Was Hetch Hetchy Valley as stunning as Yosemite? John Muir thought so. Some say Muir died of a broken heart when he heard his beloved Hetch Hetchy valley would be flooded to provide water and electricity for the San Francisco Bay Area.
Hetch Hetchy in Spring
Muir, founder of the Sierra Club who is known as Father of the National Parks has written lyrically about the area. Iconic painters of the Western landscape, Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Hill painted it. I was eager to see it. Last week I hiked the Rancheria trail along the 8 mile expanse of water.
Crossing the concrete O’Shaunessy Dam I walked through a wet tunnel and came out onto a sunlit, sheltered trail. Instant gratification! Bright green ferns and moss covered granite rocks. Clumps of blue lupin lined the path.
Snow Melt and Waterfalls
The trail follows the perimeter of the water. About 2 1/2 miles along are the Wapama Falls where series of wooden bridges cross a tumble of boulders and rushing water.The roar of water in full spate from melting snow was deafening. Rainbows glistened as sun met mist.
Swallowtails, Bears and Falcons
Butterflies were everywhere attracted to the spring wildflowers. Some had bright blue wings. I disturbed a Swallowtail on the path sucking moisture.
The trail was rocky with few people, especially after Wapama Falls. One couple told me there was a bear sighting, I also heard there was a Peregrine Falcon nest high in the rocks at the Wapama Falls.
6,000 Years of History
Before Euro-Americans came looking for gold and a place to graze livestock, American Indians lived in the valley for more than 6,000 years. The name, Hetch Hetchy, is probably a derivation of the Miwok word Hatchhatchie, or edible grass.
John Muir called it the Tuolumne Yosemite, after the river which once freely flowed through it. He described the valley with its: “crystal river, sublime rocks and waterfalls…gardens, groves and meadows of its flower park-like floor.”
I was entranced by my hike among the beauty of spring flowers, butterflies and waterfalls. It was also a pristine trail. Yosemite Conservancy estimates 5 million visitors will visit Yosemite Valley this year. I am so happy to have found Yosemite’s other valley.
Earth Day, 2016
