Dude, with every shot I see of you walking I just think, "damn now he has to go back down and get the camera." Makes this video even that much more impressive!
I read about this trail back in the 1970’s, that’s also when I found out about the beautiful Sierra Point Trail, the only place to see four waterfalls at one time!
Literally, dude goes I would never walk down this part of the trail and proceeds to leave the camera for the epic shot. Oh well gotta love it such a sick video.
Thank you for the great memories! I am now 74, and did this hike in the early '70s with my then boyfriend and a fellow Curry Co. employee. All three of us were on our day off from our jobs in the valley, and only decided to do this hike the day before we did it. Stupidly, we didn't prep at all, probably didn't take enough hydration or food, and really didn't know what was in store for us. I think I was more afraid of being caught by the rangers than I was of any potential dangers. It was late spring, early summer, and the weather was perfect. Most of the trail from about 1/4 way up was soggy, slippery and extremely slippery. The views were fantastic! Once at the top, we rested before making our descent via the four-mile trail. Never once did we even consider the risks involved, and were only elated that we never got caught by rangers, and of course, proud of having been able to climb this route successfully. Thank you for jogging my memory of this hike, which I hadn't thought about in over 50 years. As a grandmother now, it's a memory I can share with my grandchildren--with a warning that they shouldn't engage in such risky behavior without proper preparation. Yes, for those who are sticklers about rules, there were no signs that forbade using that trail. The signs simply alerted hikers to the fact that it's dangerous and should not be attempted, but no warning at all that it's forbidden. When you're young, sometimes the forbidden fruit is the sweetest of all.
GREAT VIDEO! A memory almost forgotten. In the mid 50's while in high school a date and I and some friends hiked up the ledge trail, had lunch at the long-gone Glacier Point Hotel and returned to the valley by the 4-mile trail. We were all camped at camp 11, now known as Upper Pines. The trail at that time was identified as closed and dangerous. We found it well marked with the orange arrows which were easy to follow. Not nearly as overgrown as in your video. Several years later when I worked for the Curry Company in the park, I participated in actually pushing the real fire fall off of Glacier Point. I visited Yosemite every year of my life from 1 yr old to 75. Last visit 4 yrs ago was disappointing with the busses, crowds and rude foreign tourists. Planning to visit again in Sping 2025 (If I live that long and can get a reservation)
Your film is a keepsake for me, personally. I never knew what or exactly where I had climbed years ago, until I saw this. Thank you for this marvelous effort. On a summer camping trip, out of Virginia, I dragged a girlfriend up this hike in 1978. Neither I nor especially she had an idea what we were in for. We never saw a marker, we just looked up from the valley and thought "yeah, that looks do-able". We were surprised by the difficulty, but committed to the summit, and ranged around probably on and off the route. Ending up too tired to hike the alternate trail down, we hitch hiked back to the valley floor. A personal epic, which lived only in my memory till now.
Been doing the trail since I was a kid. Now 75 and have fond memories. Come from a family of Yosemite employees. Trailhead behind cabin 82a/b. Last time up was in 1990. Went up with brother. Did a lot of bushwhacking. We knew where the ducks were. The climb is class 2 in places and will blow your knees out if you are not in climbing shape. Be careful on the shale. Take water and protein. DON'T DESCEND. Use the 7 mile trail. Takes a full day.👋👱♀️🇺🇲
Before the GP Hotel burned down, the workers lived up at GP, some w children. The school kids walked down this trail to school..which was across the valley near Yosemite Falls. They walked back up in the afternoon. Hard to believe what good shape these kids were in! Five days a week. What a great video Pal! Thank you for giving us this. What a man.
Wow that was a great story! I am no longer able to attempt this extreme adventure, and after watching this I am grateful that you did this for us ! Thank you !
