I've just returned from that dream of mine, and the wind-chill almost made it a nightmare! All in all I had great weather, fine views, and even rare solitude in the well-traveled Yosemite National Park.Wintertime is on us, and I am dead keen to be out there floundering around in the snow again. I have now recovered from my last ski-touring misadventure, so I'm ready for the next one. I may choose the more pedestrian ski tour out from Badger Pass, along the snowy road toward the camp I've always dreamed of on top of Sentinel Dome.
I arrived late Monday, just in time to catch a Wilderness Permit from the ranger in the little A-frame cabin at the foot of the Badger Pass Ski slopes. He told me the rules, which have sadly changed from the last time I asked about campfires. I mentioned the old ranger telling us that technically, we could only have a fire in an "established fire ring," which you won't see under the snow. So if you choose to have a fire, he said, make sure to burn it down to tiny coals. The current ranger laughed, and said "I bet I know who told you that. I love that guy, but he was from the old days when rangers mostly just rode around on horseback and waved at people. We do a bit more work now." So no fires, and no camping right in the vicinity of Dewey Point. I mentioned my plan to camp on Sentinel Dome, and he said, "Sounds cold-- not a lot of shelter up there." I didn't mention camping at Washburn Point because I hadn't planned on it. I had arrived at Washburn Pt very late on Day 2-- just in time to frantically photograph a brilliant sunset there, and then, oh well, there was a perfectly melted out, grave-size flat, right near the edge. The last couple of skiers I met that day told me that I would be all alone at either Glacier, or Washburn Points. I was too late to get up on Sentinel Dome for the night, so Washburn it was.
Why Not?!
I first skied out of Badger Pass about 30 years ago, with 10 friends, who drug my sorry arse all the way from Badger, to Washburn Point, then out to Dewey Point, and back to Badger Pass, in one very long day for a lousy skier. They had remarked on Washburn having just as fine a view as Glacier Point. I had wished at the time that we were stopping to camp there, so on this trip that wish also came true for me.
It was so Beautiful!
Another of my early, and killing ski tours was with a climber friend, who wanted to show me the west face of Half Dome to interest me in climbing it with him (Later on, we did climb it via the easy "Snake Dike" route.). He was a very fast skier, so we left home pre-dawn, drove to Badger Pass, skied to Sentinel Dome and back, then drove home to the coast in time for dinner. That was when I got the bright idea to ski out there, but to camp on the Dome to enjoy that amazing panoramic view for hours instead of minutes.
So, this short trip entailed racing out to Dewey Point to catch the first sunset, and camping above for the night; then a 12 mile ski from Dewey to Washburn Point. On Day 3, I took it easy, and skied from Washburn up onto Sentinel Dome. It took just a couple miles, which meant I could remain up there freezing all day long, hiding under rocks like a lizard. The sky filled with clouds, and I got a thankfully brief thunder and lightning show to the east. The wind died down in the night, and I was able to cowboy camp under the stars again. It was a nice way to test my gear, and my new fibula bone, and everything but the blistering boots worked out great. I got some nice images, and even better memories for my trouble.
Tall Sugar and Jeffrey Pines out by Dewey Pt.
Sugar Pines are rare beauties, with their foot-long cones.
The forest all along Badger Ridge is full of stunning tall trees. This is good news, because most of the skiing is in that forest, with the peaks hidden.
Huge Western White Pine (P. monticola).
El Capitán hidden by Dewey Point.
Aqui esta-- El Capitan. Leaning Tower and Cathedral Peaks in the foreground.
Sentinel Rock center, with Cloud's Rest and Half Dome above. *I just realized from the map that you can see Sentinel Dome above and right of Sentinel Rock, rising out of the forest.
The air was clear, and I saw a broad, two-humped mountain in the northwest-- could that be Mt. Diablo?
