Skiing and Mirror Lake – Yosemite

Yosemite Park has a reputation for being a ‘year-round’ national park because it is one of the few remaining national parks with a ski hill. With its excellent slopes and bike trails, it makes a great adventure destination for families.

This year is a significant milestone for the US National Park Service as it turns 100 years old. As I mentioned previously in my posts (part 1 and part 2), the National Parks are a big reason why I wanted to come to the US to study for college. I love mountain scenery and hiking, and the majestic parks are simply one of the greatest gifts from mother nature.

This week is National Park week (Apr 16 – 24, 2016) and you can visit all the national parks that usually charge a fee for free (entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees)!

Our trip to Yosemite National Park, also my favorite park, happened during my children’s spring break. We wanted to do something different from previous adventures. Before sharing our activities, here is something you will want to know about the name changes of the accommodations within Yosemite.

Yosemite Property Name Changes

For tourists looking for accommodations in Yosemite Park who are not familiar with the available options, it might be a bit confusing, especially if you are looking up reviews. The reason is that the names changed as of March 2016. Yosemite properties and concessions were previously managed by the Delaware North Company (since 1993), and they were replaced by Aramark Property Management Group. Here are the name changes:

Yosemite Lodge at the Falls –>  Yosemite Valley Lodge
The Ahwahnee –> The Majestic Yosemite Hotel
Curry Village –> Half Dome Village
Wawona Hotel –> Big Trees Lodge
Badger Pass Ski Area –> Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area

Legal issues are the reason for this, and I am not sure who’s right or wrong. However, it’s a shame these historic sites have to change their names because of corporate greed. Anyway, let’s get on to our activities!

Getting to Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is located on the east side of California, about halfway up the state. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, the park is most famous for its striking granite cliffs, plunging waterfalls, crystal-clear streams, giant Sequoia trees, and glaciers. There are five separate entrances to the park. If you are driving, highway 120 is a very scenic way to enter Yosemite.

Skiing at Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area

In previous years, we explored most of the Yosemite Valley, and we hiked the misty trail to Vernal Falls. When planning for our latest outing, I pondered what different activities we could do. Skiing! Yosemite is one of only three National Parks that still maintains a ski lift, and one of the days we visited we were able to ski at the Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area.

A Park with a Rich History

There are so many reasons that we love spending time at Yosemite. Here are some of the reasons and interesting facts:

• Native Americans have a long history in this area, dating back over 4000 years.
• There are many stunning trails and hikes to explore here—Snow Creek Trail, Mirror Loop Trail, and Vernal Falls trail, just to name a few.
• Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area is the oldest ski resort in California and the first slalom race in California was held there.
• The park was used during the Second World War as a training area, and several plane crashes occurred here as a result.

More facts about Yosemite creeks, rivers, and canyons ( as well as the Ski and Snowboard Area) are available here.

Hitting the Slopes

It didn’t take too long to get to the ski area from the valley; it was about a 35-minute drive. You take the same road as if you were heading to Glacier Point. Since it was April, all the snow had melted in the valley, and we didn’t see any for the first part of the trip. About three-quarters of the way there, we slowly saw more and more snow along the road. All of a sudden, the road came to a stop with a pile of snow and dirt blocking it. We then made a right into the ski area’s parking lot.

Skiing is a new activity for my family; this was actually the first time for my children and me to try it. We absolutely loved it! Since we are all beginners, we were able to spend time together as a family on the beginner slopes. Poor Mr. JOC can snowboard quite well, but he was patient enough to spend most of his time with us on the beginner runs.

Even though Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area is quite small compared to the many ski resorts in Lake Tahoe, we decided to take advantage of warm weather spring skiing. The information about the ski resort is almost non-existent, so I thought I would share it in case you or your family would be interested in going in the future.

A Lesser-Known Ski Area

The ski area is quite small, with 10 runs total and 4 chair lifts. I would classify most of the runs as advanced beginner or intermediate. There were very few people there that day, as it was the second to last day of the ski season at Yosemite. Many times when we were on the slopes, we were the only ones, and there was no one else around. It’s nice compared to the crowded hills where we constantly have to watch out for other skiers who might cut us off. The main lodge is quite old, however, and it is not handicap accessible.

There is a cafe where you can buy food, and two registers inside where you can purchase lift tickets, lessons, and rent equipment. On the other side of the building are the restrooms and a store where you can buy ski goggles, gloves, and other ski goods. Our family had a fantastic time, and this small resort will be forever cherished in our memory.

Bike Riding: Mirror Lake at Yosemite Park

We had such a fun time riding tandem bicycles last year we decided to do it again. If you want to rent bikes in Yosemite Park, you can do it near Yosemite Valley Lodge and Half Dome Village. Of all the scenic spots along the 12-mile bike path in the valley, one of the few places we didn’t stop at last year was Mirror Lake. After seeing many gorgeous photos of the lake, we decided to see it on this trip.

It’s a fun ride to the lake from the Mirror Lake trailhead, as the bike path is paved all the way. If you have your own multi-gear bike, you can ride all the way up to the lake itself. If you rent your bike at Yosemite Valley, there’s a sign half a mile from the lake that asks you to park the bike. The reason is that the last half-mile has the most elevation along the trail, making it difficult for rental bikes, which are designed only for casual riding.

Also, much of the Mirror Lake Loop trail is shared, so watch out for hikers and walkers. Remember, too, that fast-moving water can be dangerous. If you are exploring the creeks and rivers along the way, be wary of dangerous whitewater.

There are two parts to the lake: the first part has a beautiful river with small falls, and the second part has the legendary Mirror Lake. There are a few fun activities you can do at the lake. Besides viewing the beautiful reflections, you can also take a 5-mile loop around the area. In the summertime, the water levels are shallow enough to play in the lake itself. The rocks are slippery, though, so be careful not to sprain an ankle!

The lake is at its fullest with snowmelt during spring and early summer. If you visit during other times, the water could be really shallow or even nonexistent. It is also referred to as Mirror Meadow when the water is dry, and in its place are green, grassy meadows. This is a great area for wildlife viewing, too; from birds to deer, you never know what you might see here. Oh, and be a courteous visitor: be sure to pack out your trash!

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir

Tucked into the northwest corner of Yosemite is the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. With the severe drought we’ve been experiencing in California over the past five years, we wanted to educate our children about where our precious water comes from. The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir provides quality water to 2.4 million people around the San Francisco area, including where we live.

Since we were so close, it was a perfect opportunity for our kids to visit the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and learn more about our natural resources. The road to the reservoir is just outside the Big Oak Flat Entrance to the park and takes about 40 minutes to drive each way. Summers can be unbearably hot here, so plan your visit for spring (October and November can also be great).

As the reservoir and O’Shaughnessy Dam are inside Yosemite Park, you will need to stop at a ranger station on the way to the dam to get a day parking pass. It is worth noting that the reservoir is for drinking water, so swimming or boating is not allowed. Pets are also not allowed on the dam.

When you arrive at the dam, it’s shocking how large the reservoir is. Visitors are allowed to walk across the dam, and it was a new experience for my children—they loved it.

After crossing the dam, there is a tunnel that leads to a few trails and waterfalls you can visit. We skipped the trails after other visitors told us a black bear was spotted not too far away.

Our family loves the National Parks, and we are trying to decide on which ones to visit next year. Do you have any suggestions?

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