Just a quick post tonight to share some pictures. We headed up to Lassen last weekend to get in a quick overnight car snowcamp and some cross country skiing before the big storms rolled in. We got some beautiful fresh snow overnight and got to enjoy some fresh trail-breaking on a ski loop on Sunday. I wish we could have stayed up there all week, enjoying all this precip as snow instead of rain.
I snapped a few photos while we were out there but kept the camera mostly put away due to the wet snow.
One thing I had some fun with was trying out the video mode on my new Panasonic LX3. Got some nice shots of the bubbly and steamy sulphur works:
Snowcamping, Yosemite, and friends. What better way to start the new year?
We drove out to Wawona on New Year’s Eve to meet a bunch of friends at the group campground. After celebrating the new year with a warm campfire, cheap champagne, and lots of laughs, we got a good night of sleep before heading up to Badger Pass and donning our packs for an overnight snowshoe to Dewey Point.
Camp Kitchen
Dewey Point is about a 3.5 mile trek from the Badger Pass parking area. The first mile is on groomed road (Glacier Point Road, closed in winter), then the track diverts to a nice marked cross-country route for the last 2.5 miles. We found a great campsite about 1/4 mile before the Point, about midway between Dewey and Crocker. It was close enough to the rim of Yosemite Valley that we were able to walk out for photos of the clearing afternoon snow storm and sunset. Beautiful, and one of my all-time favorite places to camp in the snow.
The following morning we took the short, mile round trip trek to Crocker Point for the views into the Valley, then back to camp to pack up and head out with about half of the group. The other half took a hike over towards the Taft Fissures and were going to stay for a second night.
Half Dome from Crocker (click for larger)
If You Go
Permits are required and are available at the A-frame at Badger Pass. Parking is available at the Badger Pass ski area lot as well – overnight vehicles park in the permit lot. Food and restrooms are available at the Badger Pass ski resort.
Not ready to camp out in the snow? Dewey Point makes an excellent day trip on snow shoes or skis. There are even several shuttle options to get to Badger Pass if you feel uncomfortable driving up there (the road is often icy and under chain controls). The route is well marked, well traveled, and offers some of the greatest views in Yosemite. Go for it!
Snowcamping is not to be taken lightly – while it can be as enjoyable and easy as a simple overnight summer backpack, the consequences of forgotten gear, unexpected weather, or lack of skills can be far worse. Be careful out there!
We spent the weekend up in the snow at Wood’s Lake, near Carson Pass. Temperatures were colder than we usually encounter in the Sierra, but the great company, hot chocolate, and down layers kept us warm.
Although it was cold (7 degrees when I crawled into my sleeping bag on Saturday night), the weather was nice – fresh snow blanketed everything and the sun would come and go in between small squalls. The scenery was fantastic.
Last weekend a group of us from the Northern CA hiking group planned on a nice snowcamping trip to Lake Winnemucca near Carson Pass along highway 88. Although there was a storm forecasted for Sunday night, we were only expecting a few inches of snow over the weekend, with plenty of time to get out before the big storm hit. It turns out the system grew and moved in quicker than expected, dumping 2-3 feet of snow on us along with gusting winds.
Post-Storm
It was a weekend that tested our gear and skills, and although the experience isn’t exactly what I’d call ‘fun’ it was good test of our limits. Also, if you park at the Meiss Meadow snowpark be prepared to dig yourself out. We were there for approximately six hours and it was never plowed. A car-width path to highway 88 had to be shovelled out, which took all afternoon with several people shovelling.
A few weeks ago Dave, Steve and I headed up for an overnight in the snow at Loch Leven lakes. I’m a bit late in updating – OOPs! The photo album is here:
This past weekend David and I did an overnight snowshoe/ski into Lassen National Park with the Northern California Hikers. It was wonderfully hot and sunny on the snow, and sunscreen and hats didn’t do much to prevent sunburn. But it was worth it! We snowshoed in a few miles along the road to the Bumpass Hell parking area (in the summer) and set up camp. It was a windy night but we had a great time. I’m looking foward to the next one! Pictures are here:
This past weekend I went snowcamping in Yosemite with David, Paige and Dave, and Steve. We camped about 200 yards back from Dewey Point and had wonderful weather and a wonderful time. The sunset from Dewey Point was breathtaking, as most views in Yosemite are. Neither David or I brought a camera, but fortunately Paige took excellent pictures as usual! She posted the photos in two albums:
