Traveler: Yosemite National Park

A winter adventure in the Yosemite National Park

Your humble blogger in the Yosemite snow!

Ever since the great nature writer John Muir trekked into the High Sierra to record his mesmerising thoughts and feelings when amongst the towering rock formations, the tumbling waterfalls and the endless acres of ancient forest, Yosemite National Park in Northern California has been a "must visit" location when on the west coast. Quite simply, there's nowhere else quite like America's first national park (thanks for that, President Theodore Roosevelt), no matter which time of the year you visit.

Winter is my favourite time of the year no matter what hemisphere I find myself in, and a winter visit to Yosemite is to see the park at it's most unforgiving. Yet, it's a beautiful sort of unforgiving: waterfalls laced with snow and ice, the high mountain passes snowed in for months at a time and virtually impossible, the twin peaks of Half Dome and El Capitan dusted with a fresh dump of snow, fast-moving cloud obscuring and then revealing, the glimpse of a deer or a lynx, fresh tracks through a field blanketed by snow, and the chilly grandeur of so many picturesque fir trees weighed down by a heavy overnight snowfall. It's postcard-perfect stuff.

If you're after solitude and isolation, winter is a good time to visit Yosemite. Gone are the crazy crowds and the warm weather of summer. Gone, too, are the leaves on the trees, and the bears into hibernation, but there's plenty to see and do. I don't think there's anything more beautiful than waking up on a still morning to see the fields and meadows covered in snow, inches deep, most of it untouched, untracked and waiting for you to explore.

Getting There

In winter, there's only one way into the park, and that's via Route 140, the main thoroughfare for visitors coming from the east, to the Arch Rock Entrance. It's the road of choice for the tour buses that make the trek daily from San Francisco. Leaving the Bay Area, you drive through the fertile Central Valley, 40-60 miles wide and 450km long, and home to some of the state's most productive agricultural areas.

Through Merced and Mariposa and the entrance town, El Portal, Route 140 is a beautiful road, which, at it's end, runs through the narrow valley carved out by the Merced River, whose rushing waters are littered with boulders of all shapes and sizes. On the far bank, you can see the remnants of the old stagecoach road, which used to be the only way into the park, no matter the season, a long and largely uncomfortable ride from San Francisco.

You have to look hard, because the stagecoach road has seen better days, but it's a fascinating relic of the days when traveling into America’s first national park in an automobile had probably seemed about as likely as man setting foot on the moon was likely. Now days, though, the road is in good condition, unless there's been a landslide, and the rushing water of the Merced is a brilliant backdrop, whetting your appetite for the even more impressive streams and rivers in Yosemite itself.

Merced River along California State Route 140

The Arch Rock entrance, sitting alongside the Merced, it's gate house designed to blend on with it's natural surroundings, is literally that: you drive through a rock that sits across the road like a natural tunnel, and through the wooden huts where you pay your entrance fee, and onward.

Our Rav-4 on Route 140

From the Arch Rock Entrance, the scenery becomes nothing short of incredible, and the closing miles of what's been a long journey from San Francisco is spellbinding. You arrive in Yosemite Valley, a gorgeous meadow, with fabulous mountains all around, the landmarks that make this national park so famous there to be enjoyed from the outset: Half Dome, El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall...

Yosemite Village

The Village, ringed on all sides by sheer granite cliffs that make you feel about an inch tall, is the main population centre in the Yosemite Valley. The focal point is the Lodge at Yosemite Falls, providing a year-round accommodation option for those on a budget. It's simple - warm rooms with beds and bathrooms, and some packages include breakfast served in the nearby eatery - but that's really all I needed. 

One thing's for sure: if you're aiming to spend a lot of time in your hotel room, you needn't bother to visit Yosemite. Here, your hotel room is just the place you come back to at the end of the day, probably exhausted and elated. Everything you want to see is out there, so get out and explore it.

