:17:28,020 --> 00:17:30,210 and came back every year of his life. 301 00:17:30,210 --> 00:17:31,760 - [Narrator] Hiking the back country, 302 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:35,680 he became familiar with the ever changing patterns of light. 303 00:17:38,010 --> 00:17:39,960 - He definitely caught the moment. 304 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:43,600 The moment, the one second where the light had changed. 305 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:46,190 The one moment where the clouds were covering the valley, 306 00:17:46,190 --> 00:17:49,420 that's what Ansel did that no one else could do. 307 00:17:50,340 --> 00:17:52,240 - [Narrator] Every day around the park, 308 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:57,000 amateurs and professionals are out to get the perfect shot. 309 00:17:58,780 --> 00:18:00,340 - [Guide] What I'm gonna do right now is I'm gonna show you 310 00:18:00,340 --> 00:18:02,720 a photograph that Ansel took in this meadow. 311 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:06,100 - [Narrator] The Ansel Adams Gallery, a park institution, 312 00:18:06,100 --> 00:18:09,780 leads photo walks that follow in Ansel's footsteps. 313 00:18:09,780 --> 00:18:11,600 - We're gonna talk about how to create 314 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:13,810 light and motion and depth of field. 315 00:18:15,210 --> 00:18:17,360 - [Narrator] Ansel Adams loved Yosemite. 316 00:18:18,350 --> 00:18:20,100 Yet there was one special spot 317 00:18:21,250 --> 00:18:24,300 amid the rarefied air of the high country. 318 00:18:25,500 --> 00:18:27,620 - He took Sierra Club trips in there when he was 319 00:18:27,620 --> 00:18:30,060 sort of leading some of the trips for them, 320 00:18:30,060 --> 00:18:33,980 and they jokingly said, "Ansel, you love this place so much, 321 00:18:33,980 --> 00:18:38,250 "we should call that mountain up there Mount Ansel Adams." 322 00:18:38,250 --> 00:18:42,140 In fact, that became Mount Ansel Adams after he died. 323 00:18:42,140 --> 00:18:46,240 Then we put his ashes there in 1986 on his mountain. 324 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:50,860 (birds chirping) 325 00:18:50,860 --> 00:18:54,360 - [Narrator] Although Ansel Adams never met John Muir, 326 00:18:54,360 --> 00:18:57,650 both men left a legacy of conservation 327 00:18:57,650 --> 00:19:00,870 that continues to be an inspiration. 328 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:06,990 (dramatic music) 329 00:19:06,990 --> 00:19:11,000 Yosemite is the centerpiece of the Sierra Nevada, 330 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:14,040 the longest continuous mountain range 331 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:16,830 in the continental United States. 332 00:19:16,830 --> 00:19:21,400 Much of the park lies above 7,500 feet. 333 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:25,020 Called high country, it has a rugged splendor. 334 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:29,710 From Olmsted Point, the back half 335 00:19:29,710 --> 00:19:32,290 of Half Dome looms in the distance. 336 00:19:33,420 --> 00:19:37,680 Giant boulders left behind by receding glaciers 337 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:40,520 look like the work of extraterrestrials. 338 00:19:44,620 --> 00:19:47,160 Amid hundreds of glacial carved lakes, 339 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:49,470 Tenaya is the largest. 340 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:54,660 A lone kayaker cruises by. 341 00:19:56,460 --> 00:20:00,040 Framed by granite walls and sandy beaches, 342 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,530 the water is icy cold. 343 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:08,630 The Tuolumne River meanders through 344 00:20:08,630 --> 00:20:12,670 the largest subalpine meadow in the High Sierra. 345 00:20:12,670 --> 00:20:14,940 - We're at the gateway to the High Sierras. 346 00:20:14,940 --> 00:20:18,090 We are at 8,600 feet above sea level, 347 00:20:18,090 --> 00:20:19,600 and there's trails that go up 348 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:22,790 to elevations over 10, 12,000 feet. 349 00:20:24,420 --> 00:20:25,930 - [Narrator] Surrounded by high peaks, 350 00:20:25,930 --> 00:20:29,750 it's lush, cool, inviting. 351 00:20:32,140 --> 00:20:33,630 A meeting place for all. 352 00:20:36,410 --> 00:20:40,050 - And then there is the crest, which the Tioga Pass road 353 00:20:40,050 --> 00:20:42,460 reaches almost 10,000 feet above sea level, 354 00:20:43,390 --> 00:20:46,620 and from there you can hike up to high elevation peaks 355 00:20:46,620 --> 00:20:49,650 that have this magnificent scenery. 356 00:20:49,650 --> 00:20:52,390 (gentle guitar music) 357 00:20:52,390 --> 00:20:54,970 - [Narrator] Tioga Pass is the highest point 358 00:20:54,970 --> 00:20:58,810 in the Sierra Nevada that can be crossed by road. 359 00:20:58,810 --> 00:21:03,540 The Tioga Pass Resort has been a stopoff since 1916. 360 00:21:03,540 --> 00:21:05,450 - I'll have rocky road, thanks. 361 00:21:07,060 --> 00:21:08,300 Thank you. 362 00:21:08,300 --> 00:21:09,830 - [Narrator] On the park's border, 363 00:21:09,830 --> 00:21:12,660 this local hangout is an institution. 