Yosemite Adventures: 50 Spectacular Hikes, Climbs, and Winter Trips

by Matt Johanson, Hans Florine (Foreword by)

Overview

Four million outdoor adventurers visit California’s Yosemite National Park each year, drawn to the park’s spectacular scenery, vast swaths of wilderness, and extensive trail system. Yosemite Adventures offers a unique approach to exploring the park by presenting the area as a varied, year-round playground appropriate for recreationists of all abilities and interests. In addition to hiking and backpacking trips, readers will enjoy descriptions of skiing, snowshoeing, rock/mountain climbing, and fishing outings. Each of the 50-plus adventures—which have all been completed by the author—include photographs; detailed maps; elevation profiles; and a wealth of insider tips about recommended gear, permits, food, and campsites for a successful outing. The book promises to be a must-have resource for Yosemite’s vast legion of avid outdoor recreation enthusiasts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781600789144
Publisher:	Triumph Books
Publication date:	04/01/2014
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	266,098
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Matt Johanson is a high school journalism teacher and a freelance outdoor and travel writer. He is a lifelong outdoors enthusiast with more than 20 years’ experience in the Yosemite area and the author of Yosemite Epics: Tales of Adventure from America’s Greatest Playground. He lives in Castro Valley, California. Hans Florine is the author of Speed Climbing: How to Climb Faster and Better, has won nine national climbing championships, and has set multiple speed climbing records, including the fastest-ever ascent of the Nose of El Capitan in Yosemite.

Read an Excerpt

Yosemite Adventures

50 Spectacular Hikes, Climbs, and Winter Treks

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By Matt Johanson

Triumph Books

Copyright © 2014 Matt Johanson
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-60078-914-4

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CHAPTER 1

Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias

Distance: 2 miles round trip

Time: 1 to 3 hours

Difficulty: easy

Parking and trailhead: Tuolumne Grove, elevation 6,200 feet

Highest point: elevation 6,200 feet

Best season: January through April

Permits: none needed

Overview

Here's a great first winter outing for beginning skiers and snowshoers. A gentle path leads to dozens of beautiful giant sequoias. From the parking area, go north past the restrooms and gate and down a forest road. The first sequoias come into view after a sharp turn. A side trail leads to the tunnel tree and then reconnects with the main path. Be prepared to hike uphill on the way back. This is also a fine trip in spring, summer, and fall.

CHAPTER 2

Crane Flat

Distance: 3 miles round trip

Time: 2 to 4 hours

Difficulty: easy

Parking and trailhead: Crane Flat Lookout turnoff from Big Oak Flat Road (just west of Crane Flat Campground), elevation 6,250 feet

Summit: elevation 6,645 feet

Best season: January through April

Permits: none needed

Overview

An enjoyable trek leads to the most scenic winter vista that's easily accessible in the park. Crane Flat delivers a panoramic view and a good look at the Clark Range. From the turnoff, pass the gate and follow the forest road to the northwest. After taking in the scenery, enjoy downhill all the way back. Once a fire lookout, Crane Flat still serves as a search and rescue base.

CHAPTER 3

Gin Flat Loop

Distance: 6 miles

Time: 2 to 4 hours

Difficulty: moderate

Parking: Tuolumne Grove lot

Trailhead: Tioga Road gate near Crane Flat, elevation 6,200 feet

Highest point: elevation 7,100 feet

Best season: January through April

Permits: none needed

Overview

This outing provides a medium-sized adventure on a forest loop. From the Tuolumne Grove lot, walk east on Tioga Road beside Crane Flat Meadow and past the winter gate. Continue a quarter mile until the loop splits. Turn left onto Gin Flat Trail. Your path turns and climbs up a hillside for a few miles to Gin Flat. Turn right onto Tioga Road to return to your start.

CHAPTER 4

Dewey Point Loop

Distance: 7 miles

Time: 4 to 6 hours

Difficulty: easy to moderate

Parking and trailhead: Badger Pass Ski Area, elevation 7,216 feet

Highest point: elevation 7,560 feet

Best season: January through March

Permits: none needed for day use but required for overnight travel; visit the Badger Pass A-frame rangers' office

Overview

A marked, well-traveled trail leads to a spectacular viewpoint and an especially good view of El Capitan. The gentle route meanders through a peaceful meadow and forest before descending to the valley rim where visitors can see deep into the snow-capped backcountry. Return the same way or take a more challenging ridge variation back instead. This is a must for Yosemite winter enthusiasts.

Skiing the ski trek

Start east on the often-groomed Glacier Point Road, climbing gently and then descending at Summit Meadow. About a mile from the parking lot, look for the signed Dewey Point Meadow Trail (#18) on your left, breaking from the road and heading north. The next mile is easy going through the flat meadow along a creek and framed by lodgepole pines.

