Camping requires a lot of gear, and it’s taken time to refine the systems that keep campers and the environment happy. In the United States’ roughly 150 years of camping history, there have been many well-intentioned missteps and some unbelievably dangerous traditions. Discover the stories behind all of these moments in author and architect Martin Hogue’s new book, “Making Camp: A Visual History of Camping’s Most Essential Items & Activities.”
Described as an exploration of one of America’s favorite pastimes, “Making Camp” uses photos, illustrations, and fascinating narratives to explain various facets of camping. Hogue’s book focuses on eight camping components: water, campfires, campsites, maps, picnic tables, tents, sleeping bags, and trash.
Each chapter offers gripping stories about these elements. In the campfire chapter, Hogue discusses the now-defunct tradition of summer firefall ceremonies at Yosemite. Photos in the campsite section share how camping set-ups have evolved. Even the trash chapter provides captivating (if gross) tales of how campers have and haven’t managed to keep the outdoors clean.
Get a preview of what “Making Camp” has in store with the excerpt on firefall below. Released on May 9, 2023, “Making Camp” can be found here and on Amazon.
The history of firefall at Yosemite National Park
Firefall at Yosemite National Park is a stunning phenomenon. Under the right conditions, sunlight illuminates the waters of Horsetail Fall. The result is a photo-worthy spectacle, with the waterfall lit up a fiery orange color.
Today, Yosemite’s firefall is a natural occurrence. But from 1872 to 1968, summer firefall ceremonies involved actual fire. Until the National Park Service ended the tradition in 1968, Yosemite would host firefall events wherein people would push hot embers off Glacier Point.
In “Making Camp,” Hogue describes the tradition, saying:
James McCauley (1841–1911), an early pioneer of Yosemite Valley who ran a small hotel with his wife, Barbara, first conceived of the dramatic Firefall in 1872, a nightly summer event that emulated a waterfall by dropping burning embers down 3,200 feet from the top of Glacier Point. The Firefall proved so successful that it ran for nearly a century.
