Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Yosemite in the winter

I have always wanted to take a winter trip to Yosemite when the crowds are low. (With all my trips can you believe I have never been there?)

We want to snowshoe, cross country ski, and see the waterfalls and other sites that are crowded during the summer. We plan to stay in our tents, either in a campsite or back country with an occasional "truck sleep" if needed.

I am currently researching to determine the following and any advice would be highly appreciated:

(1) Where is the best place to set up a "base camp" for a few days while in the valley. I understand Upper Pines is open all year round and may be a good camping spot.

(2) What are the best winter trails for a day snowshoe hike or an 1 overnight backpacking trip? I was considering trying to hike to El Capitan or Half Dome. With each trip being approx. 7 miles each way I am assuming we would need to do it as an overnight trip if snow conditions were high. (I understand half dome crosses by Vernal and Nevada Falls which may be worth the visit)

(3) Has anyone rented cross country skis from badger--(a) what are the best trails in the area to cross country ski (b) is there a place we can camp or backpack in or do we have to return to the valley for the night (I understand you can ski to Glacier Lodge but not sure if we want the "lodge" experience)

Also we will then be crossing over to the eastern side and I understand HWY 88 is open all year round--does anyone know of any short cuts? (helicopters and planes excluded)

As you can see I have scattered information and a lot of questions so if anyone can shed some light on the area I would appreciate it! If anyone has had a winter Yosemite experience I would love to hear about your adventure.

Thanks in advance!

I can answer a few things. Upper Pines is good to camp - also Camp 4, which doesn't need reservations. You can also rent tent cabins at Curry Village and there's showers there too. The valley itself may or may not have snow - it does right now cos of the current storm, but often times it melts there quite quickly. Trails up from the valley are sometime closed in winter, especially 4 mile trail from the valley to Glacier Point, and the Mist Trail to top of Vernal Falls, and the trail to the top of Yosemite Falls. The JMT to the top of Vernal and Nevada is often open. There's also a nice trail from Mirror Lake, up towards Snow Creek and North Dome. I've rented XC skies at Badger Pass. There's many trails from there - they can tell you, or check the Yosmeite Nat Park website and put in Badger Pass - there's maps there. A nice one is to wards Glacier Point. There is nowhere to stay at Badger, and there are shuttles down to the valley - about 40-60 minutes one way. We also rent a condo at Yosemite West, a private place located at the Badger Pass turnoff - saves the trip to the valley. Check "Scenic Wonders" and ""Four Seasons" websites. Have fun! We'll be up there between Xmas and NY. Barbara

After Xmas holidays, Curry Village (due to lack of clients), their tent cabins rent out cheap...Last year they did something to the effect of whatever the previous night's low temperature was, equals the next day's cost.
IE, 20° = $20/night.

the Valley has a smattering of snow.
Links to live web cams of Yosemite
links to a few other Sierra cams
Mount Baldy webcam

Thanks to all for awesome information.

Barbara--the trail information was very helpful. I was not aware of the closing.Maybe we will run into each other!

Markskor --I will definitely be checking out the tents in Curry Village. No reason to rough it every day.

SanDi_Carole--great website, thanks for the resource

Hi Lori - re "closed" trails - the rangers put up a sign saying closed and maybe a barrier. If they close the Mist trail (the scenic stair route up to top of Vernal, they do it where the JMT cuts off, past the lower Vernal Falls view bridge. Don't tell, but I've hiked up past the barrier, to get closer views of the falls and ice cracking off them in winter. Haven't tried the whole stairs thing though, when icy. There is risk of rock fall too. I've also hiked to the top of Yosemite Falls when there was snow from about 6,000' to the top (about 8,000'). Easy up, hellish down, due to not being prepared. I was surprised the trail was open given the conditions - so - you never know! Good luck - have a great time. Oh - and for apres hike, the Ahwahnee bar is a nice hangout, they do snacks and good Irish coffee and don't care what you're wearing.

Lori, there are two general areas that are good for snow in Yosemite, but climbing out of the valley would not be among them. This is because of the variability of the coverage, and climbing on ice covered trails has never been a favorite of mine.

The two good staging areas are Crane Flat, with a number of great xc ski trails, and even the Tioga Pass road. I spent one magical Xmas break up in the area. Generally, you'll see no one else.

The other is Badger Pass. There are a number of XC trails up there, and I believe there is a guide online.

However, the "gold standard" is skiing to Ostrander Hut. You should check out their website, but it's that time of the year again!
Time for my favorite backcountry ski story, courtesy of our very own George Durkee, as a hutmaster.

"We're saved! The ranger's here." That still has me laughing!

http://www.ostranderhut.com/georges_adventure.html

(by the way, other great experience stories there, too!!!)

