ANOTHER WORLD IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN WINTER AT YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE. AND YOU'RE MISSING OUT.Byline: Bill Becher Special to the Daily News ``Winter has taken Yosemite, and we are snowbound snow·bound adj. Confined in one place by heavy snow. snowbound Adjective shut in or blocked off by snow Adj. 1. . The latest leaves are shaken from the oaks and alders; the snow-laden pines, with drooping droop v. drooped, droop·ing, droops v.intr. 1. To bend or hang downward: "His mouth drooped sadly, pulled down, no doubt, by the plump weight of his jowls" boughs, look like barbed arrows aimed at the sky, and the fern-tangles and meadows are spread with a smooth cloth of snow. ... Our winter population - not including the bears - totals twenty-six.'' YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK Yosemite National Park (yōsĕm`ĭtē), 761,266 acres (308,205 hectares), E central Calif.; est. 1890 as a result of the efforts of conservationist John Muir. Located in the Sierra Nevada, it is a glacier-scoured area of great beauty; Mt. - When John Muir, famed naturalist and Sierra Club Sierra Club, national organization in the United States dedicated to the preservation and expansion of the world's parks, wildlife, and wilderness areas. Founded (1892) in California by a group led by the Scottish-American conservationist John Muir, the Sierra Club founder, wrote those words in 1872 for a New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of newspaper, about 2,000 people visited Yosemite Valley Yo·sem·i·te Valley A valley of east-central California along the Merced River. It is surrounded by Yosemite National Park and has many waterfalls, including Yosemite Falls, with a total drop of 739.6 m (2,425 ft). in an entire year. Now 3.5 million people see Yosemite each year, but less than 15 percent visit Yosemite from December through March. In what has been called Yosemite's ``secret season,'' you plainly can hear the roar of North America's tallest waterfall because there is not much car traffic. Adults can become kids again, stopping to build snowmen and fling snowballs in a meadow covered with a soft blanket of white surrounded by the granite mountains Granite Mountains may refer to one of three mountain ranges in the United States:
In Yosemite in winter, you can rough it camping in the cold or warm your hands in front of a roaring fire and dine on gourmet food at The Ahwahnee - the park's flagship hotel built in 1927. The Ahwahnee, a blend of craftsman and art deco art deco (ärt dĕkō`; är dākō`, ärt) or art moderne (är môdĕrn`, ärt) styles with American Indian-themed decoration, was designed with three wings to take advantage of Yosemite's classic views: Half Dome, Royal Arches and El Capitan El Cap·i·tan A peak, 2,308.5 m (7,569 ft) high, in the Sierra Nevada of central California. Its dramatic exposed monolith rises some 1,098 m (3,600 ft) above the floor of the Yosemite Valley. . But you don't need to splurge to enjoy Yosemite in winter. Moderate accommodations are available at the Yosemite Lodge near the base of Yosemite Falls Yosemite Falls Two waterfalls, Yosemite National Park, central California, U.S. Formed by creeks tumbling into the Yosemite River valley, the upper falls drop 1,430 ft (436 m) and the lower, 320 ft (98 m). . You can stay weekends at Camp Curry in budget accommodations in a cabin or heated tent. Really warm-blooded folks willing to stay in an unheated tent cabin pay half-price. The walk-in campground at Camp 4 is open year-round, though you might have it to yourself. Even The Ahwahnee offers winter specials. But the lure of Yosemite in winter is not just about fewer people and saving money. There is plenty to do whether you're a hard-core Gore-Tex-clad mountaineer or soft-core winter-activity person who likes easy walks and hot chocolate by the fire. A weekly two-hour camera walk guided by photographers from the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite Valley visits places where Adams took some of his famous photographs. They discuss landscape photography and suggest how visitors can capture some of Yosemite's beauty for their own scrapbook A Macintosh disk file that holds frequently used text and graphics objects, such as a company letterhead. Contrast with "clipboard," which is reserved memory that holds data only for the current session. . Or you can buy works by Adams or other photographers at the gallery. At Curry Village Curry Village, also known as Camp Curry, is located in the Yosemite Valley of Yosemite National Park. Curry Village may be considered the hub of Yosemite Valley. History , ice skaters enjoy an outdoor rink with views of Half Dome and Glacier Point Glacier Point is a viewpoint above