Posting #21 What to TAKE

If you haven't been to Yosemite in a while (or perhaps at all) you MAY be asking yourself 'What should I bring?'  What will I need to be completely comfortable and enjoy my stay.  Here are our recommendations:

• Bring something warm for evenings and mornings. Though day time temps may be quite pleasant and perhaps warm, we ARE at 3,200' in the mountains and the evenings and mornings can be...well...brisk.
• Flashlight(s) for evening walks and, if you're at Camp Curry or the camp grounds, those evening trips to the restroom.  Also handy to spot bears, not that you'd actually SEE some, but you could.
• Binoculars.  These can be great for general site seeing and for spotting the rock climbers on the face of El Capitan.
• Mosquito repellant...and sunscreen, and a hat and dark glasses.  Don't leave home with out 'em.  
• If you're dinning in the evening at the Ahwahnee Hotel guys will want to be sure they have a collard shirt and something besides jeans.  Women will want to avoid shorts for dinner.  The Ahwahnee many years back used to require men to wear sport coats or better but they've relaxed that standard.  We'd recommend you call ahead and ask them if you are at all unsure, BEFORE you finish packing that suitcase.  Breakfast and lunch attire is wide open.   
• Our BBQ event Saturday night is casual dress; wear whatever makes you comfortable.
• Fill up with gas before entering the Valley.  Gas is all but impossible to get once you begin your decent to the Valley Floor.

If you've been there before then you KNOW not to leave ANY FOOD, even an old french fry, in your car at night.  The bears WILL break your window and tear out the back seat to get into your trunk, so when we say NO FOOD we reallly really mean it. 

Posting #20 Dohrmann's in Yosemite Timeline

Link to Dohrmann's in Yosemite

Posting #20

Schedule of Events for Reunion:  See the EVENTS Calendar HERE!


Map of the Valley with Bus & Bike Trails : https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3rBv5Q67esSbG9VbkU2MklMcnc/edit

Posting #19 : Young and energetic? Thinking you can make it ALL the way?

Some of you MAY be thinking this is the trip that you walk to the top of Half Dome...and if you DO plan that attack we'd recommend Friday June 15th as your best shot.  Its a 8.1 mile trip each way from Happy Isles at the Valley floor.   Do-able in a day?  You bet!  But allow ALL of it.  Trying this trek on Saturday is going to make you late for the the Saturday Night Reunion dinner.  Please don't be late....

Posting #18 : Why do we go, again and again and again...always 'for the first time'?

Posting #17 Yosemite Reunion Plans Begin to Gel

Ok so like maybe way past Jellin'.  The 'game' is at play.  Most of you who CAN come are coming.  June 14th, a Thursday and leaving the 17th, a Sunday.  Unless we fall on some crazy bad luck (perish the thought!) the days should be warm, the nights cool and the Valley dry.  The pass up to Glacier Point will most likely be open, making a trip to the Point and maybe lunch Friday up at the Wawonna Hotel.  We'll have lots of options for folks to do fun things together.

The PRIMAL gathering will be Saturday night's group dinner.  Some info went out on that last week... Did you get it?

Posting #16 Attention 'Jr. Rangers-to-Be'...

So you have young kids coming to the reunion and they (and maybe YOU) are worried they'll be board to tears?  Well, keep reading this blog for more and more things to do with kids in the Valley.  The younger ones MAY wish to earn a 'merit badge' and become a Jr. Ranger.  We'll post more about the program later but here is the form they can be thinking about to qualify when they arrive:

Posting #15 Recommeded Reading and Shameless Pimping

OK, so maybe you've decided to come to the ABC Dohrmann Family Reunion in Yosemite in June 2012 and you're wondering how you can learn MORE about the Dohrmann involvement in the Park's earliest years.  Well, there is a way and for not much money.  And hey, you have a whole year to read it.

Just visit this link: Yosemite & It's Innkeepers

There is a lot there...have fun with it.  I know I have.

Posting #14 Hey, never give up!

Congratulations to those who were successful in nailing down your reservations for Yosemite Valley in 2012.  There are about 59 of you!  To those that just couldn't get to it or who need to wait to book don't give up.  Yes, things are showing as booked..kinda KNEW they might, but there are ALWAYS people cancelling.  If you want it bad enough you'll still get in.

There ARE options near by the Valley that provide a great experience if you have to stay outside the valley.  El Portal and Wawona are about 30 minutes drive; although staying in the Valley is preferred you can still probably make a Fall-Back-Plan-B at one of these places as you try to get a cancellation for the Valley.

The main thing is...DON'T give up.

Posting #13.5 ... Now! Now! Now!

This message ALSO sent via E-mail and FaceBook:

Monday is June 13th and that would be the date you’ll want to be calling Yosemite Reservations (801-559-5000) if you’re planning to attend the ABC Dohrmann Family Reunion Event in Yosemite Valley June 14th thru June 17th 2012. We recommend staying IN the Valley: Curry Village, Yosemite Lodge OR the Ahwahnee Hotel. You’ll remember the whole reason we pushed it out to 2012 was to have the widest choices of accommodations for folks booking reservations; you MUST book one year and one day before you plan to arrive to get what you want.  The take calls starting 8 AM.  Expect to have to wait on line, maybe up to 10 minutes or more.