364 00:21:14,120 --> 00:21:17,740 With rustic guest cabins, and a general store, 365 00:21:17,740 --> 00:21:20,390 things here never seem to change, 366 00:21:20,390 --> 00:21:22,490 and that's a good thing. 367 00:21:22,490 --> 00:21:25,750 At the old fashioned diner, the food's good, 368 00:21:25,750 --> 00:21:27,520 and the coffee's hot. 369 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:28,760 - [Server] All right, homemade pie. 370 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:31,900 We have blueberry, apple, and apricot. 371 00:21:35,250 --> 00:21:38,120 - [Narrator] It's not the only touch of civilization. 372 00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:41,580 For those willing to go the extra mile, or miles, 373 00:21:41,580 --> 00:21:43,720 the High Sierra camp system, 374 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:47,060 continuously operating since 1923, 375 00:21:47,060 --> 00:21:50,470 is unique in America's national parks. 376 00:21:50,470 --> 00:21:54,060 - So we have a series of camps, including Tuolumne Meadows, 377 00:21:54,060 --> 00:21:55,510 that would be six. 378 00:21:55,510 --> 00:21:58,170 And you can actually hike to each one of the camps. 379 00:21:58,170 --> 00:22:00,560 They're only five to 10 miles apart from each other, 380 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:03,260 so very easily accessible on foot, 381 00:22:03,260 --> 00:22:05,010 or by a saddle pack trail. 382 00:22:09,190 --> 00:22:11,910 - [Narrator] A seasonal treat, the camps are only open 383 00:22:11,910 --> 00:22:15,700 from mid-June to mid-September, weather permitting. 384 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:19,690 Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, the logical spot 385 00:22:19,690 --> 00:22:21,930 to begin a loop trip, has the only 386 00:22:21,930 --> 00:22:24,200 tent cabins reachable by road. 387 00:22:25,180 --> 00:22:27,630 - One of the questions I get asked most often 388 00:22:27,630 --> 00:22:29,410 is what the heck is a tent cabin? 389 00:22:29,410 --> 00:22:32,460 Well, it's basically a raised wooden floor off the ground, 390 00:22:32,460 --> 00:22:33,780 just a couple of feet, 391 00:22:33,780 --> 00:22:35,460 and then you have canvas siding 392 00:22:35,460 --> 00:22:37,580 and a canvas tent on the top. 393 00:22:37,580 --> 00:22:41,440 And you'd be surprised how well it can keep the weather out, 394 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:43,160 and the warmth in. 395 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:45,520 Even in really chilly conditions. 396 00:22:46,430 --> 00:22:48,180 - [Narrator] A stay at the high country cabins 397 00:22:48,180 --> 00:22:52,370 is so coveted, reservations are made by lottery. 398 00:22:54,660 --> 00:22:56,630 (gentle guitar music) 399 00:22:56,630 --> 00:22:59,820 Camp May Lake faces Mount Hoffman. 400 00:23:01,060 --> 00:23:03,560 - The thing that's really unique about the high camps 401 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:05,780 is that each one has its own topography, 402 00:23:05,780 --> 00:23:08,190 own location, very different setting 403 00:23:08,190 --> 00:23:10,480 because of the different elevations. 404 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:12,560 - [Narrator] In this neck of the woods, 405 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:14,560 people tend to slow down, and chill out. 406 00:23:15,820 --> 00:23:17,220 (people chattering) 407 00:23:17,220 --> 00:23:19,810 (bell dinging) 408 00:23:20,780 --> 00:23:23,450 (bugle blaring) 409 00:23:26,180 --> 00:23:28,430 - Good evening, May Lakers! 410 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:32,590 Come on in for a fabulous dinner! 411 00:23:34,010 --> 00:23:37,260 - [Narrator] Home cooked meals fuel a hiker's appetite. 412 00:23:40,660 --> 00:23:43,100 Among the high country camps, 413 00:23:43,100 --> 00:23:46,310 Vogelsang is at the highest altitude. 414 00:23:46,310 --> 00:23:51,100 With 1,400 feet of elevation gain, the air thins. 415 00:23:51,100 --> 00:23:54,020 (thunder rumbling) 416 00:24:00,780 --> 00:24:05,780 Nestled on a mountainside, Vogelsang is a welcoming sight. 417 00:24:06,580 --> 00:24:09,420 (water trickling) 418 00:24:10,500 --> 00:24:13,450 - It's the highest, and it's granite. 419 00:24:13,450 --> 00:24:14,950 You know, it's just granite everywhere, 420 00:24:14,950 --> 00:24:16,400 and you can see where you're gonna hike, 421 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:19,190 and there's a multitude of peaks to climb. 422 00:24:20,780 --> 00:24:23,530 (dramatic music) 423 00:24:26,700 --> 00:24:29,920 - [Narrator] Above the tree line, Vogelsang Pass 424 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:33,800 looks over the vast expanse of the high country. 425 00:24:40,500 --> 00:24:42,110 As day turns to night, 426 00:24:42,110 --> 00:24:45,020 the mountains light up with alpenglow. 427 00:24:48,860 --> 00:24:50,350 Guests begin to grasp 428 00:24:50,350 --> 00:24:53,670 what the Yosemite wilderness is all about. 429 00:24:53,670 --> 00:24:56,420 (dramatic music) 430 00:25:04,120 --> 00:25:07,330 Behind the formation of Yosemite Valley's 431 00:25:07,330 --> 00:25:10,790 massive domes and cliffs, eight different 432 00:25:10,790 --> 00:25:13,470 types of granite shape the scenery. 