February 17, 2013
Old Glacier Point Road at Badger Pass, Yosemite National Park
Total distance walked: 3.25 miles

The morning was brisk and clear. Chris, his brother, his brother’s wife, and I piled into the Suburban, eager for a snowy Sunday stroll. Our destination was the Badger Pass Ski Area, known for its abundant selection of snow-covered trails.

However, we overlooked the fact that it was a holiday weekend and that the good weather would draw crowds. The parking lot was as packed as a mall during Christmas, but fortunately, we found a decent spot not too far from the Day Lodge. I had anticipated a secluded snowshoeing experience, yet every trail was occupied. Snowshoes ready, we made our way to the Old Glacier Point Road trailhead.

The wide trail was congested. A bus load (literally) of snowshoers along with their guide took off before us and unknowingly clogged the trail. The group was listening intently to their guide speak about the trees. Our snowshoes crunched loudly on the packed powder, and as we approached, the crowd parted like the sea for Moses, allowing us to pass through easily.

Knowing that we had the throng behind us, we picked up our pace until we came to a split in the trail. Our choices were to continue straight on Old Glacier Point Road towards Peregoy Meadow or turn right and head uphill towards Tempo Dome. We chose the hill thinking that the guided group wouldn’t tackle it.

The four of us reached the crest separately. As we neared the summit, the distant and stunning panoramic view of the snow-capped Clark Range mountains unfolded before us.

My husband was perched on a frozen rock, gazing at the mountains. Glancing back downhill, I noticed the group from the bus at the hill’s base. They won’t come up here, I mused.

When Andy reached us, he unpacked a bag of peanut butter pretzels from his backpack. We rested for a bit gazing at the winter wonderland surrounding us while chewing the salty bites.

Glancing down once more, I noticed the group from the bus making their way up the hill. It was our signal to continue on.

Again, we had a choice: move southeast towards the Ostrander Lake Ski Hut or move northwest towards the ski slopes. We chose the narrow northwest trail trying carefully to maintain separate tracks from the cross-country skiers.

We heard a gentle breeze blowing through the trees and smelled the scent of pine in the air. This section was a trekking treat with few people around. As we moved on, the trail opened up to the top of the more difficult Rabbit Ski Run. The snow there was quite fluffy.

Maria and I were a little apprehensive about walking down the steep slope, so the guys went ahead of us keeping to the right and out of the snowboarder’s way. We connected with Beaver Run and continued downhill eventually joining the Old Glacier Point Road trail.

We had walked a loop of 3.25 trail miles and were ready to attempt another, possibly part of the Dewey Point Ridge trail. As we passed the parking lot on the way to the next trailhead, we saw the Suburban. It was cold outside, so we called it a day. We drove to the Ahwahnee Hotel for drinks and found a comfy spot to sit by the fire for a moment before heading back home.

This was such a fun day! We look forward to many more snowy escapades in the years to come, creating memories that will last a lifetime.