Then the trail drops, curves, and becomes more difficult, joining with the Dewey Point Ridge Trail as it passes through denser trees before emerging for a final climb to the rim and viewpoint at 7,385 feet. You'll feel like you're looking off the edge of the world. Spend some time here admiring The Captain, the Cathedral Rocks, and other landmarks.

When you're ready to return, you have a choice of routes. If the trip out challenged you, then it's best to return the same way. But if you're ready for some variety, a few hills, and a more rigorous segment, then you might try the Dewey Point Ridge Trail (#14). To choose this option, retrace your steps about a mile to the signed trail junction and turn right up the hill. The signed route rolls up and down like a roller coaster. As usual, skiers will get a bigger payoff on the downhills than snowshoers.

The trail connects with Glacier Point Road. Turn right toward the Badger Pass parking lot, less than a mile to the west.

Insider tips

Because skiers and snowshoers both frequent the Dewey Point Meadow Trail, it's important for each group to stay on their respective tracks. Snowshoes break up ski tracks by walking over them and put skiers at risk of falls and injuries.

Skiers should take skins for the steeper parts of the outing, especially if they intend to return on the Dewey Point Ridge Trail.

If you have time at Dewey Point, you may want to trace the rim west for a half-mile to reach Crocker Point or a mile to reach Stanford Point.

Consider spending a night here. The sunset and sunrise are incomparable.

CHAPTER 5

Glacier Point

Distance: 21 miles round trip

Time: 2 days or more

Difficulty: moderate

Parking and trailhead: Badger Pass Ski Area (park in the overnight area near the back), elevation 7,216 feet

Highest point: elevation 7,868 feet

Best season: January through March

Permits: none needed for day use but required for overnight travel; visit the Badger Pass A-frame rangers' office

Overview

This trek provides a great introduction to overnight winter touring and camping. While the 10.5 mile distance from Badger Pass to Glacier Point requires commitment, the route along a paved road is often machine-groomed. Long, gentle slopes provide fun descents. Many trekkers camp near the rim. Those who desire a more upscale experience can reserve beds at the Glacier Point Ski Hut.

Skiing the ski trek

While some speedsters make this round trip in a day, most enjoy a night or more at one of the Sierra Nevada's finest viewpoints. If you do so, your first decision is whether to camp or stay at Glacier Point Ski Hut. Camping is free and quite comfortable in good conditions for those properly equipped. Glacier Point Ski Hut provides its guests with bunk beds and hot meals for prices starting at $120 per night. Reservations are required; contact concessionaire Delaware North at [phone] or through yosemitepark.com.

Your journey traces Glacier Point Road the entire way, so route finding should not be a problem. First the road climbs about a mile to Summit Meadow. Next comes a 2-mile drop to Bridalveil Creek Campground. After crossing Bridalveil Creek Bridge a half mile later, enjoy your last descent for a while. As you pass a sign for Horizon Ridge Trail, you'll begin a 3-mile climb that gains about 800 feet. During this segment on clear days, you will get a fantastic view of the Clark Range, an impressive series of peaks to the east. The route flattens in the final miles as it passes Sentinel Dome to the northwest. Then descend on the road's switchbacks as you pass an awesome Half Dome vista and arrive at Glacier Point.

Be forewarned, a visit to snowbound Glacier Point may instill a lifelong love of winter adventure.

Insider tips

Park workers use a snowcat to groom snow on Glacier Point Road, but do not do so every day. A storm that strikes while you are out may require you to break miles of trail on a return trip! Watch the weather forecast.

Because of its long slopes and the often-groomed snow, this trek is especially suited to skis rather than snowshoes.

Distances and details

Start: Badger Pass

3.2 miles: Bridalveil Creek Campground

3.6 miles: Bridalveil Creek Bridge

4.9 miles: Horizon Ridge Trailhead (stay on road)

6.1 miles: Clark Range view

8.9 miles: Sentinel Dome parking area

9.2 miles: Top of hill before switchbacks

10.5 miles: Glacier Point

21 miles: Return to Badger Pass

CHAPTER 6

Glacier Point Side Trip: Sentinel Dome

Distance: 1 mile round trip

Time: 1 hour

Difficulty: easy

Starting point: Glacier Point Road above switchbacks descent to Glacier Point (about 0.75 miles west of summer parking area); elevation 7,700 feet

Summit: elevation 8,122 feet

Best season: January through March

Permits: none needed for day use but required for overnight travel; visit the Badger Pass A-frame rangers' office

Overview

Here's an easy climb to a great outlook higher than Glacier Point. The winter route is different from the summer trail. Traveling east on Glacier Point Road, pass the Sentinel Dome/Taft Point Trailhead and restroom. About three quarters of a mile farther, the road turns sharply right. Instead, go straight (west) to climb to a saddle south of the dome. Climb counterclockwise to the north to the summit.