433 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,570 Flanking the valley, El Capitan, 434 00:25:18,570 --> 00:25:22,980 Spanish for The Captain, rises over 3,000 feet. 435 00:25:25,060 --> 00:25:26,160 - It's quite a big rock. 436 00:25:27,150 --> 00:25:28,810 When you first drive into the valley, you know, 437 00:25:28,810 --> 00:25:30,920 it doesn't fit into your windshield. 438 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:32,980 So, you know that's a big rock. 439 00:25:35,900 --> 00:25:37,400 - [Narrator] While most people are content 440 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:41,960 to gaze up in awe, others go for immediate contact. 441 00:25:43,890 --> 00:25:47,010 Clean surfaces, high quality rock, 442 00:25:47,010 --> 00:25:50,000 and a gravity defying level of difficulty 443 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:54,440 make Yosemite one of the world's top climbing destinations. 444 00:25:56,970 --> 00:26:00,580 From El Cap Meadow, people catch the El Cap show. 445 00:26:01,910 --> 00:26:04,570 It's man and woman versus a monolith. 446 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:08,950 When the route up the nose of El Cap 447 00:26:08,950 --> 00:26:11,780 was first climbed in 1958, 448 00:26:11,780 --> 00:26:14,720 it opened up mega possibilities for the sport. 449 00:26:17,330 --> 00:26:19,690 - Goes up those cracks that diagonal up and right, 450 00:26:19,690 --> 00:26:21,650 into that crescent shaped crack, 451 00:26:21,650 --> 00:26:23,460 and then you can see people there, 452 00:26:23,460 --> 00:26:25,880 and then you do a little pendulum swing 453 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:28,960 into those cracks that go straight on up. 454 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:30,840 Those are the stove leg cracks, 455 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:35,720 and you end up in those upper dihedrals up there. 456 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:38,110 - [Narrator] To date, over 90 different routes 457 00:26:38,110 --> 00:26:43,010 vary in length, but the average ascent takes four days. 458 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:47,210 Only the best opt to free climb it, 459 00:26:47,210 --> 00:26:51,270 where partners use ropes and gear strictly for protection. 460 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:57,410 - Free climbing El Cap is definitely 461 00:26:57,410 --> 00:27:00,400 just as much a mental game as a physical game. 462 00:27:01,550 --> 00:27:05,400 Because there's so much that goes along with it, 463 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:08,200 and you have to deal with being scared, being tired, 464 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:11,000 and just all the logistics 465 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:14,700 of staying on a wall 3,000 feet in the air. 466 00:27:16,740 --> 00:27:20,240 - [Narrator] In the vertical world, you're on your own. 467 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:23,070 There's no competency test, or park permit. 468 00:27:24,700 --> 00:27:27,210 - Climbing is pretty self-limiting. 469 00:27:27,210 --> 00:27:30,260 You make a mistake up there, and you die. 470 00:27:31,700 --> 00:27:33,370 I would say a good percentage of the parties 471 00:27:33,370 --> 00:27:37,050 don't make it on their first few tries up El Cap. 472 00:27:37,050 --> 00:27:39,080 It's a big deal. 473 00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:42,170 - [Narrator] The goal is to be successful on the descent, 474 00:27:42,170 --> 00:27:44,490 and train for the next time. 475 00:27:44,490 --> 00:27:47,110 - So what we need now is everyone needs a helmet. 476 00:27:47,110 --> 00:27:48,110 What we're gonna do first 477 00:27:48,110 --> 00:27:50,010 is we're gonna actually do a little bouldering. 478 00:27:50,010 --> 00:27:50,890 One size should fit everyone. 479 00:27:50,890 --> 00:27:54,790 - [Narrator] Since 1969, the Yosemite Mountaineering School 480 00:27:54,790 --> 00:27:58,110 and Guide Service has been teaching all levels of rock jocks 481 00:27:58,110 --> 00:28:01,060 the art of self protection. 482 00:28:01,060 --> 00:28:03,160 - Toes up, heels down, straighten your legs. 483 00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:05,510 - [Narrator] It's no surprise they're considered 484 00:28:05,510 --> 00:28:09,020 some of the most skilled big wall athletes in the world. 485 00:28:09,020 --> 00:28:10,420 - So push and pull motion here. 486 00:28:10,420 --> 00:28:11,310 Look at my left hand. 487 00:28:11,310 --> 00:28:12,320 It's never leaving the rope. 488 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:14,730 - [Narrator] Classes cover basics and more. 489 00:28:15,690 --> 00:28:16,570 - [Guide] You're gonna be moving 490 00:28:16,570 --> 00:28:18,660 over to the right, both hands. 491 00:28:18,660 --> 00:28:21,890 - [Narrator] It's a lot harder than it looks. 492 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:26,860 - If you let go, certainly she's gonna fall, okay? 493 00:28:26,860 --> 00:28:28,630 So the idea is you're tied in. 494 00:28:30,220 --> 00:28:31,730 - [Guide] Way to go Meg, good job. 495 00:28:34,550 --> 00:28:38,000 - [Narrator] In the 1930s, rope climbing took hold here 496 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:40,730 with techniques brought over from Europe. 