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WINTER 2022 caption here magic WinTeR subhead ON PAGE AT Yosemite Onseriatur sandigentor site sus et arum fugia cumet aligendit Interviews CAMP FOODS how tos camp style Collectibles

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK By Kim Foley MacKinnon

I f you can count yourself among one of the four million people who visit Yosemite National Park annually chances are you didn t go in winter And while that s perhaps a missed opportunity for you it s a bonus for anyone trying to avoid the crowds or those who embrace all that winter at the park has to offer from snowshoeing to skiing to tubing Yosemite is open to visitors 365 days a year and from family snow play and snow sports to one of a kind natural wonders there s no shortage of fun and adventure in the winter said Jonathan Farrington executive director of the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau Winter also offers experiences that you will never get in warmer months including frazil ice snowcones and the natural firefall Yosemite Valley Chapel Frazil ice is a rare event that happens when small crystals of frozen mist form in waterfalls cascading down to create an effect that looks like flowing ice lava Beautiful snowcones form at the base of the park s Yosemite Falls And firefall a February phenomenon happens when the sunset reflects off Horsetail Fall giving El Capitan s granite peak and the water flowing over it an ethereal orange glow ABOUT THE PARK The Ahwahnee Yosemite National Park encompasses 1 189 square miles with more than 225 510 acres of old growth forests including some of the most majestic live trees on the planet the giant sequoia These magnificent beauties are the largest species of trees in the world with more than 500 of them in the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias The park also contains thousands of lakes and ponds 800 miles of hiking trails and 350 miles of roads Most of its millions of annual visitors come in June July and August and stick to the 7 square mile area of Yosemite Valley The Ahwahnee Dining Room 17 GIRL CAMPER WINTER 2022 TRAVEL HISTORY In 1864 Abraham Lincoln signed the act protecting Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove effectively creating the first public park and California s first state park In 1890 the land around Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove gained National Park status and in 1906 California gave its portion of Yosemite to the United States and the Yosemite National Park was formed But long before any of that signs of people migrating through the region date back as far back as 8 000 to 10 000 years ago The indigenous people here called themselves the Ahwahneechee meaning dwellers in Ahwahnee The name Ahwahnee is thought to mean a gaping mouth describing how Yosemite Valley opens into a wide valley WINTER SPORTS Badger Pass Ski Area which has been operating for more than 80 years is not only California s original ski area but it s also one of only three ski areas located in a National

on es in Kings Cany Giant Sequoia Tre winter the g rin du rk Pa l Sequoia Nationa Park Skiing and snowboarding lessons are offered here If downhill skiing isn t to your taste snow tubing snowshoeing and cross country skiing are other options You can also rent snowshoes and join a Yosemite Mountaineering School guide for hikes Or take off on your own through the Mariposa Grove to see the 3 000 year old Grizzly Giant and the Fallen Monarch ON THE TOWN Downtown Mariposa still has the flavor of its Gold Rush past and makes for a great base for exploring the area There are plenty of places to eat shop and enjoy live music Popular stops include the 1850 Restaurant and the Hideout Saloon Visit the interactive Mariposa Museum History Center which features its excellent hands on exhibits to get a thorough background of the area The Yosemite s Badger Pass Ski Area Mariposa County Courthouse constructed in 1854 is the oldest operating courthouse west of the Rockies and is worth a look WHERE TO STAY To make the most of a winter visit the Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite located 2 miles from the south entrance to the park along Highway 41 is ideal The resort borders the Sierra National Forest and offers 249 guestrooms and suites in the main lodge 53 cottages and 50 cabins There are five restaurants on site plus a spa and a host of other amenities Visit tenayalodge com for more information GETTING THERE The park is open year round however Tioga Pass Glacier Point and Mariposa Grove roads are closed from early winter through early spring 18 GIRL CAMPER WINTER 2022 TRAVEL due to snow The Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System provides public transportation to Yosemite National Park from Amtrak Greyhound and the Fresno International Airport It also picks up near several hotels along the Highway 140 route in Mariposa Midpines and El Portal This is a great option that helps travelers avoid the stress of finding parking or driving in snowy or icy conditions Visit nps gov yose for up to date information Photos courtesy of Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau Snow Covered Yosemite National Park