Ken
Thanks for sharing Georges stories and lessons.It just re-inforces the fact that while in the back country in winter there is not much room for mistakes.Proper gear, calmness and caution to access the sitution and making good decision save the day.Scary how weather conditions can change and make you queston if you know where you are.

Lori, you can ski or snowshoe the road from Badger Pass ski resort all the way to Glacier Point. From there it is a spectacular view across the Valley to the frozen Yosemite falls; a sight not to be missed.

Thanks again everyone for the information (and the story of caution).

So far my plan is to hit some of the trails mentioned in the valley(barrier or not) and head to Badger to XC ski to Glacier Point. If we get cold have some hot Irish coffee and possibly check out the prices on the tents at Curry for a one night stay.

It sounds like there will be plenty to do for 4 days, as we will be there the 23-27 before heading to the eastern side.

Thanks again everyone!!

One caution on skiing to Glacier Point; it is a long round trip and after Sentinal Dome is a long downhill to GP that you will have to come back up. Assess your condition before going down and perhaps choose to go up Sentinal Dome for great views and an easier return.

Here is a map of the Badger pass XC.
http://www.yosemite.ca.us/maps/yosemite_cross_country_ski_map.jpg

By the way, Glacier Point Lodge is not open during the winter, however, I was not aware that they have a "hut" open with full services. (sounds like a winter lodge to me)

Ken,

I have a couple of questions about the Ostrander Hut.

1) Assuming good weather, can you get to the Ostrander Hut safely if you're a low intermediate cross-country skier?

2) Approximately how long would it take?

3) What pack size and gear would you recommend?

4) What is the cost of acommodations and how are reservations made? Is it usually busy on the weekends?

5) Is the hut "basic" or more like Euro huts? In other words, does the hut have bedding and does it supply food/drinks and toilets? Also, inside, do you go around in Croqs instead of boots?

5) Are any trips guided by rangers or independents?

The trip sounds like fun.

There is a guided ski weekend from Badger Pass to Glacier Point but it ain't cheap.

http://www.yosemitepark.com/BadgerPass_CrossCountrySkiing_GlacierPointHut.aspx#GP_trips

You might also enjoy xc skiing to Dewey Point for an easy trip from Badger to a nice Valley overlook. Looking down on ElCap from there is pretty neat. Another nice trip from Badger takes you out to the Ghost Forest.
If snow is sufficient, ski touring the Maripose Grove is excellent.
If you choose the tents in Curry Village, Brett Archer and his staff will take good care of you.

Just as a note for those that visit Yosemite often. They are offering an upgrade from a vehicle pass to an annual pass.

Pasting in the text from the Yosemite website:

Annual Park Pass Upgrade


Get more Yosemite for your money. There are 2 ways to qualify to upgrade your $20 7-day vehicle park pass to an annual Yosemite pass for free.

1. The Stay Option: Stay 2-nights in a DNC lodging facility (Curry Village, The Ahwahnee, Wawona, Yosemite Lodge at the Falls) between January 5 and February 28.

~or~

2. The Play Option: Show us your receipt for $60 or more on Badger Pass activities (excluding food and retail).

Then,
Turn in your $20 7-day NPS vehicle park pass, along with proof of purchase for one of the options above at either Badger Pass or at a Yosemite DNC Lodging Facility (The Ahwahnee, Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, Wawona Hotel or Curry Village), and we'll give you an Annual Yosemite Park Pass for FREE!

Please note: These Annual Park Pass Upgrades are NOT available at the Entrance Stations. Please visit either Badger Pass or one of the hotel front desks to get your upgrade.

Terms and Conditions:
Annual Park Passes are valid one full year from date of purchase.
US Residents Only
Valid for rooms booked Jan 5 to February 28, 2009.
Passes based on a 2-night stay are available upon check-out from your hotel.

I had a great day ski trip to Glacier Point and back from Badger last winter. The weather was a combination of snow, hail, whiteout and partial sun. It began to snow as I had lunch outside the GP lodge but the clouds parted just long enough for this picture. The road is well groomed except the last mile or so where it is too steep. I want to camp in the area next year.



Been to the Ostrander hut a few nights too. If you stay on a weekend don't expect a quiet evening. Some of those folks like to party and the hut gets pretty small with 25+ people in it. There are places to sleep in the attic but it's COLD up there!!! I really prefer its sister hut at Pear Lake although that's not in Yosemite.

Thanks again to all the wonderful people who posted information in response to my question.

To everyone, have a happy and safe holiday and if you are in Yosemite, Mammoth or the Whitney area during the holidays you might run into Heidi and I!