Hey. 18 Year-Old Eagle Scout here. Two years ago, when i was sixteen and got my license, me and 3 of my pals (all experienced backpackers, and Boy Scouts) decided to hike this trail. Terrifying, but really scenic and cool. We did our research, and packed lightly, with a bit of extra water supply. Thankfully, said streams were not dry, and we got free water. I’ve been on many hikes, but this was one of my favorites. Coming from someone who has hiked at Yosemite, Yellowstone, Badlands, and Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. Thanks for this video and taking me back here. :)
I was a dirtbag in 1972. Lived in a tent for a year. Bev Johnson was the ranger who collected from those camping there. Because I was part of the rescue camp (with John Dill), she would not charge us. Best year of my life. Old school techniques, pitons. I was only 18 years old and did the triple direct route on El Cap. Failed on 3 attempts before I did it. Amazing climb.
Met and climbed with a lot of the now famous climbers of the “Golden Age” as it is now referred to. It was a magical year for sure. Free and easy. Rangers did not act like cops on the hunt. Climbing was pretty much unregulated and not really a sport like it is today. There was no such thing as a “climbing gym”. We all worked out hard but in a very different style. Our gear was archaic by today’s new toys and tools. No such thing as a cam device. On a big wall, we carried a LOT of heavy steel pitons and the climbing was slow. We needed a lot of water too which was heavy. Porta ledge? No such thing. We slept on a ledge of a flimsy hammock. All together, I spent about 15 days on the face of El Cap in 4 attempts. Only succeeded on the last try. 3 injuries that required difficult raps. No rescue, we saved ourselves.
@@arboristBlairGlenn I was just thinking it's a shame cameras weren't more prevalent at the time, but then I thought, no, just as modern gear has changed the experience, making movies would have changed the experience for you all as well, and probably not in a positive way.
We were there in those same years, early to mid 70s.. I asked YTV and I'll ask you, too: A Curry employee told me about a backcountry spot he called Shangri-La. Know where that is? I was too out of it to ask for details! He talked about it having interesting rock formations. Unusual for YNP, I know.
@@thomasyates3078 I had a Minolta set 101 film camera but film and developing was expensive so not a lot of photos. Glen Denny was the primary climbing photographer back then.
My parents did the ledge trail in 45 or 46 BEFORE they were married in 1946. My mom beat my dad to the top, and beat him to the bottom of the trail. That was the clincher. They were happily married for over 65 years👍. Yosemite our family favorite spot since then.
My mother and aunt did this as teenagers back when it was open, probably late 1930s. Mom said it was terrifying and crawled at times (with her sister encouraging her on)! I searched extensively and finally found an 1918 Yosemite topo with the trail indicated.
Thanks for posting. In late May '76 taking a year traveling after college, my buddy, Joel, and I got waiter jobs at the Ahwahnee Hotel which gave us employee accomodations in Curry Village with meal cards to eat anywhere in Yosemite Village. We didn't know much about preparation but decided to hike the Ledge Trail as it was the quickest and shortest hike to Glacier Point. This was our first hike in Yosemite. We had a big breakfast, loaded up with fruit, candy bars and water bottles in our Northface knapsacks and headed out behind Curry Village at 7 AM. We were warned that the trail was closed and dangerous but were were 21 years old and uninitiated. Great hike and before you know it your coming through the trees in a glorious nature hike only to see all the tourist who drove up! Weird. We hung around for an hour or so and hiked down the stairs to the Mist Trail ending at Sunny Isles. We were hooked. A couple of days later we hikes up the Half Dome cables starting out at 6:30 and coming back down at 8 PM as it was getting quite dark. I'm 70 now and Joel has since passed. Thanks for the memories.