Yosemite Valley, in California, USA. It is located on the south wall of Yosemite Valley at an elevation of 7,214 ft (2,199 m), 3,200 ft (975 m) above Curry Village. . You can rent skates and warm up by an open firepit between your double toe loops. Badger Pass Ski Area is a 45-minute free bus ride from Yosemite Valley. A condo-free zone, Badger Pass is a family-friendly place, not a chi-chi resort. Although the five-lift system is modest, this is a great place for beginners to learn downhill skiing or snowboarding; only 15 percent of the terrain is rated advanced. Be sure to spend a few minutes with Nic Fiore, who's been at Badger Pass for more than 50 years, and is now the area's official ``ski ambassador.'' Some of Yosemite's mountaineering-school instructors work winters at Badger Pass - teaching visitors snowshoeing snow·shoe n. A racket-shaped frame containing interlaced strips, as of leather, that can be attached to the foot to facilitate walking on deep snow. intr.v. , cross-country skiing cross-country skiing Skiing in open country over rolling, hilly terrain. It originated in Scandinavia as a means of travel as well as recreation. The skies used are longer, narrower, and lighter than those used in Alpine skiing, and bindings allow more heel movement. or telemark skiing Telemark skiing is a term used for skiing using the Telemark turn, which is a technique first popularized by Sondre Norheim. It is also known as "free heel skiing." Unlike alpine skiing equipment, the skis used for telemarking have a binding that only connects the boot to , as well as downhill and snowboarding. There are 25 miles of machine-groomed cross-country ski tracks and 90 miles of marked, ungroomed trails, all free. For an overnight getaway, cross-country skiers can travel on 10.5 miles of groomed trails and stay at Glacier Point Ski Hut in dormitory-style accommodations for up to 20. Here you can enjoy panoramic views of the High Sierra The first CD-ROM file system, named for an area near Lake Tahoe where it was developed in 1985. See ISO 9660. Crest. Meals are provided in the ski-trip package. But snowshoeing is perhaps the easiest way to see Yosemite's winter wonders. You don't need to learn even a snow plow a structure, usually See also: Plow A Park Service ranger gives a two-hour guided snowshoe Snowshoe a recently recognized cat breed; it is a medium- to large-sized cat with blue eyes, and coat color similar to a sealpoint or bluepoint Siamese, but with a white nose, chin, and ventral midline, and white boots on all feet. nature walk at Badger Pass each day. There's even a night-time full-moon snowshoe walk. Badger Pass has banned personal sleds and saucers because of the potential for injury. But new this year is snow tubing. Groomed tracks and big inner tubes with special covers allow anyone to get some downhill excitement. Judging from the shrieks, it's a lot of fun - even for adults. ``Yosemite in winter is a really special time,'' said Mike Tollefson, the new National Park Service superintendent. Tollefson is here to oversee implementation of the controversial Yosemite Valley Plan. The $441 million plan to ``reduce the human footprint,'' calls for pruning parking spaces, rebuilding housing destroyed in the 1997 flood and improving a shuttle-bus system among many other projects. But you don't need to wait until the Valley Plan is complete to see Yosemite with less traffic. Just visit in the secret season that John Muir described: ``Twelve inches of snow fell during the night and when morning opened our temple, there was more of beauty than pen can tell - from meadow to summit, from wall to wall, every tree and bush and sculptured rock was muffled muf·fle 1 tr.v. muf·fled, muf·fling, muf·fles 1. To wrap up, as in a blanket or shawl, for warmth, protection, or secrecy. 2. a. and dazzled in downy down·y adj. down·i·er, down·i·est 1. Made of or covered with down. 2. a. Resembling down: downy white clouds. b. Quietly soothing; soft. Adj. , unbroken, undrifted snow.'' IF YOU GO --Yosemite Valley is about a six-hour drive from Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. using the south entrance (Highway 41). --Roads in and around Yosemite generally are clear of snow throughout the winter season, except Highway 120 East to Lee Vining (Tioga Pass Road) and Glacier Point Road beyond the Badger Pass Ski Area, which both are closed in the winter. The National Park Service requires cars carry tire chains. --Don't leave food, suntan lotion, air freshener, fast food or candy wrappers or anything that smells like food, and keep windows closed tightly when you park your car to avoid bear break-ins. --You can take an Amtrak Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corp., authorized to operate virtually all intercity