Jane V - Spur of the Moment
“The first summer after we had moved to Redwood City, California in 1959, we had a call from my cousin Virginia Pile saying that she was visiting from Minneapolis and was staying with a mutual cousin David and family who lived in East Bay. She thought it would be fun if we would come for dinner on Friday night. This was a pleasant surprise and we happily accepted the invitation. During the dinner conversation, David said that they were going to spend the weekend in Yosemite National Park. On the spur of the moment, David invited us to go along. At this time, we had no camping gear and no time to buy any. They were leaving in the morning. They said that we could bring blankets and sleep in the back of his truck.”
Jane V - Heading to Yosemite
“We got up bright and early and drove to Yosemite to meet the cousins in Curry Village Campground. We found them and then looked for a place to camp. It was full but we did manage to find a rather dilapidated, empty table and immediately cleaned it. And as much extra space as it was available. There were no specific campsites. People put up ropes and blankets to stake out their camping area. Times have definitely changed for the better. We were only staying for one night so we could put up with the less than perfect situation. We got settled and began exploring and exclaiming over the beautiful scenery, especially the waterfall.”
Jane V - Firefall
“After I make do dinner, David told us that we must watch the firefall which would happen at 9 PM. We went to a clearing and faced Glacier Point. At 9 PM someone from the campground shouted, “let the fire fall!” It really did! From the top of glacier point unseen hands pushed fire over the edge of the cliff. It fell in a cascade of fire from 900 feet above to the bottom of the valley floor. It was a wondrous spectacle and one that I have never forgotten. It was definitely the highlight of the trip.”
Transcription and Audio Edit by Ileana Chavez and Samantha Alcaraz.