Gary-Summer: March 3, 2021

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

March 3, 2021 - Badger Pass

Title: March 3, 2021 - Badger Pass
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's

Hike Info:

Type: Snowshoeing
Trail: Glacier Point Road, Dewey Point Ridge Trail
Destination: Top Knoll on Ridge Trail
Distance: 2.60 miles ¹

Start Time: 12:45
End Time:    3:51
Travel Time:  3:05 (0.84 mph)
Moving Time:  2:01 (1.29 mph)
Elevation Rise: 486'
Descent: 482‘
Maximum Elevation: 7,648'
GPS Tracks
¹Tracks are from the Garmin 60csx instead of my wrist GPS, a Foretex 401.

Description:

Sherri getting snowshoes on

Once again it is just Sherri and myself. Rose and Betty have other obligations. But unlike last week, we are a little bit better prepared. We are going up to Badger Pass area, about a two hour ride. We probably should have gotten a little earlier start than 10:15.

On the way up, we talk some about truth. Yes, there is that Truth which as a Christian, I believe is Jesus and from which all other truth derives from. But in this day of our culture, we do have a lot of different perceptions about what truth looks like. This may depend on who is speaking, at least that is what I see. If it is one of our political leaders or even religious leaders speaking, we tend to evaluate the “truth” of what they are saying by our own perceptions. And then Sherri got a good one in about someone’s“truth” coming out of their ass. I had just read in the Old Testament of this exact thing happening. Sherri did not see the humor in that.

This keeps us occupied for most of the trip up to Yosemite, stopping briefly in Wawona, arriving at Badger Pass around 12:15. We ate our lunch in the car, got on our snowshoes and were off by 12:45.

The day looks a bit dismal. Cloudy skies, but the forecast only calls for cold. It was 37^o

The Knoll We Will Climb

when we stepped away from the car. I had asked Sherri how energetic does she feel? Not too much of a definite answer. So we will play it by ear. Our initial route is up the Glacier Point Road. This is the main passageway for most winter travelers. You can tell that it is: cold, not snowed in over a month and many people have traveled this route. How might you ask? Over half of the road is pretty hard and another couple of degrees, it would be very hard to travel without spikes of some type.

Mt Hoffman

We go up the road about half a mile till we reach the top. This is the dividing ridge between Grouse Creek to the west and Bridalveil Creek to the east. Here I ask Sherri the same question, how energetic are you? She said that she would follow me. So after we walked over a 5’ diameter fallen tree, we headed on the Ridge Trail for Dewey Point.

The Ridge Trail is a difficult route for cross-country skiers. The trail dances between trees and has several bumps. Also in a few places it is steep enough that we see where the skiers have side stepped up slopes. Then to add to the “fun” trees are down from a windstorm a month and half ago. But as snowshoers, we only had to contend with going up the hill-a bit of huffing and puffing. Also because of the lack of snow, time and narrowness of the ;ath, any ski tracks have been nearly wiped out. So no need to show proper etiquette and avoid ski tracks.

Gary

We get to the top of where the trail goes. There is a nice area without trees. But at the end is still the forest, blocking a good deal of the view. Still through openings we can see Mt Hoffman, North Dome and Clouds Rest. From here, the trail will slope down to Dewey Point. But do we really want to go down there? Particularly with pretty limited time?

The answer is No. Instead we climb a little ways to the top of the knoll. It is a fun walk on snow with only a track or two. We do not use the tracks to guide us. When we get to the top, I make a comment to Sherri that the “view from here is almost beautiful”. This is not knocking the area, there is a quietness, serenity being in the snow with no one else area. There is a quietness which is unbroken by humans, except for ourselves. But the almost beautiful comment is that I can see where El Cap is, but not really able to see it, or the Devil’s Dance Floor-ditto. It is like that and if it was not for the trees, the vista would be magnificent! Do I not want the trees? I certain do want them-I just want both: the trees and the view!

Burnt Trees sheared off by the wind

We start down the slope, but instead of heading east to the trail, we go more south, following the ridge down. Very nice going over snow which is neither too icy or too soft. We hit another patch where the trees are all dead from a fire. But when? I was initially guessing that part of the Ferguson Fire in 2018 may have been the culprit. But looking at where the fire stopped shows several miles away to the west. A Yosemite Fire history map shows a fire hitting the area in the 1980’s and then again in the 1990’s. This may have been the Steamboat Fire of 1990.

Recently downed trees

The other question is, did the January Mono Winds top all these trees at about 20’? There are logs all around, mostly under the snow. But now and again, we see a log uncovered on top. Has that tree fallen during the past month? It makes me eye the trees around us a bit closer.

But it does not change our route, well, we do weave our way around the fallen logs not covered by snow. But this is a pleasure. We keep looking at the Clark Range to the east and Horse Ridge to the south, where Ostrander Lake is. It is even a better view than on top, still not unobstructed. Enjoyable and we gawk for a while.

I am concerned about how steep the slope back down to Glacier Point Road. When we went by it coming in, it looked pretty steep. But there is a nice ravine to the southwest side which we follow down. This is fun! We make it down to the road. And now it is a half mile back to the car, downhill. So it is much easier. Two backpackers pass us going in. We talk for a minute before they go on.

By the time we get to the car, it is right about 4pm. We stopped in Oakhurst for a burger at Carl’s Jr. Then back home, arriving at 6:30, just in time for our Wednesday night family Zoom time. A good day