Yosemite Climbing, History, and the Facelift | Ken Yager

On this episode of Behind the Fence, I sit down with Ken Yager — President and Founder of the Yosemite Climbing Association.Ken has spent decades preserving the history and culture of Yosemite climbing, collecting more than 10,000 artifacts that ultimately led to the creation of the Yosemite Climbing Museum in Mariposa. A famed climber himself, he’s also the organizer of the Yosemite Facelift, now the largest volunteer cleanup effort in any national park.In this conversation, we talk about how Ken got started in climbing, what the culture was like in the early days, how the sport has evolved over time, and what continues to draw people to it. We also touch on some of the more unique stories from Yosemite’s past — including the 1977 plane crash in Lower Merced Pass Lake.This interview was recorded inside the Yosemite Climbing Museum, which can be found at the intersection of Highways 49 and 140 in Mariposa.