I've hiked this trail 3 times; the first time in 1968, with my girlfriend (and later to be my wife) and the last time in 1983. We started by the tent cabins in Curry Village at the base of a large rock slide. The slide started at tent cabin 108 (old numbering system). At the top of the slide we began to see the orange and yellow paint marks on the rocks before the sign shown at time marker 5:25. Just past the sign began the scramble up the apron. Footing was very tricky as there were places where no traction was available in spots and we were poorly prepared footwear wise. We were following the paint past Staircase Creek/Falls. The big tree above the turning point (Moran Point) we called "Turning Point Tree" The trail up from there was so overgrown that we ended up using old wires from probably from either communications or electrical lines to pull ourselves up the rest of the way. The trail intersects with the Four Mile Trail near the top and the sign at time marker 12:16 marks said intersection. There was an arrow pointing down the Ledge Trail in that orange and yellow paint with the date "1963", which told me that the trail was marked at that time. Interestingly enough, the paint on the trail could only be seen when going up hill. After my first ascent of the trail, I went to the visitors center and was directed to a research library within the NPS adjacent building to seek information on the trail. I found out that the trail was 1.75 miles in length and climbed 3200' from Curry to Glacier Point, and was comprised of mainly steps. It was designated as a one-way only trail (up) because of the poor footing and that if anyone lost their footing, there would be no stopping them on the trip down. That, in fact, did happen in 1958 when someone slipped near the top and took out another hiker further down. The second time I went up, it was with a couple of park rangers who had heard about the trail but didn't know how to access it in 1970 or so. The last time i went up with a friend, we found most of the paint marking at the Turning Point Tree and it was a bit easier to negotiate, but from the first warning sign to the turning point, the trail past Staircase Creek had detoriated to the point that I knew that 1983 would be my last trip up that trail. Great video; it brought back a lot of good memories.
@@yosemite-tv: If you still actively hike old trails out of the valley, there’s one that goes from behind the hospital, up Indian Canyon, and connects with the North Dome Trail. It follows a creek up to a group of three steel ladders and follows an old fat communication cable. It was probably a maintenance trail. When we met the North Dome Trail, we elected to go west and come down the Yosemite Falls Trail (127 switchbacks). We could have gone east and come down the Snow Creek Trail. Another cool unknown trail.
Doesn't sound like it's changed all that much in the last 40 years! The upper chute is an avalanche chute so I think what's left of the improvements are just slowly getting scraped away each year. There's still those communication wires but only in two spots near the bottom of the chute that I saw. They were helpful and still solid last year. Hard to tell what was gone vs just overgrown and hidden further up. Once was plenty for me! It's not that hard, technically, it's just a mess.
Congrats on your climb and great video. I still remember the orange arrows! I did the ledge trail in the spring of ‘89 with a full pack. GP road was still closed so we spent the night in the geological hut. Came down 4mi trail the next day. Still ranks as one of the most epic hikes I’ve done in Yosemite.
Wow!! In a lot of those shots I don't even know how you could keep track of where you were even though there were a few signs etc.glad you made it safely.😊
Looked like steep class 1/2 bushy beautiful slog. Any route in national park like Yosemite that avoids all the people seems AMAZING!!!! Cool vid thanks.
Beautiful, unique views, and not that technically hard at all. But not very fun! Given your name though, it might be right up your alley, or avalanche chute in this case. 😅
Outstanding video ! Absolutely beautiful and what an absolutely incredible magnificent trail ! Possibly the most interesting hiking video in Yosemite I have watched so far ! And it must be underlined that you absolutely and clearly DON'T induce, compell nor encourage the viewers to try this trail. All the opposite, you clearly warn us NOT TO try hiking it, neither upwards nor downwards. What was a big surprise to me was to realize that to crown this very remote and wild itinerary, you summit just to very next meet a restaurant with a parking lot filled with cars who ascended the peak by a road leading there from the other side. BUT I want to aknowledge as well the huge amount of work you dedicated to shoot this magnificent video, I mean how many times you had to position your camera somewhere to film yourself climbing a few steps more. That is a lot of work and certainly increased the energy you spent to hike this steep trail. BUT the result was well worth it because you got one of the most beautiful hiking videos I ever watched, no kidding. I would select this Yosemite wild trail one thousand times over Zion angels' landing.
I love all of the Ledge Trail videos where the dudes say: "Don't Attempt to Walk DOWN the Ledge Trail." Which just makes me want to hike down the Ledge Trail.
On second thought, I took the OP's advice and downloaded a copy of Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite. I'm not nearly finished with it, but I no longer want hike down the Ledge Trail. I don't even want to hike to the garden in my backyard!
I go to Yosemite every late Feb, this year it was snow covered and it looked like a fairytale. That last footage you showed was simply beautiful. Thanks for a great vid. 🏔️
Awesome hike. I have eyed that route for years (decades, actually) thinking it should be doable but never having the guts to try it. I never knew it was once a recognized trail. Well done. Got to live it vicariously, at least. I know that calf cramp from a few marathons years ago. It takes hold and won’t let! Again, Bravo.
