Moving into Yosemite's Camp 4.
This is the second essay in a series about living in Yosemite National Park. Read the first essay for the whole story.
OSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, California — When I arrive at Yosemite's famous Camp 4, considered the birthplace of modern rock climbing, I see almost 100 tents strewn across a bevy of campsites with international climbers milling about speaking German, French, Spanish, Japanese, and even Arabic. I check in with the Park Ranger, and she tells me that for five dollars per night, I'll be sharing campsite 13 with five other strangers. That's only one dollar per stranger, I think. I pay her and walk across the Camp, past a plaque telling me that I'm in a Historic Place on the National Register. I learn that Camp 4 served as a temporary home for many pioneering rock climbers during Yosemite's climbing golden age in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. Swiss climber John Salathe, considered the father of American climbing, and pioneering California climbers Royal Robbins and Warren Harding, stayed at Camp 4 during this time.
Read the next essay in this series, in which Hank makes some new friends, including a hair-stylist-bear-chaser.
I'm a filmmaker, writer, and travel addict. I've traveled to over 50 countries while writing this travelogue. I want to eat anything blueberry flavored. I am a secret introvert. I miss The X-Files and Friday Night Lights.