At the front of the Lodge is a bus stop for the Yosemite Bus that runs year-round, stopping at various attractions and hiking trail heads in the Village. Degnan's Deli, a small supermarket-type shop, and the Yosemite Post Office are nearby, as is the spectacular Visitor's Centre. Well worth stopping by, here you can find exhibitions and information on all sorts of things, from the geological beginnings of the park, to it's wildlife, the customary theatre, which screens short films about Yosemite and the High Sierra that are a must-see, of course, the customary Gift Shop, where there's just about anything Yosemite-themed that you can imagine, and probably a few things that you haven't thought of, too. 

Yosemite's Shuttle Bus Service runs even in the most inclement weather

Yosemite Falls

Yosemite Falls is the easiest in the park, a gentle stroll through impossibly tall trees to the base of one of the tallest and most impressive waterfalls anywhere in America. I've seen it three times: once on a beautifully sunny day when there was barely a comparative trickle of water, the second time once during the middle of an incredible snowstorm, and once on a sunny day after a recent period of heavy rain when every water way in the park was at it's best. Standing at the base of the falls, amongst the giant rocks that are strewn across the ground, feeling the cold spray in the warm sunshine is incredible. It's a very popular destination, because it's so close to the village, and because of the majesty of the scene. It's a good place to start your discovery.

 The snowy trail to Yosemite Falls

Tunnel View

Quite simply, the most breathtaking natural view that I've been fortunate enough to bear witness to in the United States of America. At the Yosemite Village end of the immense Wawona Tunnel, California State Route 41, is Tunnel View. The close-in vegetation opens up to a spectacular vista of trees, mountains and waterfalls. The south-west face of El Capitan to your left, Bridalveil Fall and Half Dome to your right, thousands of trees covering the roads and village below. 

If you turn up at sunset or sunrise, especially if there's wispy traces of cloud to catch the sun's colour, the view is extra incredible. Turn up on a bluebird morning after a snowstorm has blanketed the valley, and you might never want to leave.It's hard to not take a good photo here. So, no matter what time of the day you visit, there's almost guaranteed to be a dozen people snapping photos, some with very elaborate tripod-and-lens setups.

The climb from the Valley floor seems interminable, winding through the trees, your ears popping, each bend you round not quite to the top. There's fleeting glimpses through the trees, but not enough to completely spoil the view at the lookout. Rather, just enough to whet your appetite. Then you see it, the Valley in all it's breathtaking majesty, and you're struck dumb.

From Tunnel View: a dusting of snow in Yosemite Valley

 From a historical standpoint, the view you see in front of you really hasn't changed much from the early days, when John Muir's writing drew so many people to Yosemite, because of the tasteful way development has been approached (in great contrast to other places in America). There's nothing so monolithic as the natural surroundings. The Ahwahnee is the only multi-storey building in the Valley, and it isn't visible from the Tunnel View. You can stand and gaze out over the view and feel much like those original Yosemite trailblazers must have felt like, a century ago.

 

A storm rolls in

Not surprisingly, this is one of the longer stops on the Grand Yosemite Valley Tour that leaves from the Yosemite Lodge. Transported around to all the good spots in the Valley region in a warm coach with big windows to enjoy the view out of is pretty much perfect, especially if the weather makes you not want to drive yourself. Needless to say, it's a long climb from the Village to the Tunnel View.

Stunning late sunset view

Behind the lookout, the Wawona Tunnel leads to the town of the same name - the Badger Pass Ski Resort is up the same road.

Badger Pass Ski Resort

Whilst not the biggest ski resort in Northern California, Badger Pass - which was owned and operated by an Aussie the last time I was there - is actually the oldest in the state, and, of course, has the distinction of being the only one in the Yosemite National Park. What you find at the end of the road is a charming ski resort, nestled into an upper nook of the park, with a half-dozen chairlifts that open up some challenging terrain, and some lovely views, too. 

Sunny morning at Badger Pass

The thing that I liked the most, other than the reasonable lift ticket and ski hire pricing, was the complete lack of the rabid craziness that can sometimes characterise the nearby Lake Tahoe resorts. Instead, what you get is peaceful tree-filled skiing, and enough runs off each lift that you can pretty much ignore crowds, even on the busiest days. That's a big plus in my book. Like everywhere else I ski in America, the local prerogative seems to be to not lower the safety bar when going up the hill. That scares me just a little.