CHAPTER 7

Ostrander Ski Hut

Distance: 18 miles round trip

Time: 2 days or more

Difficulty: strenuous

Parking and trailhead: Badger Pass Ski Area (park in the overnight area near the back); elevation 7,216 feet

Ostrander Hut: elevation 8,527 feet

Best season: January through March (Ostrander usually opens after Christmas and closes in early April; check with the Yosemite Conservancy)

Permits: required for overnight travel; visit the Badger Pass A-frame rangers' office

Overview

Ostrander has sheltered winter travelers since 1941. Built by President Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps, the hut has bunk beds, a wood stove, firewood, a small kitchen, tables, benches, lights, and toilets. What Ostrander lacks in privacy, it makes up in charm. Rookies, beware: the 9mile trek from Badger Pass to Ostrander can be anything from comfortable to horrendous, depending on ability, gear, snow conditions, and weather.

Skiing the ski trek

Do this trip right and you'll see why many skiers return to Ostrander every year. The rustic cabin feels like a world unto itself, an oasis of comfort and cheer in a winter wonderland. Yet many have underestimated the journey and spent freezing nights outdoors as a result. Prepare carefully!

Ostrander-bound skiers should be in good shape and comfortable exercising at 8,000 feet. Use backcountry skis with sharp metal edges and boots with strong bindings; track skis do not cut it where you're going. Snowshoes are another option, slower but easier for backcountry beginners.

The cabin books up months in advance so reservations are a good idea. Visit yosemiteconservancy.org for reservation information. Overnight use fees run up to $50, with discounts for midweek visitors and youths.

Hitting the trail by 9:00 AM is a good idea. Horizon Ridge Ski Trail is the easiest route. For 5 miles, you'll enjoy groomed ski tracks along Glacier Point Road, mostly downhill in the outbound direction. After Bridalveil Creek, watch for the sign to turn right onto the signed trail (#15). Reflective trail markers nailed to trees mark the route from here. Now the fun begins and you'll gain about a thousand feet climbing Heart Attack Hill, but a warm cabin awaits beside Ostrander Lake.

High-quality cooking is an Ostrander tradition. Upgrade your usual backcountry fare if you don't want to be outclassed!

Insider tips

Ostrander Hut is located at latitude 37°37.60' N, longitude 119°32.99' W.

Prepare for a night in the snow, just in case. Bring a sleeping bag, air mattress, tent/bivvy sack, stove, and pot.

Ostrander may have same-day availability, even on weekends. Inquire before departing at the Badger Pass A-frame rangers' office.

Plan at least a three-day trip. After a hard effort to reach Ostrander, you deserve a day to rest and enjoy the cabin and surroundings before heading back.

At 10.3 miles, the Bridalveil Creek Trail is slightly longer and comparable in difficulty. The Merced Crest route is 9.7 miles and highly scenic but far more difficult.

Distances and details

Start: Badger Pass

3.6 miles: Bridalveil Creek Bridge

4.9 miles: Horizon Ridge Trailhead (turn right)

9 miles: Ostrander Hut

18 miles: Return to Badger Pass

CHAPTER 8

Ostrander Side Trip: Buena Vista Peak

Distance: 8 miles round trip

Time: 4 to 6 hours

Difficulty: strenuous

Starting point: Ostrander Ski Hut, elevation 8,527 feet

Buena Vista Peak: elevation 9,709 feet

Best season: January through March

Permits: required for overnight travelers; visit the Badger Pass A-frame rangers' office

Overview

Reaching Ostrander Ski Hut feels good, but using the cabin as a base for deeper wilderness experiences feels great. In the right conditions, Buena Vista Peak provides just such an outing. This is the most appealing alpine summit within striking distance of the hut. No marked trail leads all the way from Ostrander to Buena Vista Peak and skiers need experience in route finding and avalanche safety.

Skiing the ski trek

First let's make sure you want to do this. Those who would summit Buena Vista Peak in winter should be fit and experienced backcountry skiers, familiar with route finding, skiing off marked trails, and able to spot and avoid avalanche hazards. They should be equipped with backcountry skis, skins, map and compass, food, water, and suitable clothes. They should make the outing a week or more after heavy snow, letting powder settle for easier skiing and minimal avalanche danger. And they should attempt this outing only with one or more partners, not alone.

Still want to go? Good! From the hut, pick up signed trail #17, which curves counterclockwise around the west end of Horse Ridge. There may be gaps in the signs but the route traces the south face of the ridge from the west to the east, climbing to the crest before dropping southeast toward a prominent saddle, where the signed trail ends.