497 00:28:40,730 --> 00:28:43,580 By the 1940s, routes up the bigger walls 498 00:28:43,580 --> 00:28:46,330 were made possible by a Yosemite invention, 499 00:28:46,330 --> 00:28:50,390 hammering steel pitons into the rock. 500 00:28:50,390 --> 00:28:53,830 Using gear, climbers engineered their way up. 501 00:28:55,790 --> 00:29:00,540 The 1960s and '70s were the golden age of climbing, 502 00:29:00,540 --> 00:29:03,830 and Yosemite was the epicenter. 503 00:29:03,830 --> 00:29:07,910 The sport evolved, as athletes sought out ways to excel. 504 00:29:12,060 --> 00:29:13,880 Many who chartered virgin routes 505 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:15,990 began their day at Camp Four, 506 00:29:15,990 --> 00:29:19,720 now listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. 507 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:22,470 (dramatic music) 508 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:28,950 - As a young guy coming in this place 509 00:29:28,950 --> 00:29:31,780 it had a sense of a carnival going on, 510 00:29:31,780 --> 00:29:36,580 and an athletic event, a revolution of some kind. 511 00:29:36,580 --> 00:29:39,550 Every moment, breathing, walking, climbing moment here 512 00:29:39,550 --> 00:29:41,100 had a sense of adventure to it. 513 00:29:44,180 --> 00:29:46,280 - [Narrator] More than a place to pitch a tent, 514 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:50,010 Camp Four was a forum for an emerging sport. 515 00:29:52,970 --> 00:29:55,340 Although times have changed, the spirit 516 00:29:55,340 --> 00:29:59,980 and camaraderie of the pioneering days remains. 517 00:29:59,980 --> 00:30:02,320 - So if you guys climb Beggar's Buttress in the morning, 518 00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:04,220 we climb Moratorium in the morning, 519 00:30:04,220 --> 00:30:06,470 we can get like a six man team on Half Dome. 520 00:30:07,860 --> 00:30:09,730 - It's interesting to see to this day 521 00:30:09,730 --> 00:30:11,350 how many people are all around climbing 522 00:30:11,350 --> 00:30:12,420 that they still have the passion 523 00:30:12,420 --> 00:30:15,670 to make that trip from faraway places to fulfill a dream. 524 00:30:17,090 --> 00:30:19,170 So that legacy is still going on. 525 00:30:21,890 --> 00:30:24,900 - I think one of the really unique things about Camp Four 526 00:30:24,900 --> 00:30:28,620 is that it does not matter what language you speak, 527 00:30:28,620 --> 00:30:31,920 and that we all have climbing as our common language. 528 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:38,300 - [Narrator] In the 1970s, the invention of the modern cam 529 00:30:38,300 --> 00:30:40,390 opened up a whole new realm. 530 00:30:42,290 --> 00:30:45,460 Clean climbing is done without damaging the rock. 531 00:30:48,430 --> 00:30:50,520 Record setter Beth Rodden shows us 532 00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:53,350 what separates the good from the best. 533 00:30:54,660 --> 00:30:59,050 Yosemite's system rates difficulty on a 5.0 to 5.14 scale. 534 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:06,110 At 5.13, the Phoenix is one tough climb. 535 00:31:07,290 --> 00:31:09,730 - The Phoenix has a lot of finger locks, 536 00:31:09,730 --> 00:31:12,360 which means you stick your fingers in the crack 537 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:14,020 and then you torque them downwards 538 00:31:14,020 --> 00:31:16,430 to try and cam them in there, 539 00:31:16,430 --> 00:31:18,140 so you can then move your body up, 540 00:31:18,140 --> 00:31:20,070 and it also has a lot of hand jams 541 00:31:20,070 --> 00:31:21,720 where you put your hand in, 542 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:23,520 and then you pull yourself in there. 543 00:31:27,570 --> 00:31:31,210 - [Narrator] Crack climbing is fairly unique to Yosemite. 544 00:31:31,210 --> 00:31:33,970 Because it's so hard to maintain balance, 545 00:31:33,970 --> 00:31:36,630 many new techniques were developed here. 546 00:31:38,420 --> 00:31:41,200 - There is a whole repertoire of movements that you learn, 547 00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:43,900 and that you might call on depending on the situation, 548 00:31:43,900 --> 00:31:46,940 and sometimes it's just the way you might lean, 549 00:31:46,940 --> 00:31:49,530 lean with your shoulder or what we call a flag move, 550 00:31:49,530 --> 00:31:50,780 where you stick your foot out real far 551 00:31:50,780 --> 00:31:52,400 so you can extend further. 552 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:55,610 So it has a dance-like gymnastic style movement, 553 00:31:55,610 --> 00:31:57,610 which is quite interesting when you're climbing 554 00:31:57,610 --> 00:31:58,930 and you look at a rock and think, 555 00:31:58,930 --> 00:32:00,670 how will I fit into that? 556 00:32:00,670 --> 00:32:03,000 So it's kind of a never-ending opportunity 557 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:05,600 to learn about how to move yourself, how to breathe. 