Thank you very much for your effort. This was a super cool and what looked like grueling hike. You shot it well to, by breaking it up into sections as you went.
Quite a few years ago I scrambled up that on a rest day from climbing, not knowing where it led to. I was surprised when I found myself at the Glacier Point lookout. And since it was getting late, I ended up asking a couple in the parking for a ride back down. I liked that old trail so much that I brought my mom with me a few weeks later. Come to think of it, that was 20 years ago!
BALLS!...EPIC VIDEO! Grew up in FRESNO...Dude, wanting to do this since the 70's...Great advice..NOT GOING DOWN!!! Superb editing & music...History of this Ledge Trail fascinates!! Great job Narrating! Cheers!
I worked in Yosemite 81-85. Scrambled up Glacier Point Apron until the angle got too extreme. Lived in a cabin below Glacier Point winter 81-82. Ice falls on Glacier Point sounded and felt like earthquakes. Autumn 1981, the raccoons were starving and overpopulated. They would try to get in our tent cabins even when we were inside, Employee Housing NPS, Yosemite Village area.
Worked in Curry Village and lived in a "WOB" (without bath; cabin)1977-1978. Did my first body recovery right there! Paid by the Fed Gvmnt to lead the rescue rangers to the fallen victim & transport him down. TRUE
@@vilicus77 I believe "the terrace" was the camp area where the platform tents were. Some of my co-workers lived there. I lived right behind the Sports store/ snack bar in cabins (3/4" thick walls, no insulation and an oil drip heater) called WithOutBaths.
I love how you came out just a couple months ago and are publishing such awesome and creative content. I do landscape photography in the area and it’s always great to learn about new places in the park even if I never visit some of them :)
What’s crazy is I’ve been doing this stuff for years and instagram has showed me zero love…im taking a break from stills and focusing on RU-vid to promote my photography later.
I have never hiked in my life, but I have had some severe inner thigh and calf cramps and pickle juice or olive juice and prayers seem to bring great relief and recovery in a very short time (within 10 minutes). I loved watching your video. 💙💙💙
Pretty impressive hike, even more so since you're filming so you had to walk back and forth to get the shots. It's funny getting to the top and having regular folks who drove up there... National Parks are an interesting juxtaposition of different levels of hikers/backpackers and regular tourists.
It’s not ridiculous to achieve your goal of a continuous foot path. This is a once in a lifetime endeavor-do it to your satisfaction. I’m lovin’ this hike
Beautiful video - i loved the soothing & slightly eerie vocal delivery & music, as well as the scenery. I'm subscribing on the strength of this vid alone. Am Australian, and visited Yosemite as a kid (no hiking, but it's where i saw my first and only snow). A beautiful place. Now I can experience it vicariously through you. Lol at all the people saying "this isnt scary/dangerous!", as if those things aren't dependent on individual. I love bushwalking but unfortunately have a fear of heights, and i would be terrified on this trail. One thing that has helped me feel more stable in certain places is the use of a stick (only one, so i have one hand free). Hope your leg has settled down. It's a bummer when things like that detract from an experience. I look forward to seeing more.
Great video, and awesome trail. YT is littered with what i call "influencer hikers", who take you on a 2 mile walk on a beaten trail. Content like this is refreshing and interesting.
Did this hike years ago and it was a challenge in the canyon up for steepness. Some spot going up were dangerous where if slip can fall off. Just take those with care. Took 4-mile down. Yes, never go down ledge. I believe the deaths occurred going down at the turn and go off the falls. I too own the ranger book deaths in the valley.
One of the few abandoned trails in the park I have yet to try. Unfortunately I no longer live in the state. It'll be on my list for sure next time I'm out there.
I just discovered your RU-vid channel today, thank you for such an awesome walk vid, I'm in Australia so hikes like this are just a dream. The views are incredible. Now I have plenty more content to enjoy.
Very nice video! But serious question. I've done a lot of light mountaineering and hiking in Alps most of my life and I can't really see what is dangerous about this trail. Is it rockfalls, dehydration because of inexperience or something else?
Congratulations to you, great job. Probably electrolytes are out of whack with your calf cramp if you were only drinking water, mixing in some sports drink powder (Gatorade or something like it) would probably help.
