I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seethed in impotent rage at having to put up with large Ponderosa pines blocking my inalienable right to soak up all there is to see at Yosemite’s Tunnel View. Finally, this crime against humanity has been corrected, Yosemite blog reports:
I wish I could have been at Tunnel View today to photograph the historic moment, but I wasn’t. They cut three large ponderosa pines down that have been blocking the view for many years.
All that is left are the stumps, and for now, the lingering scent of pine sap.
Those old behemoths were handsome in their own way, yes, but my gods, the view now is stunning. I made a point of taking a picture from each block along the low wall.
Finally these insidious, intemperate pines have been moved to a better place: the woodpile!
From my archives, an example of these trees’ insufferable habits before common sense and chainsaw took over:
I have only one thing to say to these trees: How dare they?
Tree lover that I am, I lilve on a hillside with a splendid view of SF Bay – but two old similar pines, at the end of their life cycle, are blocking a good part of the magnificent sweeping view, and I wish they’d be cut down . . .before toppling over in a storm and causing damage. Open up the view for Gambolin’ Man!
In the words of Homer J. Simpson, “It’s about time trees were good for something, instead of just standing there like jerks!”
The view at the tunnel parking lot has always been fantastic. The only reason for cutting down the trees is to facilitate massive crowds all having a view at once. You can also walk right across the road to the Pohono trailhead and hike up above the trees. They keep trying to accommodate bigger and bigger crowds in the valley, and it’s already a traffic nightmare in the summer. The valley has smog now. John Muir must be rolling in his grave.
I’m pissed.
Those were wonderful, big old trees. So what if one had to move to one side to see the full view – you could see it just fine.
When I first photographed that place I was bothered by having to work around the trees. Eventually I figured out how to include them in the photos and I came to love their presence.
What the hell was the NPS thinking!?
Dan
They were beautiful large ponderosa, but Tunnel View is a historic site and the NPS has the mandate to preserve cultural resources. These trees grew in manmade fill (the granite spoils of tunnel excavation) since the overlook was constructed 80 years ago. In order to properly maintain the historic integrity of this wonderful site, the NPS removed the trees, thereby restoring the historic view. Now, visitors can spread out along the sidewalk and see the view as the site design originally intended.