Binnewies puts a new label on the phrase ‘a walk in the park’

The origin of the phrase “a walk in the park” is apparently unknown. It is believed to have emerged in the early 20th Century. The variable definitions mainly describe a peaceful, effortless walk in a park that conveys a sense of relaxation and simplicity. The idiom has become associated with tasks or situations that are effortless or uncomplicated.

The escapades and adventures of hiker extraordinaire Laurie Binnewies are certainly the antithesis of the common understanding of “a walk in the park.”

Binnewies’ treks into the backcountry of Yosemite National Park are often arduous, strenuous, and frequently physically and mentally demanding.

Her penchant for striking out afoot through Creation’s splendor began a few years back. “About five years ago a friend of mine from Oakhurst invited me to go on a hike with her and another woman. We hiked from Glacier Point to Sentinel Dome and back. I was so amazed that I could get great exercise in all that grandeur,” she explained. “I’ve always been athletic, playing softball in college and I like being active. My mom was born in California so on visits here we would always go up to Yosemite.”

“One of the reasons I love to go up into the mountains is because it strips off all the comforts of life, especially when I go backpacking. You are surviving. I am never closer to God. Often, He will give me a life parallel. When I get back from the trip it helps me to stay in a thankful mindset,” Laurie detailed.
Shortly after her first hike in the park, she ventured into overnight backpacking. “About the same time as my first hike, I had a friend who was interested in backpacking. Neither one of us knew what we were doing. The first trip we took was an absolute nightmare,” Binnewies explained. “We got lost and by the time we were done we did 15 miles in one day. I actually wrote in my journal: I’m never doing this again. But the next morning when I unzipped my tent and stepped out into all that splendor, I realized I had to learn how to do this right and keep doing it. After that trip I started slowly acquiring all my own equipment.”

There was definitely a learning curve embedded in her desire to conquer the trails. “You get mentored from others you hike with. I haven’t had any formal training, but I have chosen people to hike with over the years so I could extract a little bit of their wisdom on every hike. I had to learn to hike safely,” Laurie said.

Many unfamiliar, or inexperienced hikers have a fear of being confronted by wild animals while exploring the backcountry in Yosemite. Not Binnewies. “It’s just my personal opinion but I’m not at all concerned about animals on the trail. That’s part of the learning process. You learn how to act when you run into a mountain lion or a brown bear, and I’ve heard plenty of those, but never encountered one face-to-face. You just stay loud, and many times, I pray,” she detailed.

The longest day hike Binnewies has taken was two and a half years ago. She and her companions hiked Half Dome in the park from the valley floor to the top of the granite monolith, a length of 19 and half miles. She explained that they were rerouted during the trek, which made it a little longer, but Laurie admitted it was a physical test.

Her longest backpacking trip was more recent. She and her like-minded adventurers started at Mono Lake trainhead, planning to go over Koip Pass, but it was impassable. So, they wheeled and went back to Tuolumne, then down Lyell Canyon, over Donahue and on to Mammoth. That trip took four nights and five days and the group boarded YARTS for the trip home.

“There are so many lakes up there, and many don’t have trails to access them, so I get to practice my cross-country navigation and I’m getting pretty good at it,” Laurie added.

Binnewies takes 95 percent of her hikes in Yosemite. She won’t run out of explorable locations soon. Yosemite National Park consists of 1187 square miles and contains 167 lakes, her favorite destination. “I’m trying to get to new trails and new mountains. There are so many beautiful lakes all over the Sierra,” Laurie exclaimed. “My most favorite lake this year was Nelson Lake; it was super beautiful, and the hike was amazing.”

A recent excursion into Lundy Canyon proved to be a grueling march. “We went up to 20 Lakes Basin and it’s a very strenuous and difficult climb. I like the challenge and pushing myself, but I got nauseous because of altitude. We were at 10,300 feet. I threw up and dry-heaved for three hours while we walked five miles out. It takes a while to recover because you are weak and just want to sleep. I slept for about half an hour in the car and was just fine. I guess I could have gone up a little slower, acclimated better, or it could have been a lack of hydration.”

“Part of this process is trusting God to be with me and get me off the mountain, and one of my favorite things to do is pray for other people. It strengthens me for the next day when I go out and push myself. I come back a better person and I want to be the best person I can be. It makes me stronger every time I go up there,” Binnewies said. “The whole point is that I want to go back up that mountain without getting sick. It goes up to Helen Lake and sits at about 10,300 feet.”

“Most of my hikes are day hikes. Up until I started working again at Woodland (Elementary School) I would do one 10-mile hike a week, but now I do about three a month. This year I didn’t get my usual 10 nights in the wilderness like I always try to do,” she added.

“I would love to do the John Muir Trail,” she said. “Maybe even the Pacific Coast Trail (2,300 miles), but I’ll just focus on the John Muir Trail for now,” Laurie said. The John Muir Trails begins in Yosemite Valley and ends at Mount Whitney.

Laurie was raised in Pittsburgh, PA. She graduated from Purdue with a degree in Aviation Technology and was a flight instructor for Mazzei Flying Service in Fresno when she met her future husband, Doug Binnewies. “Doug was working at the airstrip and part of his job was refueling our aircraft. We started dating, got engaged and married in 1991. He went to the police academy in Fresno. After that, we lived in Coarsegold and split the commute when he went to work as a deputy in Mariposa County and I continued instructing in airplanes and helicopters,” Laurie explained.

The couple moved to Mariposa around 1999, and Doug capped off his law enforcement career by eventually achieving the position of Mariposa County Sheriff. He is now retired from that position. Doug and Laurie have three daughters, Brittany, Casey, and Jenna ,and a son, Austin.