An amazing post - don't miss the stellar time lapse at the end! First post of your's I've seen and very, very well done! I've never been to Yosemite. Thank you for taking us for those that will never be able to hike this truly amazing place. Best from Colorado!
That is one awesome classic route. I'm in suspense about the poison oak conclusion? That would be a serious deterrent for some people, especially if it were unavoidable. Thanks.
@@yosemite-tv #2 the tulomie meadows to Kahuna crest top of and #1 i don't know what the name of it is but there is a side route off the snow creek trail that will take you to the middle cascade of snow creek falls ( very over grown) but you can see it was a man made trail
This is a great video! I worked in the curry cafeteria in 98, and worked in Yosemite in 2001-2004. If I heard you right, in 2001 you were working in the glacier store. I was working in the lodge bar as a cocktail waitress that summer. Those are still great memories! I always heard about that trail and how dangerous it was. It sounded neat but I never did try it. It actually did not seem that dangerous on the videos. Just some scrambling and a hard hike. The music definitely makes it dramatic though!!! As long as a person is being careful i am not sure why people died. Good advice on not walking down though. It was great to see the footage of the four mile trail again. That is a beautiful hike. I am glad you found a ride. I always felt safe hitch hiking in yosemite.That is a great idea going down the panorama trail and up the four mile trail. I hope your calf is feeling better!! Thank you for the video! I am wondering if you almost as old as me~! Haha.
This honestly just looks like an average Colorado hike. The video must not do it justice or something because I really can’t see how it’s dangerous or deadly. It’s just a trail 🤷🏽♀️ Killer looking views tho! Great share, love to see beautiful hikes around the country
Loved this video! Had this trail in my radar nearly 20 years ago but haven’t been up there in a bit. Can’t wait to delve into your other videos! New subscriber here for sure. Would desperately love to see something similar for the Diving Board. Always wanted to find my way to that spot. Cheers!
I got two more ideas for videos in Hetch Hetchy! Top of Kolana Rock to show spools of anti-aircraft cable placed there during WWII, and top of Tueulala Fall in spring to price that it’s watershed is actually just an overflow from Wapama Falls creek. Looking forward to more vids. 👍🏼
Nice vid! Thank you. In the mid-80s it was already overgrown with lots of dangerous talus slides and slopes. I sure went down it. Too dangerous! Slipped and did a long butt slide at one spot. Made my heart go pitter pat! Good way up tho.
The video was an inspiration to do the hike on 6/28/2024. It is not for the faint of heart. Sections with exposure and a couple of places where you have to climb on big rocks. Make sure you pick up a strong branch when you start to use for balance. Hiking poles are not that useful, they will get stuck in between rocks and break. The route is straightforward. We scouted it the day before and tried to find an easy way up from behind Curry village but could not find any. I think the easiest way to start is to go to the Trailhead Parking lot, a short distance from Curry Village. From there there is trail that leads you straight up to the apron. You can see that section on a hiking app like Gaia. To beat the heat we started at 6am and were at Glacier Point at 10am, scrambling at a leisurely pace. Even in mid summer, you will hike whole sections in the shade. The brush is thick at places, but the route is easy to follow. Take it easy and don't get injured. There is no way down. Thanks for posting the video.