 Tree-lined runs and spectacular views: the norm

If you don't want to drive out from Yosemite Valley, there's a handy shuttle bus that departs the Yosemite Lodge a couple of different times each morning during the season, taking all the hassle out of the road up. Take chains (you can hire them at various service/gas stations on the way into the park) if you're making the drive yourself, and be prepared to use them, particularly close to the resort itself. The road, lined by fir trees on either side, can snow and ice over pretty quickly, and pretty unexpectedly, too.

Take it from me, you'd be doing yourself a giant favour by checking that your chains fit on your car before going up.

Top of the hill

The Ahwahnee Hotel

Yosemite's more upmarket accommodation choice is the spectacular Ahwahnee Hotel, which is a short drive on from Yosemite Valley, built - almost jammed up against, even- towering granite cliffs. You can't properly imagine this hotel, and words certainly don't do it justice. It's one of those places that you just have to see for yourself. Like the rest of Yosemite National Park, really.

The Ahwahnee

Designed by renowned architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood, the Ahwahnee is a marvel of a building, a charming combination of stone, concrete, wood and glass, designed to pay homage to the High Sierra's rich Native American heritage. It's a breathtaking building, and well worth a visit, even if you only get to visit the well-stocked Gift Shop,

Whilst the Ahwahnee admittedly doesn't boast the modern conveniences that you're likely to find in a hotel in a place like New York City, it certainly has a wonderful rustic, old-warm charm that envelopes you as soon as you step through the door. 

There's rich history here to immerse yourself in. After all, how many hotels can lay claim to having played host to the Queen of England and a handful of US Presidents? Everyone, it seems, wants to discover and enjoy Yosemite National Park. During the Second World War, the hotel was temporarily transformed into a convalescence camp for injured US servicemen.

Even if you can't afford to stay there - the Ahwahnee's rooms, parlors and suites aren't cheap, and nor are the meals in the fabulous dining room - there are enough public rooms downstairs that give you a wonderful feel for the place. You can sit by a fire and read a good book in one of the open lounge areas, surrounded by the understated elegance of the hotel, and no one's going to bat an eyelid.

One of the Ahwahnee's public rooms downstairs

Also worth a visit is the bar downstairs, near the hotel's main entrance. I speak from experience when I say that one of the best things you can do in Yosemite is retreat to the Ahwahnee's bar, there to enjoy a bottle of Bud and a bowl of their exceptional chilli whilst the snow falls outside. It's warm, the service is good, and the views are excellent. Certainly, there are worse places to spend a winter's afternoon. When the weather is less inclement, you can spot the squirrels running about through the meadows.

The Ahwahnee Bar

Bridalveil Fall

One of the most famous and most prominent waterfalls in the Valley, Bridalveil Fall stands at 188 tall, and flows year-round. It's one of the landmarks visible from Tunnel View, and from many other vantage points on the Valley floor, too. If you happen to be lucky, you'll see the Fall on a day when, aided by a fair breeze, the water will actually appear to be blowing sideways. 

 Bridalveil Fall

From the Valley, you can walk a half-mile from the Bridalveil Fall Parking Area. The trail is paved and leashed pets are allowed, too, but be careful for icy patches during winter.
 
Elsewhere...

Simply driving around Yosemite Valley is a delight in itself. It's not uncommon to have to stop for native deers crossing the road, and if you keep an eye out, even in winter, you can spot some unique wildlife. That's if you're not totally fixated on the waterfalls, high ridges and towering cliffs that you simply can't escape. 

The picturesque - and very popular for weddings - Yosemite Chapel

Check out the gorgeous Yosemite Chapel...drive through the empty Camp Curry (closed for the winter season)...enjoy the view of El Capitan from El Capitan meadow...go to Valley View on Northside Drive near Bridalveil Fall...stand on Sentinel Bridge and take a photo of the reflection of Half Dome in the clear water...enjoy a distant view of Yosemite Falls from Sentinel Meadow or the Yosemite Chapel.

El Capitan at sunset - one of the best photos I've ever taken

 Deer Crossing