Cross-Country Skiing Amid Yosemite Views

Every summer morning before sunrise, a slow trickle of cars begins to wind along this park’s Glacier Point Road. As the day warms up the trickle becomes a steady stream, and by late afternoon the parking lot at road’s end is usually full.

What’s the attraction?

Most visitors make the 32-mile pilgrimage from the Yosemite Valley floor to Glacier Point for the view. From the edge of an airy overlook, people can look 3,200 feet down into Yosemite Village.

Across the valley one can see the entire 2,425-drop of Yosemite Falls. Behind Half Dome the rugged peaks of the High Sierra stand out in inspiring clarity. The view has been called the finest in Yosemite.

But in winter, the road stops 10 1/2 miles short at the Badger Pass Ski Area. The final approach to Glacier Point, past the ski area’s parking lot, lies buried beneath a thick blanket of snow. The area becomes a quiet wilderness, much as it must have been before the road was built.

The cars and motor homes were gone when I visited in early December. The only traffic was an occasional Snow Cat, which left in its wake a seamless set of fresh tracks all the way to road’s end.

My friend Greg and I had come to follow these tracks and spend the night under the stars at Glacier Point. After registering with the Badger Pass back-country ranger, we filled our backpacks with layers of warm clothing, a tent, sleeping bags, cook stove and a weekend’s worth of dehydrated food.

We hiked off the pavement and slid our skis into the groomed tracks. The mechanized sounds of the downhill ski area and attendant parking lot were quickly muffled as we skied deeper into the snow-cloaked forest.

We had entered another world, a boreal world of delicate snowflakes and crystalline icicles, where morning sun turns fresh hoarfrost into a thousand points of dazzling light on an open meadow, and mischievous winds send great piles of powdery snow cascading earthward from storm-laden fir trees.

About 5 1/2 miles from Badger Pass the heavy forest that had lined the road gave way to a spectacular view of Clark Range, dominated by the 11,522-foot spire of Mt. Clark.

It’s possible to do the 21-mile round trip to Glacier Point and back in a day but it requires an early start and some stamina, because much of the trip back is uphill.

Because we were spending the night out we could take our time and savor the views along the way. A long, lazy lunch and a snooze in the sun nicely broke up the 10 1/2-mile trek.

If you’re a beginner, the Glacier Point is the easiest trail and the only one that offers machine-groomed tracks.

Although hilly in spots, the up-and-downhill grades are long and fairly gentle. If you’re out just for the day and looking for a simple loop tour, several marked trails branch off and loop back to the road between Badger Pass and Glacier Point.

A good choice for a moderate tour is Ghost Forest Loop, about a 10-mile round trip. Starting on Glacier Point Road, the loop leaves the main route after 3 1/2 miles and winds through an eerie forest of dead lodgepole pines.

On the way back to Badger Pass you can take the Old Glacier Point Road instead of retracing your route in. The terrain is varied, and a few brief hill runs on the Old Road keep things interesting.

If you’re looking for a more challenging route, follow Glacier Point Road one mile from the parking lot to Summit Meadow, then veer left onto Dewey Point Trail, a 7 1/2-mile round trip loop from the road. The trail crosses a series of open meadows before encountering some more difficult hills.

Although not particularly steep, this route can be treacherous in icy conditions, especially if you have edgeless track skis. The trail ends on a spur of rock that juts into Yosemite Valley.

On a clear day the view encompasses the entire valley, from the massive granite wall of El Capitan--standing eye level across a 3,000-foot drop--to Cathedral Rocks and the split face of Half Dome.

After a few more miles on the road and a side trip to the top of Sentinel Dome, Greg and I skied down the final switchbacks to our campsite on Glacier Point. We set up the tent with a view of Half Dome from our front door.

We stayed awake so we wouldn’t miss the moonrise and the first stars of the evening. The sight of the snow-cloaked peaks and domes of the high country shining beneath a brilliant winter moon was spectacular.

If the thought of camping on snow chills your ambition, there is a hut available for overnight use ($10 a night) at Ostrander Lake (18 miles round trip from Badger Pass).

The hut sits in an open bowl below Horse Ridge at 8,600 feet, a great place to practice some telemarking.

Three main trails lead to Ostrander Lake and the hut: Bridalveil Creek is the easiest (intermediate), Horizon Ridge a bit more challenging, and Merced Crest, for advanced skiers only, is the most difficult.

Glacier Point Road is usually skiable from Thanksgiving to early April. During mid-winter Yosemite’s high-mountain weather can be quite changeable, thus layered clothing is recommended. Late March and April typically bring clear skies and milder temperatures. There’s plenty of “spring-corn” snow there now and conditions should be good for skiers. Daily lessons, rental skis and guided tours are all available through the Nordic School at Badger Pass. Call (209) 372-1244. The Ski School offers a guided overnight tour to a private hut at the end of Glacier Point.

The cost of the Glacier Point hut tour is $90 per person, or $130 for two (five sign-ups are needed for a guided hut tour). The Ski School also offers guided six-day trans-Sierra tours for $350 per person.

Registration is required for all overnight trips into the back country, and is obtainable from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Badger Pass Ranger A-Frame. For Ostrander Hut information and reservations, call (209) 379-2317.

For information on Yosemite Valley lodging, call (209) 252-4848. Several campgrounds are open for winter camping: Lower Pines and Sunnyside Walk-In in Yosemite Valley, Wawona Campground on California 41, and Hodgon Meadow Campground at the Big Oak Flat Entrance on California 120 west. No fees are collected during winter.