558 00:32:10,580 --> 00:32:12,280 (upbeat music) 559 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:15,010 - [Narrator] For an aerial tour of Yosemite Valley, 560 00:32:15,010 --> 00:32:17,600 guaranteed to get your adrenal glands going, 561 00:32:19,950 --> 00:32:22,070 on weekends during the summer, 562 00:32:22,070 --> 00:32:25,090 a group of men and women and their flying machines 563 00:32:25,090 --> 00:32:26,650 gather along Glacier Point. 564 00:32:28,060 --> 00:32:29,720 - Clear! - Yah, yah! 565 00:32:31,670 --> 00:32:34,760 - [Narrator] 3,200 feet above the valley floor, 566 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:38,820 a harness, a hang strap, and a 30 foot wingspan 567 00:32:38,820 --> 00:32:41,710 are all that separate a float, from a fall. 568 00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:56,080 - Pilot hooks in here, with his harness. 569 00:32:56,080 --> 00:32:58,060 Most pilots fly in a prone position, 570 00:32:58,060 --> 00:33:02,110 so they're in this attitude flying the glider. 571 00:33:02,110 --> 00:33:05,480 And to load up a right turn, 572 00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:08,310 you just move over to the right side of the control frame, 573 00:33:08,310 --> 00:33:10,940 and the glider starts to create the right turn. 574 00:33:10,940 --> 00:33:12,500 To make the glider go up, 575 00:33:12,500 --> 00:33:14,370 you simply push the bar away from you. 576 00:33:14,370 --> 00:33:17,440 It noses the glider up, and you start to climb. 577 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:19,560 To bring the glider down, you just pull in 578 00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:21,660 and you start your descent. 579 00:33:23,850 --> 00:33:25,540 Putting them together in combinations 580 00:33:25,540 --> 00:33:27,460 that creates some aerobatic maneuvers, 581 00:33:27,460 --> 00:33:30,070 make the rollercoaster rides look like child's play. 582 00:33:33,360 --> 00:33:35,880 - [Narrator] Only certified pilots are permitted 583 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:37,630 to take this flying leap. 584 00:33:39,250 --> 00:33:41,860 - When you plan on flying in Yosemite National Park, 585 00:33:41,860 --> 00:33:43,630 you're at your sharpest game. 586 00:33:44,680 --> 00:33:47,540 And you have everything pumping in your body, 587 00:33:47,540 --> 00:33:49,700 your heart's beating out of your chest 588 00:33:49,700 --> 00:33:52,550 no matter how many times you've done this before. 589 00:33:52,550 --> 00:33:54,790 - Please report hang gliding monitor. 590 00:33:54,790 --> 00:33:57,220 We have five hang glider pilots ready and raring to launch. 591 00:33:57,220 --> 00:33:59,020 Are we clear for launch? 592 00:33:59,020 --> 00:34:00,160 - [Woman] Yes fine, go ahead. 593 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:01,820 - We have clearance, surf's up. 594 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:04,720 All right guys, surf's up! 595 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:07,310 (upbeat music) 596 00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:15,500 - [Pilot] You get up in the sky, 597 00:34:15,500 --> 00:34:19,300 it's just the kind of euphoria that's hard to describe. 598 00:34:22,340 --> 00:34:23,800 You know, we have granite cliffs, 599 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:26,430 and the waterfalls that we get to soar over, 600 00:34:26,430 --> 00:34:29,020 and we're fortunate enough to see the valley 601 00:34:29,020 --> 00:34:31,500 in a way that nobody else gets to see it. 602 00:34:42,380 --> 00:34:45,020 - [Narrator] Granite cliffs and peaks aren't the only things 603 00:34:45,020 --> 00:34:47,790 supersized in these parts. 604 00:34:47,790 --> 00:34:49,770 These lands were first set aside 605 00:34:49,770 --> 00:34:52,670 to protect a botanical wonder. 606 00:34:52,670 --> 00:34:55,110 The Mariposa Grove has the park's 607 00:34:55,110 --> 00:34:58,570 biggest stand of giant sequoias. 608 00:34:58,570 --> 00:35:01,460 - The giant sequoias are the largest living things on earth, 609 00:35:01,460 --> 00:35:02,990 in terms of total volume. 610 00:35:04,620 --> 00:35:08,860 Some trees are taller, some trees are bigger in diameter. 611 00:35:08,860 --> 00:35:11,440 Some trees live to a longer age, 612 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:14,650 but the giant sequoia in terms of volume is the largest. 613 00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:18,980 - [Narrator] Weighing over two million pounds on average, 614 00:35:18,980 --> 00:35:22,170 to grasp the size of a sequoia isn't so simple. 615 00:35:25,730 --> 00:35:28,480 Compare it to the Statue of Liberty, 616 00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:30,410 a human six feet tall, 617 00:35:31,520 --> 00:35:33,870 or the Fallen Monarch, a tree famous 618 00:35:33,870 --> 00:35:36,440 for a photograph of the US Cavalry 619 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:38,100 positioned along its trunk. 620 00:35:41,940 --> 00:35:44,450 The California Tunnel Tree was tunneled 621 00:35:44,450 --> 00:35:47,660 in 1895 for stagecoach tours. 622 00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:50,320 - [Woman] And this is Grace, 623 00:35:50,320 --> 00:35:51,960 do you remember what the tree's name is? 624 00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:53,260 - [Grace] No. 625 00:35:53,260 --> 00:35:56,450 - [Woman] Remember it was the Grizzly Giant? 