If it’s winter in Yosemite, it’s time for a little cold play.
The center of Yosemite’s winter sports scene is the Badger Pass Ski Area, located 30 miles from Yosemite Valley. Proclaimed as California’s original ski resort after opening in 1935, Badger Pass is the perfect place for beginning skiers and snowboarders to hone their skills in a family atmosphere.
Badger Pass first began offering ski lessons in 1928, making it the first ski school in the West. Commitment to newcomers is still a focus, with 35 percent of its 10 runs suited for beginners, 50 percent for intermediates and just 15 percent for advanced skiers. Badger Pass, situated at 7,200 to 8,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada, features five lifts: 1 triple-chair; 3 double-chair; 1 cable tow. With rentals, lessons, food services and even babysitting available on site, Badger Pass is a great place for families to get away for that once- or twice-a-year ski trip.
Tubing has been added at Badger Pass in recent years, but only issued snow tubes are allowed in the designated area. Although park regulations prohibit sledding in the Badger Pass area, SUVs and cars can be spotted many places on Glacier Point Road, where downhill runs are too tempting to resist.
The Yosemite Cross Country Ski Center, operated by the Yosemite Mountaineering School, is a relative baby compared to its downhill sister after springing up in 1970. At Badger Pass, where rentals and lessons are available, there are 25 miles of machine-groomed trails and roads, and 90 miles of marked trails.
Worth noting is that there are no trail fees for cross country skiing and snowshoeing because you’re in a national park. The fee to enter Yosemite is $20 per car, which is good for seven days.
There are several options if you want to spend the night in the wilderness during the winter. The Yosemite Mountaineering School can help you plan a guided trip, with overnight tours ranging from one to six days. The Yosemite Cross Country Ski Center also rents sleeping bags and overnight packs. For information about tours call 209-372-8344.
Located about a 9-mile cross country ski from the Badger Pass Ski Area is the Ostrander Ski Hut, which can accommodate 25 people a night. Although skiers must tote in food and bedding, the hut has a propane stove and wood for a fire. Popular for more than seven decades, Ostrander Ski Hut on Ostrander Lake offers a wilderness experience without the hassles of setting up a tent in the snow. It only costs $20 per person a night to stay and reservations are accepted by calling 209-372-0740.
Wilderness camping is free, but skiers must register at the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center. Popular snowcamping destinations from Badger Pass Ski Area include Dewey Point (3 miles), Taft Point (9 miles) and Glacier Point (19 miles). All three camping spots feature bird’s-eye views of the valley and towering granite landmarks.
In addition to Badger Pass, there are two other nordic areas in Yosemite: Crane Flat, located 7 miles from the Big Oak Flat Entrance on Highway 120; Mariposa Grove, 2 miles inside the park’s southernmost entrance on Highway 41. To ski or snowshoe among giant sequoias late in the season, the best bets are Tuolumne Grove and Merced Grove in the Crane Flat area. Make sure to hold onto the map and newsletter you receive when you enter the park. Yosemite looks a lot different in the winter.
Location: Highway 140 from Merced to the Arch Rock entrance to the park; take Wawona Road (Highway 41) 14 miles; turn left on Glacier Point Road to Badger Pass Ski Area
Winter activities: Downhill skiing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, tubing, snow camping, hiking, exploring waterfalls
Info: Road conditions: 209-372-0200
Badger Pass Ski Area: 209-372-8430
Yosemite Cross Country Ski Center: 209-372-8444
Yosemite Mountaineering School: 209-372-8344
Ostrander Ski Hut reservations: 209-372-0740
Lodging: Inside the park: 559-252-4848; Outside the park on Highway 140 in El Portal, Cedar Lodge: 1-702-438-1166
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