As we climb the slopes up to Vernal Falls, we step into a winter wonderland replete with snow-laden trees, frosty bushes, and icy streams all bathed in morning light. It is often an overused metaphor for sure, but no better description comes to mind—Yosemite in the winter is truly a Narnian paradise.
January 4–6, 2024
An worthwhile method of escaping Yosemite’s hoards is to visit during the off-season. Not only does this offer a quieter experience, but oftentimes a cheaper one at that. So we find ourselves at the start of the new year flying into Fresno, picking up our rental car and making our way up Highway 41 into the foothills, the gateway to Yosemite. Wintertime in Yosemite often necessitates cars to carry chains with them, so we stop at a Walmart and pick up a set as well as food for our trip. The two hour drive up the snowy slopes leaves us just enough time to pull into the park right at sunset. In fact, we could not have timed it any better. We approach the iconic Tunnel View just as the sun illuminates Half Dome and El Capitan. We park in the icy parking lot and watch the valley turn from gold to blue, the western sky blushing a pink atmosphere. Not a bad start to our winter trip.
Making our way down the valley, we drive to Upper Pines Campground and claim our campsite reservation. The night is settling in, but there is still a charming buzz in the campground as warm Christmas lights from Curry Village punctuate the blue snow. Captivated by the snow, we explore nearby walkways in the valley before turning in for the night. It seems wherever we turn, Half Dome is standing in the distance catching the last lingering light of day, creating cozy blue hour scenes. Because our plan is to sleep in the car, we don’t have any camp gear to set up so we simply cook dinner and situate the back seats as comfortably as possible for the night ahead.
We awaken the next morning planning to view sunrise on El Capitan from Valley View, a pull-off along the Merced River. A fresh blanket of snow from the night further softens the already quiet morning—not a breeze in the air, only the subtle lapping from the nearly frozen river. We wait patiently as dawn creeps down the valley, illuminating the granite cliffs one after another.
Bringing a new sense of warmth, the sun awakens the valley to life. We drive back to the campsite stopping to watch the massive Yosemite Falls catch the morning light in a rainbow of color. Parking at our campsite, we venture further in to Happy Isles along Vernal Falls Trail to experience the infamous Mist Trail in winter. As we climb the slopes up to Vernal Falls, we step into a winter wonderland replete with snow-laden trees, frosty bushes, and icy streams all bathed in morning light. It is often an overused metaphor for sure, but no better description comes to mind—Yosemite in the winter is truly a Narnian paradise.
As we approach Vernal Falls via the Mist Trail we are grateful for our microspikes. The stone stairway is layered in ice. We round a corner and view Vernal Falls. If the snow were not so gorgeous, the scene would be quite laughable, really. The usual thundering summer falls of Vernal Falls is now a fraction of the flow, a relative trickle in these winter months. But still, the icy waterfall offers a stunning backdrop for winter photos. Continuing on, we make our way to Emerald Pool and the Silver Apron just above Vernal Falls and eat some lunch before making our way back down to camp.
With short winter days, we take a quick nap and soon after set out for a sunset hike up Yosemite Falls Trail. Hiking uphill is hard enough, but adding snow makes for a brutal slog. We wind our way up the switchbacks one at a time ever nearer to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls. However, with daylight fading we forego the goal of reaching the top and pick a switchback with an exceptional viewpoint to watch the sun set in the valley. An array of purple and orange alpenglow creep up the layers of the valley. First, Yosemite Falls descends into shadow, then Half Dome behind it, then the distant Sierra peaks behind that.
Prepared with headlamps, we make our way back down in the dark blue night. Pinpricks of light from the valley buildings below us mimic the stars above, framing views of Half Dome in a symmetry of sparkle as we trudge down the trail. We can spot the seasonal ice rink in Curry Village below and the general area of our campsite. Along the way, we agree this chilling night hike deserves a hot meal from the park cafeteria when we return.
In the morning, we pack up and head back down Highway 41 to Fresno to return the (unused) tire chains and the rental car. It’s always sad to exit a park with so much unexplored, but it always leaves a good excuse to return. We fly back home, reflecting on the valuable getaway. Having visited Yosemite in the summer before, this winter excursion revealed an entirely new personality of Yosemite—a quieter, cozier attitude that still holds the awe and wonder of summertime but without the crowds. Definitely worth our time.
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