passenger railroad routes in the United States. Amtrak was created by Congress in 1970 in response to more than two decades of continuous operating deficits by privately run train to Merced, where a motor coach will take you on a narrated ride through the Gold Country to Yosemite Valley. For reservations and information, call 1-800-USA-RAIL or visit www.amtrak.com. GETTING IN --The $20-per-vehicle entry fee is good for seven days. Annual Yosemite pass is $40, or you can buy an annual pass good for all National Parks for $50. WHERE TO STAY --For lodging information and reservations, call (559) 252-4848 or visit www.yosemitepark.com. --The Ahwahnee and Yosemite Lodge are open year-round. Rates at the Ahwahnee are the same ($348) in all seasons, but there are winter specials for extended stays. At Yosemite Lodge, off-season (November through mid-March, excluding holidays and special-events periods) rates are $109 for standard rooms, $113 for lodge rooms mid-week and $117 for lodge rooms on weekends. --Wawona Hotel is open on weekends and holidays until March 14, when it opens full time for the rest of the season. Call for dates. Off-season rates are $83 for rooms with shared bath and $136 with private bath. --Curry Village also is open weekends only during the off-season; call for specific dates. Rates are the same year-round: tent cabins, $54; cabins without bath, $72; cabins with bath, $87; standard rooms, $109. --Campgrounds in Wawona, Hodgdon Meadow and two in Yosemite Valley are open yeaer-round. Call (800) 436-7275 for information about camping. WHERE TO EAT --Yosemite offers fine dining at The Ahwahnee Dining Room, which has an evening dress code (209-372-1489) and the Mountain Room Restaurant at Yosemite Lodge (209-372-1274), where there also is food court offering cafeteria-style breakfast, lunch and dinner. There also is a deli. GETTING AROUND --Free shuttle-bus service is provided year-round in the eastern part of Yosemite Valley. Buses operate every 20 minutes during the day. There are twice-daily free bus shuttles to Badger Pass Ski Area each day from Curry Village, The Ahwahnee and Yosemite Lodge. The bus returns at 2 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. WHAT TO WEAR --Temperatures in winter at Yosemite Valley's 4,000-foot elevation can range from the 20s to the 50s, so plan to dress in layers. Average annual snowfall in Yosemite Valley is 29 inches. THINGS TO DO --Badger Pass Ski area offers downhill skiing and snowboarding with five lifts and 10 runs. All-day lift tickets cost $31 for adults, $16 for kids. Children 6 and under are free when accompanied by a ticket-buying adult. --There are 25 miles of groomed trails and 90 miles of marked trails for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. No fee for trail use, snowshoe rentals cost $15 per day, cross-country equipment rentals run $17 to $21.50. --Lessons are available for downhill, cross-country, telemark skiing and snowboarding. --Snow tubing costs $9 per 2 1/2-hour session; tubes are provided. --Food and drink is available at Badger Pass at the Snowflake Room or Skiers Grill. Badger Pups Program introduces preschool students (ages 4 to 6) to downhill skiing. Lessons and rentals available. Call (209) 372-1000 for ski and road conditions. --At Yosemite Valley, the Ansel Adams Gallery offers two-hour instructional camera walks with staff photographers. Space limited, reservation required, no cost. Call (209) 372-4413 or e-mail photowalks(at)anseladams.com for more information. --The outdoor ice rink at Curry Village is open for two afternoon sessions during the week and four sessions from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Cost is $6.50 per adult for a 2 1/2-hour session, $5 for children. Skate rentals $3.25. Information: (209) 372-8341. MORE INFORMATION --Official Yosemite National Park Web site www.nps.gov/yose, or call (209) 372-0200. CAPTION(S): 3 photos, box Photo: (1 -- color) In the unmatched silence of wintertime at Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Falls can be heard as well as seen. Jane Becher/Special to the Daily News (2 -- color) After renting snowshoes snowshoes, footgear enabling the wearer to walk on soft snow without sinking. A snowshoe consists of a light frame of tough wood or aluminum, roughly the shape of a large tennis racket, which is strung with caribou skin or other material and is attached to the shoe , one can hike the groomed trail along Glacier Point Road or venture off into the fresh-fallen snow. (3) The family-friendly open-air skating rink at Curry Village provides an up-close-and-personal view of Half Dome in the background. Bill Becher/Special to the Daily News Box: IF YOU GO (see text) |
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