Yosemite in the snow
Our trip to Yosemite began with a panic. We rented a four-wheel drive, which (stupidly) you can’t rent with snow chains. Jon had borrowed four sets of chains from other people, in the hope that one set would fit. They didn’t. And nowhere in San Francisco that was open early Friday evening had a set that would fit. Not good news when you’re heading to the mountains with lots of snow forecast. We set off anyway and did manage to purchase a set (at great expense) en route. Although it was touch and go, we didn’t have to use them in the end, so it’ll be a case of trying to sell them on eBay now!
We had a pretty good trip, but did arrive very late, just because it takes four hours to get there at the best of times. Saw a couple of coyotes on the way. The road was pretty snowy, but the 4WD coped very well. We checked into our (very cold!) cabin and went to bed.
Next morning we awoke to a beautiful winter wonderland with the granite face of Half Dome towering above us. After a rousing cup of coffee and (slightly uninspiring) instant oatmeal breakfast from the Curry Village Coffee Shop, we rented our snowshoes and set off on the Mirror Lake loop, a trail of approximately 5 miles, heading up Tenaya Canyon. The snow was really fluffy and light, so Jon couldn’t resist making a huge snowman on a flat patch of ground by Tenaya Creek. The snowshoes made us feel invincible – you didn’t have to worry about slipping, as you would with hiking boots, and could simply plant your feet wherever you wanted to. They also came in handy when we completely lost the trail (just after I managed to slide into a creek tributary!) and had to tramp over goodness knows what in search of the bridge that would take us over to the other side. We watched with great amusement later as a hapless pair followed our footprints! We returned via the largely iced over Mirror Lake, and then went to take a look at Yosemite Falls. Unfortunately, the snow had set in by this point and the clouds had come so low, that the much more impressive Upper Yosemite Fall could not be seen.
That evening, we decided to take a look at the super posh Ahwahnee Hotel (the cost for a room is some $600 per night and it’s the only luxury option in the park – or, indeed, for miles around. We had cocktails in the bar and took a look at the amazing lounge with its huge fireplace. We weren’t really dressed for dinner, otherwise we’d have been sorely tempted to eat in the sumptuous dining room. Instead, we had dinner at a bar with a huge firepit in Yosemite Lodge. Stuffed full, we returned to the cabin and tried to play cards, but were too tired to do so for long. The snowshoeing must have taken more out of us than we’d thought!
The snow had been falling from early afternoon without stopping and was still falling when we went to bed and when we woke up. The car was buried under over a foot of snow the next morning. Fortunately, there was a huge plastic food container in our cabin, the lid of which we were able to use to clear the snow! We took a stroll to lovely Bridalveil Fall on our way out of the park, starting each time we had the crunch and boom of a minor avalanche down the rock face.
Our route back to San Francisco – Highway 120 – was closed, so we were obliged to take the longer, but ultimately no slower Highway 140. It was amazing how sudden we emerged from the snow into a valley that reminded me of Wales or Scotland with its dark clouds and unremitting rain. We had a good journey back and crossed the Bay Bridge back into San Fran before nightfall.
It was great to see that wonderful place in a different season, without the crowds. I was disappointed that we didn’t get blue skies and sunshine, of course, but pleased in a way that there will be no drought this year as there was last year.
Photos are available here: http://public.fotki.com/EllenHardwick/yosemite-in-the-snow/ (password: moocow)
We had a pretty good trip, but did arrive very late, just because it takes four hours to get there at the best of times. Saw a couple of coyotes on the way. The road was pretty snowy, but the 4WD coped very well. We checked into our (very cold!) cabin and went to bed.
Next morning we awoke to a beautiful winter wonderland with the granite face of Half Dome towering above us. After a rousing cup of coffee and (slightly uninspiring) instant oatmeal breakfast from the Curry Village Coffee Shop, we rented our snowshoes and set off on the Mirror Lake loop, a trail of approximately 5 miles, heading up Tenaya Canyon. The snow was really fluffy and light, so Jon couldn’t resist making a huge snowman on a flat patch of ground by Tenaya Creek. The snowshoes made us feel invincible – you didn’t have to worry about slipping, as you would with hiking boots, and could simply plant your feet wherever you wanted to. They also came in handy when we completely lost the trail (just after I managed to slide into a creek tributary!) and had to tramp over goodness knows what in search of the bridge that would take us over to the other side. We watched with great amusement later as a hapless pair followed our footprints! We returned via the largely iced over Mirror Lake, and then went to take a look at Yosemite Falls. Unfortunately, the snow had set in by this point and the clouds had come so low, that the much more impressive Upper Yosemite Fall could not be seen.
That evening, we decided to take a look at the super posh Ahwahnee Hotel (the cost for a room is some $600 per night and it’s the only luxury option in the park – or, indeed, for miles around. We had cocktails in the bar and took a look at the amazing lounge with its huge fireplace. We weren’t really dressed for dinner, otherwise we’d have been sorely tempted to eat in the sumptuous dining room. Instead, we had dinner at a bar with a huge firepit in Yosemite Lodge. Stuffed full, we returned to the cabin and tried to play cards, but were too tired to do so for long. The snowshoeing must have taken more out of us than we’d thought!
The snow had been falling from early afternoon without stopping and was still falling when we went to bed and when we woke up. The car was buried under over a foot of snow the next morning. Fortunately, there was a huge plastic food container in our cabin, the lid of which we were able to use to clear the snow! We took a stroll to lovely Bridalveil Fall on our way out of the park, starting each time we had the crunch and boom of a minor avalanche down the rock face.
Our route back to San Francisco – Highway 120 – was closed, so we were obliged to take the longer, but ultimately no slower Highway 140. It was amazing how sudden we emerged from the snow into a valley that reminded me of Wales or Scotland with its dark clouds and unremitting rain. We had a good journey back and crossed the Bay Bridge back into San Fran before nightfall.
It was great to see that wonderful place in a different season, without the crowds. I was disappointed that we didn’t get blue skies and sunshine, of course, but pleased in a way that there will be no drought this year as there was last year.
Photos are available here: http://public.fotki.com/EllenHardwick/yosemite-in-the-snow/ (password: moocow)
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