Only a few days before we got to the park, Nick and I decided not to follow the original plan and go to the Ostrander Hut. The trek sounded like it would be very hard. As uncertainties amounted, we worried that the adventure might be too stressful for us to enjoy.
Our friends, Ryan and Talia successfully made the journey to and from the Ostrander Hut on snowshoes despite all of our worries, and you can read about their adventure on Ryan's blog: Day 1 and Day 2.
Day 1: Tuesday, December 29, 2009
After skiing for a few yards—their first ever attempt at cross country skiing—Ryan and Talia decided to snowshoe to the hut instead. So Nick and I explored the Glacier Point Road by ourselves, as it winded through the tall snow covered evergreens.
We enjoyed the downhills and worked up a sweat going uphill. The road was well groomed, and the snow at Badger Pass was abundant. At one point, the Merced Peak appeared on the horizon before the road turned downhill again.
We stopped for lunch when we reached the Clark Range view point. Sitting on stones on the side of the road, we enjoyed sweeping mountain views, accompanied by yummy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Day 2: Wednesday, December 30, 2009
All in all, we skied over 11 miles at Badger Pass. Being still quite tired the next day, we were glad we did not have to ski the distance all over again. While Ryan and Talia made their way back from the Ostrander Hut, having gotten there well before dark the previous day, Nick and I took it easy. We slept in, checked out the park’s Visitors Center, spoke to some park rangers, and did not start hiking until after lunch.
Following park rangers' suggestions, we headed for the Upper Yosemite Falls trail. As we walked away from the road, the trail quickly became steep. We huffed and puffed and peeled away our clothing layers like onions, as we climbed up the endless switchbacks. After taunting us with glimpses of its magnificence, the Half Dome finally emerged from behind the trees in all its glory--we reached the point on the trail known as Columbia Rock. The valley lay at our feet, and the Half Dome seemed to be with an arm’s reach.
We decided not to continue up the trail, and descended back into the valley instead.
Twilight was coming over the valley, and fog was rising over the Merced River as we walked across a beautiful meadow. The setting sun made the snow covered mountains sparkle with shades of pink and orange.
Day 3: Thursday, December 31, 2009
On the day of New Years Eve all four of us decided to explore the Mariposa Grove, one of very few areas where giant sequoias grow. The road there took us to the park's Southern entrance, and from there the last two miles of the road were closed for the winter. Even though the snow was scarce and icy in places, we chose to ski to the grove. We were definitely in the minority. A few other people skied to the Mariposa Grove that day, and several people were snowshoeing, but the majority of the people sadly were walking.
After slogging uphill the entire two miles, we finally reached the first giant sequoias, and giant they were. We continued up along the road, skiing past the Fallen Monarch and stopping near the Bachelor and Three Graces. The giant sequoias’ trunks looked so enormous, that they could have easily fit many of the surrounding tree trunks inside. We just stood there with our heads tilted and our mouths hanging open.
The next giant sequoia we saw, the Grizzly Giant, is the biggest giant sequoia in the Mariposa Grove, and it was amazing. Aptly named, this enormous tree looked a bit like a monster rising against the sky. Far above the ground its massive branches curved up towards the clouds—each branch thicker than any ordinary tree trunk.
Nearby stood the California Tunnel Tree, so named because in 1895 a tunnel was carved through the bottom of the tree, and cars used to drive right through it. It is amazing how this tree managed to survive, but there it still stands, still working hard on trying to heal itself.
There were more giant sequoias to see in the Upper Grove, but by then we only had about an hour of daylight left, so we decided to turn back. Our friends did not want to attempt the icy road downhill on their first day of cross country skiing, so they walked, while Nick and I tested the effectiveness of the steel edges that our “backcountry” skis had as we slid back towards the parking lot.
Since it was the New Years Eve, we stopped at the Wawona Hotel for a celebratory dinner. On our way back to Curry Village where we stayed, we stopped at the Tunnel View Point and enjoyed an amazing view of the El Capitan and the Half Dome lit up by the full moon.
Day 4: Friday, January 1, 2010
On our last full day in the park, we walked up to the Mirror Lake, and continued up the Snow Creek trail. It was very grey and cloudy, and the sheer granite wall of the Half Dome loomed ominously above us. Despite the enthusiasm of some amongst us, we turned around before reached the point on the trail from where we could see the creek.
As we hiked back down, the most amazing thing happened. Within minutes, the clouds melted away and the sun came out. The scenery transformed, and the granite and snow shined against the clear blue sky.
Day 5: Saturday, January 2, 2010
Before leaving the park on Saturday morning, we explored the Ahwahnee, the magnificent hotel built in 1927 to attract the “affluent and influential” visitors to the park. We also had just enough time to take a stroll to the bottom of Yosemite falls.
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