626 00:35:56,450 --> 00:35:58,260 - [Narrator] The grove's most celebrated tree 627 00:35:58,260 --> 00:36:00,350 is the Grizzly Giant. 628 00:36:01,790 --> 00:36:04,300 - The most recent studies suggest that the Grizzly Giant 629 00:36:04,300 --> 00:36:07,100 is probably close to 1,800 years old. 630 00:36:07,940 --> 00:36:10,060 Give or take a few years. 631 00:36:10,060 --> 00:36:13,410 It's got huge branches, very gnarled. 632 00:36:13,410 --> 00:36:18,320 It's lost its top, so it only rises to about 210 feet. 633 00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:21,460 It's about 96 feet in circumference, 634 00:36:21,460 --> 00:36:24,360 and about 30 feet in diameter. 635 00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:25,500 - I can't see the top. 636 00:36:25,500 --> 00:36:27,480 - It seems like a very big bird 637 00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:30,320 should live in such a big tree, doesn't it? 638 00:36:32,240 --> 00:36:34,970 - [Narrator] One of the fastest growing trees on earth, 639 00:36:34,970 --> 00:36:39,640 sequoias require upwards of 1,000 gallons of water a day, 640 00:36:39,640 --> 00:36:41,470 and plenty of sunshine. 641 00:36:45,340 --> 00:36:48,860 Known to live over 3,200 years, 642 00:36:48,860 --> 00:36:51,500 the secret to longevity is a sap 643 00:36:51,500 --> 00:36:53,660 resistant to fire and decay. 644 00:36:54,620 --> 00:36:56,910 - The telescope tree is phenomenal. 645 00:36:56,910 --> 00:36:59,370 That tree has been gutted by fire, 646 00:36:59,370 --> 00:37:01,120 literally struck by lightning at the top, 647 00:37:01,120 --> 00:37:02,960 eaten up by fire at the bottom. 648 00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:05,900 You can stand in the tree, and see the sky. 649 00:37:05,900 --> 00:37:10,460 The tree is alive, and it's producing cones, it's growing. 650 00:37:10,460 --> 00:37:13,040 (gentle music) 651 00:37:14,150 --> 00:37:16,700 - [Narrator] The Native American word Wawona 652 00:37:16,700 --> 00:37:19,330 was meant to imitate the hoot of an owl, 653 00:37:19,330 --> 00:37:22,060 the guardian spirit of the big trees. 654 00:37:23,970 --> 00:37:26,760 (woman hooting) 655 00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:29,800 In a study of the effects of fire on wildlife, 656 00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:34,300 US geological survey researcher Susan Roberts and her team 657 00:37:34,300 --> 00:37:35,970 tread deep into the woods 658 00:37:35,970 --> 00:37:39,400 in search of the California spotted owl. 659 00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:43,080 To find them, she's mastered their territorial calls. 660 00:37:44,670 --> 00:37:47,140 - And it goes a little bit like this. 661 00:37:47,140 --> 00:37:49,800 (Susan hooting) 662 00:37:51,430 --> 00:37:54,260 And that's more along the tone of a male. 663 00:37:54,260 --> 00:37:56,300 And that's the call that they use 664 00:37:56,300 --> 00:37:58,820 to say this is our territory. 665 00:37:58,820 --> 00:38:03,510 And they'll have contact calls between the two pairs, 666 00:38:03,510 --> 00:38:05,740 and one of them is what's going on behind me, 667 00:38:05,740 --> 00:38:07,970 what we call a contact whistle. 668 00:38:07,970 --> 00:38:10,330 (owl whistling) 669 00:38:10,330 --> 00:38:12,170 - [Narrator] This bird of prey has evolved 670 00:38:12,170 --> 00:38:14,810 into a killing machine, with night vision 671 00:38:14,810 --> 00:38:16,900 far superior to humans, 672 00:38:16,900 --> 00:38:19,750 and hearing much more acute. 673 00:38:19,750 --> 00:38:22,540 - They have what we call asymmetric ear placement, 674 00:38:22,540 --> 00:38:26,850 so they have maybe one ear here, and one ear a little lower, 675 00:38:26,850 --> 00:38:28,490 and the ability to turn their head, 676 00:38:28,490 --> 00:38:32,480 they can't turn it 360 degrees like a lot of people think, 677 00:38:32,480 --> 00:38:35,090 but they can turn it and look behind them. 678 00:38:35,090 --> 00:38:37,650 They can focus in on a sound, 679 00:38:37,650 --> 00:38:40,230 and almost don't even need to see to be able to pinpoint 680 00:38:40,230 --> 00:38:41,270 where that mouse is, 681 00:38:41,270 --> 00:38:43,570 or where the flying squirrel is on the ground. 682 00:38:45,020 --> 00:38:46,610 - [Narrator] Curved talons are designed 683 00:38:46,610 --> 00:38:48,220 to grasp hold of prey. 684 00:38:50,080 --> 00:38:53,430 Layers of filaments and feathers filter out the wind, 685 00:38:53,430 --> 00:38:55,740 making it a silent flyer. 686 00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:00,680 A male and female mate for life. 687 00:39:01,710 --> 00:39:03,600 This sensitive species won't nest 688 00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:07,320 unless conditions are optimal. 689 00:39:07,320 --> 00:39:09,940 The spotted owl isn't listed as endangered, 690 00:39:09,940 --> 00:39:12,750 but its reproductive rate is dwindling. 691 00:39:12,750 --> 00:39:15,290 According to Susan, national parks 692 00:39:15,290 --> 00:39:17,850 are critical to wildlife research. 693 00:39:17,850 --> 00:39:21,070 - We're just trying to find a little pellet. 694 00:39:21,070 --> 00:39:24,810 We have forests the way they were 500, 600 years ago. 695 00:39:24,810 --> 00:39:27,060 To have it to see what it would look like as a visitor, 696 00:39:27,060 --> 00:39:29,960 and to have it for science is just beyond precious. 