From the saddle, ski southeast toward Buena Vista Lake. Some skiers cross the frozen surface in deep winter; judge conditions for yourself and if in doubt, go around. Climb up the north face, making a clockwise curve to reach the northeast ridge, and climb southwest to the peak.

Savor the summit view and return safely to share the story with your hutmates around the Ostrander dinner table.

Insider tips

Make this trip on a clear day. The summit will be harder to reach and enjoy if low clouds obscure your view.

The south face of Buena Vista Peak is known for great slopes and snow; it's worth a run if you have the time.

Be careful on the return to the cabin. Some have missed their western turn toward Horse Ridge, gone too far north toward Mount Starr King, and were "nighted" (forced to spend the night outdoors) as a result.

CHAPTER 9

Snow Creek Cabin

Distance: 12.2 miles round trip

Time: 2 days or more

Difficulty: strenuous

Parking: trailhead parking area (southwest of road between Curry Village and Happy Isles)

Trailhead: Mirror Lake bus stop, elevation 4,000 feet

Snow Creek Cabin: elevation 7,740 feet

Best season: January through March

Permits: required for overnight travel; visit Yosemite Valley Visitor Center

Overview

Built in 1929 but long in disrepair and closed, Snow Creek Cabin reopened in 2006 thanks to the gallant effort of volunteers. Climbing 3,740 feet up Snow Creek Trail requires a high level of fitness and determination, but those who do so enjoy a superior view of Half Dome on the way and often privacy at the cabin when they arrive.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Yosemite Adventures by Matt Johanson. Copyright © 2014 Matt Johanson. Excerpted by permission of Triumph Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Foreword by Hans Florine,
Introduction to Winter Treks,
1. Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias,
2. Crane Flat,
3. Gin Flat Loop,
4. Dewey Point Loop,
5. Glacier Point,
6. Glacier Point Side Trip: Sentinel Dome,
7. Ostrander Ski Hut,
8. Ostrander Side Trip: Buena Vista Peak,
9. Snow Creek Cabin,
10. Trans-Sierra: Lee Vining to Yosemite Valley,
Introduction to Hiking,
11. Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias,
12. Taft Point,
13. Wapama Falls,
14. Elizabeth Lake,
15. Lembert Dome,
16. Panorama Trail Loop,
17. Chilnualna Falls,
18. Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall Loop,
19. Four Mile Trail,
20. Yosemite Falls Trail,
Introduction to Backpacking,
21. Cathedral Lakes,
22. Young Lakes,
23. Tamarack Flat to El Capitan,
24. Ten Lakes Basin,
25. Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River,
26. Hetch Hetchy and Lake Vernon Loop,
27. John Muir Trail: Happy Isles to Tuolumne Meadows,
28. John Muir Trail: Tuolumne Meadows to Devils Postpile,
29. Pacific Crest Trail: Tuolumne Meadows to Sonora Pass,
30. Pacific Crest Trail Side Trip: Benson Lake,
Introduction to Mountain Climbing,
31. Clouds Rest,
32. Mount Hoffmann,
33. Mount Watkins,
34. Cathedral Peak,
35. Half Dome,
36. Mount Dana,
37. Mount Conness,
38. Amelia Earhart Peak,
39. Matterhorn Peak,
40. Mount Lyell,
Introduction to Rock Climbing,
41. Pothole Dome,
42. Puppy Dome: Puppy Crack,
43. Swan Slab: West Slabs,
44. Knob Hill: Sloth Wall,
45. Bunny Slopes,
46. Daff Dome: Guide Cracks,
47. El Capitan: Pine Line,
48. Sunnyside Bench: Regular Route,
49. Pywiack Dome: Zee Tree,
50. Half Dome: Snake Dike,
Acknowledgments,
About the Author,

Editorial Reviews

"Wow, I want to go! With explicit directions, insider tips, gear lists, personal journals, awesome photos and maps, Yosemite Adventures temps you to trek on the best of the best. You are drawn to travel the easy casual short trails or to graduate to the steep rock climbing dream walls. This book answers how to create an awesome Yosemite bucket list!" —Marty McDonnell, Tuolumne River guide and California Outdoors Hall of Famer

"For me this book is especially memorable. Constantly visiting Yosemite since the late 1950s, I love the park and have been to many of the places Johanson describes. With well-organized chapters and concise instructions, he has done a super job for old-timers as well as first-time visitors. It's time to head to Yosemite!" —Steve Roper, pioneer climber and author

"Matt Johanson has mastered a difficult task: encapsulating and translating all that Yosemite has to offer, for park veterans and beginners alike. This book is a great resource for planning upcoming trips, in addition to acting almost like a virtual tour-guide while visiting." —Brodie Brazil, sports broadcaster

From the Publisher