The Bride of Yosemite Service Project and Camping Trip (now with less fire!)

Come join your fellow RPCVs in the breathtaking Yosemite Valley!

Though the original dates were canceled due to the Ferguson Fire, we are taking part in a Yosemite Beautification Service Project in November. Please note that this trip runs Saturday to Monday, and that it will be a bit chillier in November than in July. And might rain. Or snow. But we're sure it won't be on fire this time.
And as every Peace Corps Volunteer (and the occasional field mouse) has learned, a well laid plan and good intentions never go awry!

DETAILS:

• Group Name: Northern California Peace Corps Association (yeay!)
• Work Schedule: Sunday, Nov 11, 9 am to 3 pm
• Max number of participants: 30
• Campground Assigned: Yellow Pine
• Campsite Check-In Date: Saturday, Nov 10, 12PM
• Campsite Departure Date: Monday, Nov 12, 12PM
• Work Project: Yosemite Beautification with volunteer staff! 

Yosemite may not seem like it needs any help in the beauty department, but 4 million people visit each year and that leaves an impact. We'll be helping Yosemite keep its natural pristine splendor. The workday is Saturday from 9am to 3pm, and the rest of the weekend is free for hiking and gawking at big rocks.

Many thanks to RPCVs Sally Kintner Martinez and Sandy Hernandez at the Yosemite Volunteer Program for setting up this unique volunteer event!

RSVP:
There is a 2-step process to reserve your spot! RSVP'ing on this page does not guarantee you a spot!

1. RSVP here on this NorCal PCA Events page
   1. But you're not done yet...
   2. You'll get an e-mail with a link to the Google Sheet
   3. If you don't receive this e-mail, check the email that your NorCal PCA account is associated with. Contact me if you have any issues 
2. Follow the link to the Google Sheet and add your name on the "Roll Call" tab.
   1. Only one name per line please!
   2. If you're one of the lucky first 30, then you have secured your spot!
   3. If not, please add you name to the Wait List - there's a good chance more room will open up in the coming months.

Sorry for the confusing process, but we have a hard cap of 30 participants allowed at the campsite, and in the Service Project.

Partner/kids are welcome (unless your media pseudonym is Octomom - then you may need to leave 3/4's of your brood at home). You can add them in the Google Sheet.
Children need to be over 5 years old to participate. (If your child is under 5 but is demonstrably superior to all their peers, we might be able to apply for an exemption).
Keep in mind that it will probably be chilly at night (low 30's or below) in mid-November, and possibly rain/snow.

WEATHER:
Weather in November is highly variable. It may be nice and sunny, or cold and raining/snowing. Be ready for all eventualities.
The historical average temp in Yosemite Valley on this site has daytime highs up mid-50's, and nighttime low's of low 30's:
https://www.myyosemitepark.com/park/average-temps-and-precipitation

CAMPSITE:
Yellow Pine campground is the only group campground in Yosemite Valley, and only people on official Service Trips are allowed to use it. We will even receive park entry passes for the carpool drivers. Yellow Pine is much more secluded and tranquil (when not occupied by RPCVs) than the tent cities elsewhere in the Valley. It's a semi-secret and highly sought after campground, so we are very fortunate to have this opportunity. This will be car camping (as opposed to backpacking) - we will sleep in tents, but our cars are nearby.

CARPOOL:
We can have up to 30 people, but the amount of parking is limited, so carpooling is highly encouraged. There is a self-organizing carpool list on a Google doc for those that register. For each person that doesn't carpool, an Al Gore loses his wings.

GEAR:
Bring your own camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, headlamp, etc). Please dress in layers, and be ready for possible hot days and cold nights. Most likely it will be cold at night in November. It may also rain or snow, so be ready for that. Try to avoid cotton clothes because cotton offers zero insulating value when wet, and will increase risk of hypothermia. Synthetic materials (such as polyester, polypropylene, nylon, fleece) or wool insulate much better in wet conditions.
The Google doc has a section for people to list extra gear they could loan out, or whether they need gear. Feel free to contact me if you need more info about what to bring.

FOOD:
We (collectively) are bringing and cooking our own food. We will organize communal cooking teams on the Google Sheet ("Meals" tab).
Make sure you sign up for helping with at least one meal. And put your dietary restrictions on the Sheet, so that we can plan the meals accordingly.

GOOGLE SHEET:
This is the only way to reserve your spot! and arrange carpool/food duty
Have you seen the words Google Sheet a lot? I don't work for Google, but these sharable online documents are a convenient way to organize group trips like this. After you register for the trip here, I'll send you an invite to edit the Sheet. You can add your name to the official roster, and organize carpool and food details there.
If you have a suggestion for a better way to organize these trips, please let me know!

Wow, are you still reading this? Congratulations! 

Do you still have questions about camping? Please contact Dave Chang (Mali '04-'06 Ag) at bananamano at yahoo dot com.