697 00:39:32,060 --> 00:39:34,380 - [Narrator] The part of the park called Wawona 698 00:39:34,380 --> 00:39:35,700 was once the halfway point 699 00:39:35,700 --> 00:39:38,730 between Yosemite Valley and the foothills. 700 00:39:38,730 --> 00:39:41,760 Today, it's the historical center of the park. 701 00:39:43,310 --> 00:39:46,840 Cross a covered bridge, and step back in time. 702 00:39:48,870 --> 00:39:51,570 A collection of old cabins from various locations 703 00:39:51,570 --> 00:39:56,560 is set in a timeline from the 1870s to the 1920s. 704 00:39:57,470 --> 00:40:01,420 There's an original ranger's patrol cabin, and a jail. 705 00:40:03,090 --> 00:40:05,710 When roads were rugged, a blacksmith's shop 706 00:40:05,710 --> 00:40:08,510 was more of a repair shop for wagons and harnesses. 707 00:40:11,730 --> 00:40:12,560 - You get the award for the first 708 00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:14,640 triangle of the day I think, look at that. 709 00:40:15,810 --> 00:40:16,700 Wow! 710 00:40:19,630 --> 00:40:21,430 - [Narrator] At the Wells Fargo building, 711 00:40:21,430 --> 00:40:24,350 people once bought stagecoach tickets to the park. 712 00:40:24,350 --> 00:40:27,100 (wagon rattling) 713 00:40:30,760 --> 00:40:35,760 The Wawona Hotel, one of California's oldest resort hotels 714 00:40:35,770 --> 00:40:38,340 dates back to the 1870s. 715 00:40:39,430 --> 00:40:41,120 The main building and cottages 716 00:40:41,120 --> 00:40:43,760 have Victorian era detail and charm. 717 00:40:45,310 --> 00:40:48,200 Inside, the parlor is furnished with period pieces. 718 00:40:52,470 --> 00:40:54,480 To harken back to simpler times, 719 00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:56,870 wide verandas are for dining, 720 00:40:56,870 --> 00:40:59,670 and lawn chairs are for relaxing. 721 00:41:01,130 --> 00:41:04,960 The golf course, considered state of the art in 1917 722 00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:07,110 is still a challenge. 723 00:41:07,110 --> 00:41:08,920 While you're perfecting your swing, 724 00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:11,370 keep an eye out for coyotes. 725 00:41:15,270 --> 00:41:20,000 For an unexpected retreat into old world elegance, 726 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:22,590 outside the park's Wawona entrance, 727 00:41:22,590 --> 00:41:27,590 the Chateau du Sureau, means castle by the elderberries. 728 00:41:27,790 --> 00:41:29,350 This five diamond member 729 00:41:29,350 --> 00:41:32,430 of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux Organization 730 00:41:32,430 --> 00:41:34,300 is a dream destination. 731 00:41:37,440 --> 00:41:40,070 With only 12 rooms, a stay here 732 00:41:40,070 --> 00:41:43,790 is all about privacy and hospitality. 733 00:41:46,630 --> 00:41:49,210 - The great manor houses of Europe in the old days, 734 00:41:49,210 --> 00:41:53,150 when the affluent invited their friends over, 735 00:41:53,150 --> 00:41:55,050 it was all about, they knew 736 00:41:55,050 --> 00:41:56,760 they were gonna be taken care of. 737 00:41:56,760 --> 00:41:58,330 They had this beautiful bedroom, 738 00:41:58,330 --> 00:42:01,060 and there was a staff assigned to them, 739 00:42:01,060 --> 00:42:03,320 and they just were spoiled. 740 00:42:03,320 --> 00:42:06,130 It's a different kind of stay. 741 00:42:06,130 --> 00:42:09,460 (people chattering) 742 00:42:09,460 --> 00:42:11,730 - [Narrator] At Erna's Elderberry House Restaurant, 743 00:42:11,730 --> 00:42:14,610 artful dishes are always evolving. 744 00:42:18,110 --> 00:42:21,910 - I believe food parallels all other art forms, 745 00:42:21,910 --> 00:42:23,730 and when you dive into photography, 746 00:42:23,730 --> 00:42:27,540 or get into the waterfalls out here, 747 00:42:27,540 --> 00:42:29,850 it shows in the plate also. 748 00:42:29,850 --> 00:42:32,490 I think we have a pretty beautiful product. 749 00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:37,390 - [Narrator] The dining room with chandeliers 750 00:42:37,390 --> 00:42:42,390 and impeccable tablescapes is yet another idyllic setting. 751 00:42:44,060 --> 00:42:47,550 - Beauty makes your soul feel good. 752 00:42:47,550 --> 00:42:51,060 It's important that we still remember how it used to be, 753 00:42:51,060 --> 00:42:52,630 and that it does feel good. 754 00:42:56,490 --> 00:42:59,240 (dramatic music) 755 00:43:03,250 --> 00:43:04,790 - [Narrator] Yosemite's Merced River 756 00:43:04,790 --> 00:43:08,800 originates in the snowfields of the High Sierra, 757 00:43:08,800 --> 00:43:11,740 then descends over 12,000 feet. 758 00:43:15,790 --> 00:43:18,920 Explorers who came upon it after traveling through 759 00:43:18,920 --> 00:43:23,390 bone dry terrain called it "the River of Mercy." 760 00:43:23,390 --> 00:43:26,140 (pleasant music) 761 00:43:29,650 --> 00:43:33,140 A float through the park makes for effortless sightseeing. 762 00:43:39,270 --> 00:43:42,740 (people chattering) 763 00:43:42,740 --> 00:43:46,120 In the spring, outside the park's western boundary, 764 00:43:46,120 --> 00:43:50,290 the Merced becomes mighty with class three and four rapids. 