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the stoked dane
Trad climber
colfax, ca
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 25, 2012 - 01:50pm PT
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I am taking the kids to the valley next week. I would love to take them to the Indian Caves, but the beta on how to find them has always been a bit sketchy.
Does anyone have boomproof beta on their location ? Photos would be even better. Thanks for your help !
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enjoimx
Trad climber
Kirkwood, ca
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Mar 25, 2012 - 01:52pm PT
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Why not just keep the beta sketchy?
Have fun looking. Maybe you'll find something even better?
Explore.
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Mar 25, 2012 - 02:05pm PT
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They do appear on some maps. Exactly. I'm not saying...But...for the kids:
Take the bus system to the Ahwahnee. The follow the main trail east under the Royal Arches. When you get to the trail to the stables that goes to the right, go left and explore the giant talus. The caves are shelter created by giant piles of rocks. They are not tunnels.
The more you explore the more the Valley (or Earth for that matter) the more she reveals her secrets.
It is filled with artifacts of men and of nature.
Some other great spots are:
The spring the Ron Kauk says is the best spot in the Valley.
The site of John Muir's cabin.
The place where John Muir probably discovered the obvious signs of glaciation in the Valley thus disproving Whitney's theory that the Valley was formed in cataclysmic drop.
Sierra Point - more info on SummitPost.com
My next goal is to find Tucker's secret cave.
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Risk
Mountain climber
Olympia, WA
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Mar 25, 2012 - 03:13pm PT
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For a long time I thought the caves were just the huge boulders on the flats with overhangs that would be fair shelter near the Ahwahnee bike path and Stables/Mirror Lake junction (used to be a shuttle bus stop), but then I took the time to explore above the boulders. There are several openings that lead into a maze of passages beneath the talus field. Some openings are really obvious. We found one room to be probably 30 feet across. It is really dirty, totally dark, and some of the passages very tight. Not a place to be in an earthquake. One of the most obvious starts out as a small hole but opens up into a steep and big hole with several options once to the bottom; it's up a few hundred feet from one of the main gullies leading up from the flat area where the big boulders area. Spooky down in there.
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M. Volland
Trad climber
Grand Canyon
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Mar 25, 2012 - 11:46pm PT
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TM is right. I've always felt the overhangs were less spectacular than the actual underground rooms that can be found higher up in the talus. The best one I've been in is in the talus on the east side of the column. There is a great finger crack (5.10ish) on the south side of a nearby boulder. That's the only way I can find it.
But if you are with young kids, an outing to the overhangs should be just fine. Even if you don'tknow exactly where they are, the exploring in that area is mellow as the ground around the overhangs is well travelled. No scrambling required.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Mar 25, 2012 - 11:47pm PT
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What about the cave that Chicken Skinner lived in for a year or two, behind Currie? Anyone know where that is?
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Risk
Mountain climber
Olympia, WA
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Mar 26, 2012 - 01:49am PT
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The caves and sheltered boulders behind Curry are many and pretty nice. Take a stroll back behind the (former) Terrace for a look. BITD, one poor unnamed soul stashed a huge wad of airplane cash back there only to find it a week later chewed up and made into a rodents nest!
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dr. juicer kaniglio
Trad climber
san diego, ca
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Mar 26, 2012 - 10:42pm PT
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Id say pretty much near impossible to find the "real" indian caves unless you are shown. The general area has been mentioned already and is easy to locate. The official indian cave has a rather small non descript opening which would be hard to find and easily overlooked. That said the whole area is cool for kids with many small caves to play around.
There are many many caves in the Washington column area and East of WC. None see much traffic and some are virtually unknown about. That is by far my favorite part of the valley and I have explored every inch and spent countless days enjoying the peace and quit. Some of the caves there I can guess go years or decades without visitation. That area is magic and Im not a big fan of the valley in general but there are sooo many sweet spots out there and that area has a real good pure vib. If you happen upon the cave with Coltons bolted sport route and the off width Big Black Mama, your in Juicers cave. Im Juicer:)
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dr. juicer kaniglio
Trad climber
san diego, ca
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Mar 26, 2012 - 10:48pm PT
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...and in response to an earlier post. There are most certainly caves with long deep tunnels. If there is not a tunnel it is not the "official" indian caves. But again the entrances are very obscure.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Mar 26, 2012 - 11:04pm PT
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Tucker told me his cave was over near the base of the Sentinel. I remember saying goodbye a night or two as we split after the Mountain Room bar, he for his cave and I for Camp 4. I believe he lived there for four years, when he worked in the theatre behind the visitors' centre - his employer did knott provide him with employee housing.
I bet it's a pretty bitchin' cave!
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Dapper Dan
Trad climber
Menlo Park
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Mar 27, 2012 - 12:56am PT
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There's a cool cave on the trail to lower Yos. Falls , on the left . I believe it is called spider caves . The Yos. Institute take their kids there . It's pretty much a cave , dark , wet , hidden . I heard it said that it was hiding place for Indians when the cavalry was kicking them out of the valley...
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WBraun
climber
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Mar 27, 2012 - 01:04am PT
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Hidden caves meh ....
no one knows where the Harpole cave is .....
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karodrinker
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Mar 27, 2012 - 02:56am PT
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kc
Trad climber
the cats
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Mar 27, 2012 - 11:00am PT
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Oooooo!
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Mar 27, 2012 - 12:48pm PT
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The first time I slept a night in a Yosemite cave I was paranoid about bears and spiders. An article had just come out in a science journal about the discovery of a new species of spider endemic to Yosemite talus caves, and the photo of the albino exoskeleton kept running through my head all night.
Now sleeping in a new-to-me cave is one of my favorite experiences of the Valley. It's the yang to the yin of sleeping on a portaledge. Cave sleeping: not just for the year-rounders. Even us city pukes can sleep in caves.
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originalpmac
Mountain climber
Anywhere I like
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Mar 27, 2012 - 02:22pm PT
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Juicers cave. I know that spot. Had a real good night dancing on the rocks up there. We shoulda dosed those idiot Brits. Cheers Juicer!
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
bouldering
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Mar 27, 2012 - 04:21pm PT
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There's a nice little room in the talus behind the chapel.
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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Mar 27, 2012 - 05:49pm PT
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no one knows where the Harpole cave is .....
I'll bet Harpole knows where it is...
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On-Site Flasher 69
Sport climber
Riverside
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Mar 27, 2012 - 06:14pm PT
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Jucier's cave is one of the most awesome caves I've ever been in. Its right off the trail, but you can still manage to have raging parties with zero chance of ranger danger. The sport climb on the outside is also really rad, though I don't think it has seen a first accent.
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dr. juicer kaniglio
Trad climber
san diego, ca
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Mar 28, 2012 - 12:44am PT
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Ya cheers gentlemen! I dont recall any idiot brits but ya shoulda dosed em! Many a lovingly rowdy night out there in and near me cave with the homies and homettes. A sunrise or two... Keep the spirits high for me, im not gonna make it to the park this year:( Aahh man. Goood times. Peace and love yall
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