camp mather

Anyone ever go to Camp Mather?  Thinking about going end of this summer with the family.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/11/MNSF191IBT.DTL

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(08-11) 04:00 PDT Yosemite National Park --

Nestled amid the forested mountains near the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is a place called Camp Mather, an oasis of brilliant sunshine for San Franciscans fleeing the cold summer fog.

The frog-filled lake and rustic cabins have captured the hearts of generations of city folk who trade their siren-and-stress-filled lives once a year for lazy days and warm dreamy nights amid the sweet-smelling pine.

But the San Francisco institution, a longtime tradition for many families, has suffered this year because of the faltering economy. Layoffs and tight budgets have forced as many as 10 families a week to cancel reservations at the city-owned camp, created 85 years ago amid construction debris from O'Shaughnessy Dam.

"Everybody was pretty much freaked out by the economic situation," said Claudia Reinhart, the camp manager. "People don't know whether they will have a job in September, so they cancel vacation."

The cancellation rate so far this summer is 15 percent, some 5 percentage points higher than normal, said Lisa Seitz Gruwell, spokeswoman for the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, which runs the camp.

It is a big deal when people cancel their reservations at Mather, which costs about $1,100 a week for a four-person cabin, including all meals. Those cancellations are quickly filled, but camp officials say families are clearly reining in spending even if they do make the trip.

"The reason people are giving is that they were laid off or just couldn't afford it," Seitz Gruwell said. "It is so sad because people wait sometimes for years to get into Camp Mather, and then this happens and prevents them from going."

A week during the summer is so coveted that a yearly lottery is held for the 99 available units, which have been booked solid every summer for decades. San Francisco residents get first priority and pay about $100 less for a four-person cabin, and non-San Franciscans rarely even get a chance to experience what, in every aspect, is a throwback to a more innocent time.
Nostalgic trip

The camp is about as close to paradise for children and teenagers as one can get, with a lake and pool; basketball, volleyball, badminton and tennis courts; and pingpong. Organized tournaments and sporting events are held throughout the week. There is bingo, staff and guest talent shows, movie nights and bike riding.

Some families have been coming for four and five generations, Reinhart said.

"It's pretty fantastic, especially for the kids," said camper Joanna Schull, a 42-year-old San Franciscan who was wearing a sundress, shades and riding a bicycle toward the lake, her 11-year-old boy and 9-year-old girl off on their own somewhere. "They get to roam free and do things they don't get to do in the city, and I get to sit by the lake and relax."

Ben Ortiz, 55, was laid off from a construction job this year but came anyway with his wife, Johanna Rudolph, and 7-year-old daughter, Sophie. It is their sixth year vacationing at Camp Mather.

"I understand why people would cancel. We were lucky that we could still afford it," he said. "We're die-hards. We'll keep on doing it."

Even though there are 373 families on the waiting list for cancellations, many campers are being frugal this year, said Jay Barnes, who organizes trail rides and backcountry pack trips at the camp. Barnes, 62, whose father started the business in 1929, said the number of people using his 40 horses and burros is down 10 percent this summer.

"I've been hoping every week that it would turn around, but the last few weeks have gotten worse," said Barnes, whose expenses for feed and pay for his employees have gone up. "Unless things improve, I'll probably be cutting down on my numbers next year."
Camp's beginnings

Barnes' corral was once the site of a Miwok Indian village. Gold Rush prospectors later came through. The camp site was a homestead called Hog Ranch until San Francisco purchased the area. It became a construction camp, railhead and sawmill after the 1913 Raker Act authorized the controversial dam in the pristine Hetch Hetchy Valley.

The chief engineer of the Hetch Hetchy project, Michael O'Shaughnessy, named it Mather Station in deference to Stephen T. Mather, the first director of the National Park Service, with whom he had feuded. Mather did not consider the naming of a former hog ranch after him a compliment.

A year after the dam was finally filled in 1923, the area became Camp Mather, the kind of recreation area that Mather had wanted, over O'Shaughnessy's objections. The pit in which logs were once floated became Birch Lake, where campers now swim and sunbathe.

Reinhart said she hopes the current troubles are temporary.

"I don't think this will be an ongoing trend," Reinhart said as she sat on a bench amid the pines, a gentle breeze blowing through her hair. "How could anybody stay away from a place like this?"

E-mail Peter Fimrite at [email protected].

yeah, read that this morning. Called and they're holding a cabin for me.  Was just wondering if anyone with kids had been there.  Just wanted a first hand account.  It's kinda spendy though.  A week for our family will be almost $1,600. 

One of my coworkers (family of four) went last year.  LOVED IT.  He would have gone this year, didn't make the lottery, then got a call.  They had an opening for the following week due to cancellation, so Bill would have taken the spot but he was already booked for an alternate vacation.  $1.6K for camping is kinda steep, but Bill said it was well worth the money for the kids (boy 12 yo and girl 9 yo).  You should totally go

Most the reports are positive.  But my kids are 2 1/2 and 4 1/2.  I wonder if they'd get as much out of it.

About 10 years ago now I guess, We didn't camp at Mather,but camped at Middlefork, not to far from Mather. Really nice area! We did go spend a few days at Mather, Nice place even had a little bar for the adults to get a frosty beverage. If you go ask around about "rainbow pools", I can't exactly remember where it was but not to far from Mather. It's a short hike on the river that comes to a nice swimming hole with a water fall and a few little cliffs to jump off. I forgot about this area, now youmake me want to go back up there!

If you go ask around about "rainbow pools", I can't exactly remember where it was but not to far from Mather. It's a short hike on the river that comes to a nice swimming hole with a water fall and a few little cliffs to jump off. I forgot about this area, now youmake me want to go back up there!

Did it look like this?

http://www.thefamilyswan.com/gallery/v/mather/mather2004/IMG_1515.jpg.html

ST Nice pics. I don't think that was it. This place had cliffs all around it. I remember parking by a bridge and walking down a trail to the spot. Looks like a nice place you found.

Very familiar with Rainbow Pools and that general area - very beautiful.  My wife's family has been going to San Jose Family Camp since she was 5 and she's now 30.  SJFC is off HW 120 outside of Groveland on the middle fork of the Tuolumne and Camp Mather is further up 120 towards Yosemite although I don't know the turnoff.

Rainbow pools is right off HW 120 and the picture posted earlier is not it.  Found one online.

$1600 seems VERY expensive.  SJFC charges the following rates:

Age Range   Resident Rate/Night   Non-Resident Rate/Night   
16yrs +              $55                               $78   
10-15yrs             $45                               $62   
6-9yrs                $33                               $44   
3-5yrs                $23                               $31   
2 yrs & under       $0                                 $0

Don't know if Camp Mather's system is similar.

My wife, 2 & a half y/o daughter, and myself stayed 4 nights and 5 days at SJFC for $456.  This includes cabin with cots and 3 meals a day.  Although I don't consider it camping, it is very children friendly.

Michael

Michael Nice job digging up some pics. That is such a cool place to swim!

The $1,600 price is for a cabin for four with 3 meals/day for the dates Aug 22-29 including tax.  The cabin prices are about $130 higher for us as we're not S.F residents. 

It looks like we're gonna do a scaled down trip. 

That is such a cool place to swim!

Never swam there, only fished it!

The $1,600 price is for a cabin for four with 3 meals/day for the dates Aug 22-29 including tax.  The cabin prices are about $130 higher for us as we're not S.F residents. 

It looks like we're gonna do a scaled down trip. 

Good for you on taking the economical trip, I just can't get over how outrageous those prices are.  Hopefully we get a report.

Michael