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Margreet Fledderus fell in love with California and the Sierra Nevada after she moved to the U.S. in the 1970s. Now, she donates her time to help other people create memorable experiences in her beloved Yosemite. Here’s a glimpse into her park story.

I immigrated to the U.S. in 1976, the nation’s bicentennial year. My first introduction to California was a maze of freeways and congested traffic. Coming from the Netherlands, a very flat, tiny, watery country where everybody uses a bicycle to get around, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to live here.

I had not discovered Yosemite yet.

I gradually changed my mind about California after seeing its magnificent redwoods, mountains, and spectacular coastline. I fell in love with hiking on remote trails. Reaching the top of a peak, soaking my feet in a remote glacial lake, and snacking on peanuts next to a waterfall became a vital part of my life. Every time I could get away from my work as an oncology nurse practitioner, I’d head for the mountains.

I vividly remember my first Yosemite trip. We came in via the South Entrance, and drove to Glacier Point. I cried. I could not believe my eyes. It felt spiritual, magical, as if I had come home. Since then, I have hiked all over the park. Nothing inspires, heals, and relaxes me more than being in Yosemite, especially in the high country, with its vast views and granite boulders, slabs and ridges.

The view that made Margreet weep on her first visit to Yosemite: Half Dome and the High Sierra, from Glacier Point.

When I retired from my intensive full-time job at Stanford in 2013, I saw my chance to spend even more time in the park as a Yosemite Conservancy volunteer. Serving as a visitor information assistant has been a fulfilling and rewarding experience: I spend time in the Sierra, support the Conservancy’s efforts to preserve the park, and help people get the most from their visit.

Margreet and fellow volunteers welcome people at the Conservancy's blue-hued information booths, where they help visitors figure out what to do and where to go in Yosemite.What I love most about volunteering is sharing my enthusiasm and experience to enrich people’s experiences, even if their time in the park is limited. One of my favorite jobs is pointing out the various trails and mountains on the relief map in the Visitor Center to give people a better perspective as to where they are and what they would like to do for the day. I can quickly gauge visitors’ needs and figure out where to direct them. I might recommend that a young family try an art class or a bike tour. I’ll point an older couple toward a gentle, lightly trafficked trail near Royal Arches, or send a group of energetic pals to the Yosemite Falls Trail (reminding them to pack plenty of water and a healthy dose of common sense). I help photographers find the best sites to get the perfect shot. Once backpackers have their permits, I send them into the wilderness.

And yes, a lot of my conversations are about the basics: where to find bathrooms, drinking water, or a free parking spot. No, the bears don’t sit around waiting for humans to snap photos of them, and if we are lucky enough to see one, we should keep our distance. I often remind visitors gently, please drive slowly. Speeding kills bears.

Many interactions are routine, but some require a little extra creativity — like an encounter with a visitor I’ll call the “damsel in distress.”

While biking to my Valley work station on a mid-May day in 2017, I spotted a bride and groom posing for pictures in the meadow, with Yosemite Falls flowing in the background. She was balancing on the edge of a partially submerged boardwalk, trying to keep the hem of her gown out of the wet grass. I could imagine their excitement about getting married in such an idyllic romantic spot.

Beside the meadow, cars were creeping forward on the one-way road. As I maneuvered through the traffic, I saw a long line of visitors already milling around the information booth.

A young woman wearing a flowery dress and high heels ran up to me. “Where can I park? How far is the chapel?” she asked. “I must have missed it.”

I realized that she must be in the wedding party of the couple I had seen earlier. I also knew that there was no way she could get there quickly by car.

“You can’t drive there, but don’t worry,” I reassured her. “I’ll think of something.”

Shaking in her wiggly heels, she began to cry, “I have to be there on time,” she said, tears rolling down her cheeks. Always the nurse, I told her to take a deep breath while I worked out a plan, marking a short walking route on the Valley map.

“Park your car here, by the booth,” I said, handing her the map with a shortcut to the chapel.

“You really think I can do it?” she asked, with a mixture of relief and disbelief. I walked her to the Swinging Bridge and directed her to the chapel. “You can do it,” I shouted after her. “Just remember to keep taking deep breaths.”

Later in the afternoon, I noticed that her car was gone. She must have made it. I hoped she did. I imagined the couple and their friend looking back on that special day, laughing about the memories, the mishaps, the wet wedding dress, and the maid of honor almost not making it.

Margreet: barefoot, beaming and completely in her element in the Sierra Nevada. Photo courtesy of Margreet Fledderus.Helping people navigate the park is a simple task, but it’s incredibly rewarding – and necessary! Many first-time visitors have little sense of how huge Yosemite is, or where it fits in the landscape of the greater American West. In 2013, when the western side of Tioga Road was closed due to the Rim Fire, I told a woman that she’d have to drive several hours out of and around the park to get to the Valley from the high country. “Well, I guess I’ll go to Yellowstone instead,” she said. When I explained that it would take her at least 13 solid driving hours to get to northern Wyoming, she changed her mind.

When not answering questions, troubleshooting problems and pointing people in the right direction, I relish the time I spend with fellow volunteers. At our group campsite I create a cozy home in my tent so well equipped that it’s teasingly nicknamed “the Taj Mahal.” In the evenings volunteers gather for potluck dinners, to hike and play games together, and swap books. And once or twice a month I cook Dutch “flensjes” (pancakes) for breakfast for the whole gang. We all love Yosemite. One of the bonuses of our job is learning from rangers and naturalists about plants, bird songs, and the geological history of the park and its original inhabitants — information we gladly share with visitors.

I’ve been coming to Yosemite for four decades, and I am still in awe of the park. I feel whole, healthy, alive, and happy in Yosemite, whether taking a quiet evening stroll around Happy Isles, waking early to watch the sunrise light up the gleaming granite, or scrambling to a mountain top to enjoy the endless views. Each year when I return to volunteer I feel grateful to be here and to share my love for Yosemite with visitors from around the world.

All photos courtesy of Margreet Fledderus. Above: Margreet (center) with fellow Visitor Information Assistants Mike Daley and Sandra Callan showing off their volunteer bandanas on the summit of Mount Dana.