Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is located in Yosemite National Park at the North West Corner of the park. The reservoir has a capacity of 360,000 acres and if formed by the 364 ft O'Shaugnnesy Dam. The reservoir lies in the Hetch Hetchy Valley on the Tuolumne river. Woodrow Wilson approved the Dam to be built in 1913 and it was completed in 1923. It is owned by the City and County of San Francisco and its primary purpose is to supply drinking water to the San Francisco Bay area. It is one of 9 reservoirs for the Bay Area and Hetch Hetchy holds about 25% of the overall storage capacity for the Bay area. Because of its lower elevation it has one of the longest hiking seasons in Yosemite. There are several trails ranging from a short 2 mile hike along the shore of the reservoir to a 29 mile hike through out that leads to some peaks in the park.
The weather determined what we were going to do yesterday. Since it was still overcast with light rain we decided to go to Hetch Hetchy instead of Yosemite Valley. On our way to the reservoir we came across a bear on the road. It is the first bear we have seen since we started our Western Ho! journey. It was just a small bear, around 200 pounds, but it was a Bear! After our encounter with the bear we got down to the Dam and it started to rain harder but we went for a hike to check out the area. We crossed the dam, walked through a tunnel to the shoreline of the reservoir. The longer we stayed the better the weather got and by the time we were leaving we actually saw the sun. When we first arrived the view was cloudy and misty but by the time we left the domes were clear of clouds and mist and we could even see a peak behind the domes. The reservoir was beautiful and the only thing I wish we could of seen are two of the highest waterfalls in Yosemite. The falls are very active in the spring and early summer and by Fall they have quit running. It was still beautiful. Another great day in Yosemite!
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