765 00:43:51,780 --> 00:43:56,310 Frigid temperatures and swift currents 766 00:43:56,310 --> 00:43:58,620 make it one exhilarating ride. 767 00:43:59,820 --> 00:44:02,660 (people cheering) 768 00:44:06,680 --> 00:44:10,120 One of the most scenic stretches of wild river in the world, 769 00:44:11,900 --> 00:44:16,590 the Merced mirrors the lush and serene Yosemite Valley. 770 00:44:16,590 --> 00:44:19,040 (birds chirping) 771 00:44:19,040 --> 00:44:21,710 Once upon a time, there was a sister valley 772 00:44:21,710 --> 00:44:23,570 called Hetch Hetchy, 773 00:44:23,570 --> 00:44:26,510 a Native American word for meadow grass. 774 00:44:27,780 --> 00:44:32,570 This treasure now lies under a reservoir eight miles long, 775 00:44:32,570 --> 00:44:35,460 the park's biggest body of water. 776 00:44:37,040 --> 00:44:39,230 - So we're standing here looking at a reservoir, 777 00:44:39,230 --> 00:44:42,000 which you have to remember would never be built today. 778 00:44:42,000 --> 00:44:44,090 I mean, this is something that 100 years ago, 779 00:44:44,090 --> 00:44:47,690 people had a real different notion of national parks. 780 00:44:47,690 --> 00:44:50,560 - [Narrator] Even then, the dam was controversial. 781 00:44:51,640 --> 00:44:54,060 The saga began in 1906. 782 00:44:56,760 --> 00:45:00,010 In the aftermath of a great quake, 783 00:45:00,010 --> 00:45:02,900 San Francisco burned to the ground. 784 00:45:06,170 --> 00:45:09,030 - And so when some of the architects and engineers 785 00:45:09,030 --> 00:45:12,080 from the city of San Francisco came here to Yosemite, 786 00:45:12,080 --> 00:45:14,650 they saw the mouth of the Tuolumne River 787 00:45:14,650 --> 00:45:16,770 in the Hetch Hetchy Valley, and they had the idea 788 00:45:16,770 --> 00:45:18,360 to build a dam. 789 00:45:19,560 --> 00:45:21,600 - [Narrator] The proposed dam set the stage 790 00:45:21,600 --> 00:45:24,160 for John Muir's most bitter battle, 791 00:45:24,160 --> 00:45:25,630 and a national debate. 792 00:45:28,090 --> 00:45:30,330 - He thought that this was a cathedral, 793 00:45:30,330 --> 00:45:32,340 and to build a dam and fill up this water 794 00:45:32,340 --> 00:45:35,310 was basically like taking a cathedral 795 00:45:35,310 --> 00:45:36,190 and filling it with water, 796 00:45:36,190 --> 00:45:39,560 and it was desecration in its highest form. 797 00:45:40,930 --> 00:45:42,460 - [Narrator] In the end, progress 798 00:45:42,460 --> 00:45:45,000 and sympathy for San Francisco won out. 799 00:45:45,850 --> 00:45:49,900 Building the O'Shaughnessy Dam was a feat of logistics. 800 00:45:51,300 --> 00:45:54,530 Hetch Hetchy was an extremely remote area. 801 00:45:56,270 --> 00:46:00,380 A railroad hauled men and materials up mountainous terrain. 802 00:46:03,150 --> 00:46:07,420 They constructed walls 430 feet high, 803 00:46:07,420 --> 00:46:10,040 and 298 feet thick. 804 00:46:13,810 --> 00:46:18,110 Today, the dam supplies electricity and water 805 00:46:18,110 --> 00:46:22,000 to 2.4 million Bay Area users. 806 00:46:22,000 --> 00:46:24,630 - Residents of San Francisco enjoy some of the cleanest, 807 00:46:24,630 --> 00:46:26,870 purest water there is. 808 00:46:28,870 --> 00:46:30,180 - [Narrator] With no pumps, 809 00:46:30,180 --> 00:46:32,800 the system relies entirely on gravity. 810 00:46:36,210 --> 00:46:39,710 John Muir never lived to see any of it, 811 00:46:39,710 --> 00:46:41,420 but people claim they see his face 812 00:46:41,420 --> 00:46:44,070 in the reservoir's north wall. 813 00:46:48,170 --> 00:46:51,440 Hetch Hetchy may be a 21st century marvel. 814 00:46:52,660 --> 00:46:54,620 Deconstruction of the dam, 815 00:46:54,620 --> 00:46:57,720 and restoration of the valley is being studied. 816 00:46:58,910 --> 00:47:00,470 - The O'Shaughnessy Dam was done by humans, 817 00:47:00,470 --> 00:47:02,900 and it can be undone by humans, 818 00:47:04,070 --> 00:47:07,030 and our plan for restoring the Hetch Hetchy Valley, 819 00:47:07,030 --> 00:47:11,060 it can take about five years to deconstruct the dam, 820 00:47:11,060 --> 00:47:14,360 and the scientists tell us the Hetch Hetchy Valley 821 00:47:14,360 --> 00:47:16,790 will restore itself on its own. 822 00:47:20,250 --> 00:47:21,670 - [Narrator] For John Muir, 823 00:47:21,670 --> 00:47:23,950 going to the mountains was going home. 824 00:47:27,070 --> 00:47:30,120 To represent the state of California on the US quarter, 825 00:47:30,120 --> 00:47:32,630 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger chose images 826 00:47:32,630 --> 00:47:35,660 of Muir, the condor, and Half Dome. 827 00:47:39,600 --> 00:47:41,970 Amid the grandeur of the Sierra Nevada, 828 00:47:43,550 --> 00:47:46,770 the 211 mile John Muir Trail 829 00:47:46,770 --> 00:47:50,750 winds through park lands to wilderness lands. 830 00:47:50,750 --> 00:47:55,290 It's here Muir co-founded the Sierra Club to, in his words, 831 00:47:55,290 --> 00:47:57,380 "Do something for the wilderness, 832 00:47:57,380 --> 00:47:59,490 "and make the mountains glad." 833 00:48:05,430 --> 00:48:08,780 From Glacier Point, it is a glorious sight. 834 00:48:10,850 --> 00:48:15,750 Yosemite today is a haven for black bears and big trees, 835 00:48:15,750 --> 00:48:20,210 rock jocks, scientists, and visitors, and way beyond. 836 00:48:21,330 --> 00:48:24,400 It's the birthplace of a conservation movement 837 00:48:24,400 --> 00:48:26,190 heard round the world. 838 00:48:26,190 --> 00:48:29,020 (dramatic music)