Customer Reviews

Yosemite Valley Secret Places and Magic Moments

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Are you ready for a moonlight drive in Yosemite where the shadows on the granite monoliths speak to you in a way no tour guide could ever do? Are you tired of bumper-to-bumper traffic where 95% of windshield tourists never get within a mile of their vehicles? Are you ready to experience a mystical bond with Yosemite, perhaps reaching the level of the bond John Muir reached in his relationship with the park? Then Phil Arnot's book is just for you. Arnot reveals secret places in Yosemite where one can be truly alone and one with the wilderness to experience the mystic beauty of Yosemite. Arnot shares his most memorable walks and experiences in the park and tells how you might also experience the magic of Yosemite away from crowds and noise. He includes descriptions of walks, drives, quotations from John Muir, and photos. This book is a break away from the traditional tourist guidebook. Highly recommended to anyone wishing a different type of experience with Yosemi! te.

This whole book feels very dated, something out of the 80s.

I ordered this book before a three-day trip up to Yosemite. I had been there several times, but it was all over fifteen years ago. I was hoping the book would provide some interesting places to visit. Unfortunately, it is woefully out of date. Some examples: Mirror Lake. Arnot's book describes the place as "still living up to its name," and "Standing on the southwest shore early in the morning, and sometimes later in the day, you will observe Half Dome and Ahwiyah Point perfectly reflected on the placid surface of the lake." The fact is, Mirror Lake has been a meadow for over a decade now. There is no lake anymore. Then there's the lack of information about the flooding that occurred in 1997, and how NPS decided to close the two river campgrounds rather than repair them.

The photos are old, and the only help it comes with is a detailed description of the rock formations, which, of course, haven't changed much at all -- which is why I gave it two stars instead of one.