I've hiked up there a couple of times, once on mescaline and once in the snow. Don't recall any danger. Here's my account the first trip (1979): Afterward, Cochise and I took off for Yosemite - 'Where they keep the big stuff.' Dropping mescaline, I suggest we hike the four-mile trail. It'll take us straight up (4,000') to the top rim of the valley to a place called Glacier Point. Terrific views, I read. It's exhausting. We've no water, but trudge on. Near the top Cochise queries a couple of hikers on their way down if there's any water up there. 'Sure. Water, Cokes, ice cream - anything you want.' Huh? Next thing we saw was a Pontiac station wagon. OK, so there was a road up here - and tourists. Refreshing our dusty, dirty selves, it's hard for us to even look at each other next to these well-dressed tourists on a schedule. The view is positively breath-taking, however. It's too difficult to comprehend in its grandeur. We settle down with some hash-smoking hikers who've just come down from Half Dome. 'Half Dome?! You've just come down from Half Dome?! Cochise! We can climb Half Dome!' 'YOU can climb Half Dome, Jaybird.' Somehow, our decision is to walk back the scenic route - another 16 miles. Switchbacking down to Ililluette Talls and the Panoramic trail take us to the top of a thundering Nevada Falls. On down the Mist Trail we go, Cochise suffering with weakening knees, losing his footing and almost getting swept off to oblivion at one point. I too am beginning to grow weary. There's another falls - Vernal Falls, and, by now it's dark. We finally reach the valley floor only to realize that our car is still miles away. We can't walk that far. We can barely take another step. Spotting the luxurious Ahwanee Hotel, we decide it's necessary to take definitive, resourceful action. What can we do? Inside we see a disco. We see women. We head for the men's room. Coming down from a mescaline trip and 20 miles on the trail, we do our best to make ourselves look presentable. Shirts off, we're bathing in the sinks, flustering one formally dressed silver-haired gent. It's painful to dance, but dance we must. Soon we've won the interest of a couple of women who agree to take us to our car. No, we don't want to go back to your tent. No, we don't want to sleep with you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I think all those willows (?) were lush and green mid-August last year. The overgrowth was the worst part! The remnants of the trail and orange paint are sparse enough that all the greenery just renders it a full bushwhack. I started late in the day and it got quite dark before I was out of the chute! Worth mentioning: I believe most of the deaths happened on the ledge portion due to rockfall. That's a very high and disintegrating wall overhead. Not likely for any individual, but if a lot of people were up there you can imagine it'd be a regular occurrence. And there's no such thing as a "closed" trail, unless it's for repairs or such, this trail is simply abandoned and unmaintained. It's "discouraged" but you're not going to get kicked off and fined. It's cool to have done such a historical, little-known trek, but can't imagine wanting to do it again, and wouldn't recommend it to anybody. I'll stick to Sierra Point if I have time to kill in the valley and want to escape the hordes.
The one and only time I’ve been to Glacier Point was in June 1979. We were the only ones there for an hour or two. Just a parking lot then. Now you can get ice cream and more I guess.
I’ve been in Yosemite quite a few times. I never knew about the ledge trail. That’s pretty awesome. Cool great stuff! I live in Clovis , it any back up or a cameraman?! 😅
i like the pacing. the music and the narration only comes in to give succinct info. i would probably never do this trail. but i appreciate the history. whenever i go hiking or backpacking i seek more isolated places away from people.
This trail was officially opened for ascent only sometime in the 1960s when I was a kid. It was on the maps handed out to visitors, though we never tried it. Those were the days when people in the valley would shout out "Elmer" (as if there were a lost kid, as a joke) while waiting for the firefall. Later, of course, the trail was closed again.
Awesome hike. The last steep section up looks like a real butt kicker. I'd never attempt this one, but I appreciate you taking us along for the ride. Stay safe out there!
Thank you for this video. I've been fascinated by the Ledge Trail since I first read about it in the Off the Wall book 15 years ago. I've never attempted it, since other reports I've read over the years said it was blocked or too overgrown. If you're looking for ideas, some other secret hikes I've wanted to do in Yosemite include the Diving Board, the scramble to the top of Liberty Cap, and Old Big Oak Flat Rd.
Was it poison oak? I climbed the 4 Mile Trail 5-21-24 and got a ride back to the Valley. I asked the first older couple walking back to their car in the parking lot and they were happy to help me out.
You are great at story telling but as someone who's a rock climber, backpacker, Ultra runner and skier this seems to be a bit (a lot) exaggerated on the dangerous level. But I guess that depends on the person you are and the sports you do outdoors. Cheers
we just did the Indian canyon creek trail, (end of May) which I thought was way more difficult due to skeeters, oak brush, manzanitas, and river crossings. as opposed to the Ledge trail. Just follow the telephone cable most of the way and navigate around Lahamite creek canyon. LOL we had shorts and t-shirts on and my legs were scratched tf up! looks like you had fun but dehydrated yourself (cramps) drink some electrolytes next time and stretch on the way up, and you'll be fine.