I wouldn’t recommend trying to book on line.  I checked and it sort of indicates there are few to zero availabilities in the Ahwahnee and Yosemite Lodge in ALL of June, but when I called to ask about that they tell me the online system is having ‘issues’.  You can cancel up to 7 days before your dates, they tell me.

This info is sent to you now presuming that you KNOW that the duce we’re talking about… a 3-night stay, booked by each party hoping to attend a family reunion in Yosemite Valley.  Some may not be able to come for 3 nights (Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights, leaving Sunday).  But we HOPE, given the difficulty involved in making it to the site, you’ll come for as much of it as you can.  Saturday night will {most likely} be a group BBQ dinner, so surely you’ll wanna make that.  We’ll have details later on any cost contribution for the dinner (assuming we don’t get a sponsor).   And we’ll develop a full list of events with input from YOU once we get closer.  You’ll have plenty of time for sight seeing and smaller family visits as well as group events.

I’m NOT getting calls or e-mails asking me what this is all about so I’m assuming if you’re reading this you are on board with the idea.  Quite a few years back many of us gathered on Angel Island and that was AMAZING.  This one is for those who can’t get enough family.  I know MY hand is up…waaay up.

Here is the number to start calling at 8 AM on the 13th…   You can expect to have to call back to get thru...they get busy early in the day; you’ll probably be calling right after ME.  Don’t worry…you can always change or cancel up to 30 days before the event. Trust me, don’t delay getting your booking in.

It’s gonna be SUCH fun.  The hard part is waiting 12 months!~

Can't be sure EVERYONE is getting this so, if you even THINK a family member isn't in the list please forward this to them.
Oh and if you DO book could please let me know where and which dates you plan to go?  We’ll wanna track all this so we can ‘hook everyone up’.  Thanks.

-- Mark Dohrmann
503-224-2262
503-530-6623

Posting #12 Details for Dohrmann Yosemite Reunion in 2012

Let’s get started! ** Reunion ** Reunion ** Reunion ** Reunion **

Ok, by now surely you’re aware we want to gather DOHRMANN’S, with extended Dohrmann family, in June of 2012 at Yosemite Valley.  We’d hoped to do it THIS year, but it turned out 10 months in advance wasn’t enough time to get everyone the reservation of his or her choice.  So, to make sure that DOESN’T happen again we are asking you to book your reservation one YEAR and one DAY in advance. 

Here are the dates:

 June 14^th (Thursday), 15^th and 16^th, leaving on Sunday the 17^th, 2012

When and where to call to make your reservation:

Start calling 8 AM on June 13^th!  (801) 559-4884 

The later you call the fewer your options may be.  Yosemite is HUGELY popular.  Mark your calendar so you don’t forget to call.

Which option for accommodations should I choose?

If you’re a first time or occasional visitor to the Yosemite Valley you may not know what option best suits you and your family.  There are principally THREE choices for places to stay close to the action in Yosemite Valley… affordable, moderate and muy expensive!  They are, in order Curry Village, Yosemite Lodge and the Ahwahnee Hotel.   Curry Village offers Canvas sided tents with bunks and common public restrooms and showers, with a LIMITED supply of Cabins that have showers; Yosemite Lodge is sort of motel-like.  The Ahwahnee is the grand dame of the Valley.  Nice rooms; all you’d expect in a 4+ star Hotel.  For more information call or visit http://www.yosemitepark.com/Accommodations.aspx, or you can call Mark Dohrmann at 503-530-6623.

Why might I want to make this a priority and why so many nights?

Well, over 35 Dohrmann families have expressed interest in this event.  Yosemite was chosen because if ABC Dohrmann’s involvement in the earliest days of the park.  It’s a marvelous spot for a gathering but it takes a bit to get there.  Past reunions lasting one day have left most of us yearning for more.  This is the opportunity!

What opportunities for gathering can we expect?

This is an evolving event, but somethings we can say for sure will occur:

·      There will be am informal dinner gathering (self hosted) at Curry Village on Thursday night for the hearty early arrivals

·      Family will be encouraged to attend a casual meet & greet Friday night, Curry Village, after the regularly scheduled Ranger Campfire Program

·      There will be one or more group hikes for those interested, Saturday morning after breakfast for sure

·      There will be a group dinner/BBQ at the Yosemite Lodge area Saturday Night 

·      We hope that all can enjoy a breakfast at the Ahwahnee Hotel at around the same hour on one morning…either Friday, or Sunday morning…just because it’s so beautiful a dinning hall

More events can be added or amended as people express interests.  We don’t want to OVER schedule because it’s also nice for smaller groups to discover similar interests; and the site seeing is spectacular!

Yosemite Valley is about a 4 to 4.5 hour drive from the Bay Area, about the same from

Reno, if you should fly in there.  The shortest drive is from Fresno, under 3 hours.

So that’s it for now.  We hope you’ll come.  It won’t be much fun without you.  Come see folks you hardly ever see, forgot or never even KNEW you were related to.  Call or write me if you have questions or just got excited and want to talk about it.  You can also follow us on line at:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_186307581388948&ap=1

Blogspot: http://yosemiteabc.blogspot.com/

We’re gonna use whatever it takes short of smoke signals to reach you.  Oh and please be sure the rest of your/our family is aware of this.