Each September, the Yosemite Climbing Association (YCA) co-partners with the Park Service and other sponsors to hold an annual “Facelift,” a clean-up of the park after the long summer season. This year was the 11th annual Facelift. As part of the event participants (mostly rock-climbers and their friends but many others as well) are offered free camping and evening entertainments, mostly related to climbing, as well as give-away prizes and a raffle. It’s all quite festive!

Lisa and I set up our camp in the Valley on Tuesday evening, then attended the Climbing movie, “Valley Uprising,” which is a summary of Yosemite climbing between 1957 and the present. It was very well attended and most who saw it enjoyed it immensely. But naturally, among climbers, there were all kinds of “suggestions” for improvements. Here’s a link to the official trailer.

Wednesday morning, Lisa and I registered at the registration tent pictured above, then went to pick up trash along Hwy 41 between Bridalveil parking lot and “Tunnel View.” We covered both sides of the road and still had some time to work on the dangerous slope to the north of the parking lot where so many visitors throw the rubbish even though trash and recycling opportunities are a few steps away! Between the two of us, we pick up 4 bags weighing a total of 10 pounds!

 

 

The following day, we returned to “Tunnel View” and finished the job on the north slope below the parking lot. Then we proceeded to Wawona stopping at various turnouts for more rubbish. We also picked up stuff around the Pioneer Center at Wawona and found some interesting scenes that we’d not visited before.

Neither Lisa nor I had visited the covered bridge or historic buildings before.

 

 

On the way back from Wawona, we stopped at the long turnout with its great view of the Valley and pick up trash below the rock wall recovering two more bags full.

The next day, joined by my old friend Joe, his daughter, Kali, and her friend Michael, we went up to Glacier Point and walked down to the Valley via the Panorama Trail, 8 miles downhill mostly.

Lisa at Glacier Point:

There we met other Facelift friends, Michael, Susan, and Irma.

On the way, we got a GREAT VIEW of Illilouette Fall, sparkling in the sunlight, reminding us of the beauty of our waterfalls, even during drought years!

We crossed Illilouette Creek where there was a lovely view upstream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we came closer to Nevada Fall, clouds from the west continued to move into the area.

Kali, Michael, Lisa, and Joe, with Nevada Fall and Liberty Cap to the left.

That night and much of the next day and night, it rained. But more friends gathered and more trash was picked up and removed. On Saturday night there was good party at one of the campgrounds, and on Sunday, soggy but happy we broke camp and went home.