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Yosemite February 14-22, 2019
Millerton Lake
Millerton Lake State Park (The boat launch area is the only campground open in the winter, most the RVs pay $40 a night for full hook ups,  I paid $28 a night for mine including a whopping $2 off for seniors)
Found the pot at the end of the rainbow (or potty?)	The hills are greening up
Hiding out at Millerton waiting for the storms of the last 4 days to clear up for a couple days before the next ones. Decided not to mess around with Wawona which is getting some serious snow. The Upper Pines campground in the valley has been closed for days, maybe going on a week or more. It is the only one in the valley you can get in with a trailer in the winter.
Table Mountain and Chukchansi Indian Casinos. (Wish I was and Indian, they must be rich, or at least their backers are)
Bass Lake (North side is developed, south side is campgrounds and day use. Saw one campground that may have been open but didn't want to chance getting more snow dumped on it. 30 miles closer to Yosemite than Millerton)
Yosemite
Upper Yosemite Falls
After waiting in the rain for four days at Millerton Lake, I tried to drive up 41 through the south gate but the idiots had the road all messed up. People bringing their kids up to the snow and what ever. People thinking they didn't need chains until they were skidded across the road blocking traffic or deciding to put chains on in the middle of the road instead of using the chaining areas. Lucky if we were doing 10 mph at the fastest. Just before Fish Camp there was a long line of stopped vehicles so I turned around and went the long way through Mariposa and the Portal. At least the chains weren't required until in the valley. (My 4 wheel drive with snow tires didn't require chains).
Exit View       (A picture no tourist can do without)	Tunnel View     (A picture no tourist can do without)
Bridalveil Falls
When I went into the valley on Monday (Presidents Day) I had every intention of setting up a tent camp at Camp 4. Our usual camp Upper Pines had been closed for a week because of the storms. The ticket taker at the entry kiosk said they had a lot of problems with downed trees. The way they have been massively  logging the campground for the past few years probably changed the wind patterns. That and there had been several feet of  heavy wet snow in each of the last two storms. He also said he thought Camp 4 was closed also. Might as well have been. Every since the moron published the Firefall (Horsetail Falls on El Capitan) story the President's Day time frame has become a zoo. For 25 to 30 years it had been a good time to go to Yosemite, nice and quiet. The usually snow less years lately have only encouraged the day crowds and this President's Day was a rare good day in a series of storms. We usually are down at the other end of the valley in Upper Pines and don't have to deal with it. I had even brought a plastic toboggan to help bring my gear into camp but couldn't find anywhere to park. Showing up in the late afternoon on a good weather day was a mistake. I have seen more available parking in June during heavy traffic. Every parking area and pull out I  saw in the valley was full.
Camp 4	Wawona Campground
Last year I left the trailer at Wawona and split time with a tent camped in the valley. I didn't feel like putting chains on the trailer so left it at Millerton Lake and did day trips into the park. The only place in the valley for non tent camping was closed. Besides no one was camping at Wawona and I saw no one towing a trailer on the R2 chain requirement roads.
Mariposa Grove of giant sequoia hadn't been open in years. Even though it was only two days since the last heavy snow the trail was well traveled for the 2.2 miles. There was about 3 foot of snow on the road compared with the 2 foot in Wawona Campground. (Although the roofs of some of their multi million dollar reconstruction which closed the grove for several years indicate about 5 feet on them.)
Recently built Mansion next to snowed in trailhead parking	First people I had seen camping at Wawona Campground
I had planned on snow shoeing out Glacier Point Road since the web cam showed people skiing at Badger Pass with blue skies. Ran into snow squalls below Fish Camp, and at Wawona the sign said chains required 4 miles ahead. 4 wheel drive wasn't exempt and since I hadn't had to chain up before that I didn't feel like doing it. I tried to hike the trail out of Wawona but they hadn't cleared any place to park. Hiked a little in the closed loops of Wawona Campground.
I bid a fond a do to Yosemite for the trip
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