NEED Transportation from Valley to Lake Tenaya - 9/22!

[spencermartin22]

Good afternoon,

First time poster here looking for some help, so forgive me if this has already been addressed ad nauseam.

Long story short, I'm looking for in park transportation from Yosemite Valley to Lake Tenaya on Saturday morning September 22nd.

When we planned/booked this trip back in May/June, we planned to use the backpackers shuttle from the Valley to Tuolumne. When I went to reserve our spots yesterday, I found the website had been updated to show that it would stop running this Saturday (sept 16th). I immediately went and called about 30 businesses (taxi, charter, guides, gear stores, etc.) to try and find someone who could do it and quickly found out this wasnt going to be easy. I've only been able to find about 3 or 4 options, all of which were north of $500.

Our other option is to take 2 cars and pick it up after our trip (which is ending in Yosemite Valley), but we are really trying to get around a 4 hour drive right after a 4 day backpacking trip.

So naturally, I am here trying to find a cheaper alternative and hoping someone who reads this may already be heading up that way on Saturday or might head up that way for some extra cash.

Thanks in advance!

Spencer

[Phil]

Yes, Aramark is really dropping the ball with the entire shuttle thing.

Well, your best bet is going to be to try to hitch a ride from the Valley at the backpackers parking area near Happy Isles. Flash that $20 or two for attention, and don't be afraid to beg a ride directly. With two people, this is usually better than standing on the side of the road.

As an alternative, first go complain to the rangers at the office about Aramark dropping the ball on the entire shuttle thing, then adjust your schedule to a Sunday the 23rd departure with a couple new walk-up permits for the same route (40% of the quota). At 5pm Saturday evening, then catch the YARTS shuttle from the Valley Visitor's Center up to Tuolumne and spend the night at the backpackers camp (last night of the season: 09/23) and hit your trailhead the next morning.

[spencermartin22]

Thanks Phil!

Definitely finding the right person(s) to file a complaint with. Especially since they are shutting the shuttle down a week before the campground closes! Persistence paid off for me in the end. After about 30-35 calls with local companies, I finally found someone to take us up there for about $40 a head (6 of us all together). Not too bad considering the Shuttle fare would have been $12.50 a head.

If I couldn't make that work, we were already going to be in the Valley two nights ahead of time, so I was planning on making as many friends as required to get us up there!

[dan]

Write a letter to the National Park Service Yosemite National Park headquarters at

PO Box 577
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389

https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/manageme ... ntract.htm

That is more effective than a verbal complaint at a visitor desk or a phone call.