Conditions Report
New Snow: 22 inches
Settled Snow Depth: 30 inches
High temperature: 52°F (December 8)
Low temperature: -5°F (December 15)
Ski Conditions and Weather
This report is from December 20 and was written by Laura and Rob Pilewski, Tuolumne Meadows winter rangers
The Tuolumne Meadows winter rangers skied to Tioga Pass on December 7 to start the season. It is great to be back in Yosemite and in the Range of Light once more! Not unlike the Clark’s nutcracker, we cached five months’ worth of groceries and other supplies during the fall in anticipation of the Tioga Road being closed to motorized vehicles. The summer staff stocked the firewood for the ski hut and various snow survey outposts, buttoned up the facilities, shut all gates, and drove away on November 12. Since then, the relatively warm, dry weather has been punctuated by several storms. As of this writing, the flakes are coming down again, and the place has the look and feel of winter. Yum. Snow coverage is good, but the snowpack has some healing to do. Depending on aspect and elevation, it feels “bottomless” in many places. The deepening of the snowpack this past week should help it to become more supportable.
Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions
Please refer to the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center (ESAC) and the Bridgeport Avalanche Center for the avalanche advisories for this part of the Sierra Nevada. There are several layers of faceted snow sandwiched between crust layers in the below treeline snowpack. This is due to a shallow snowpack, warm spells, and cold, clear nights. Ideally, as the snowpack gets deeper, these problems will be alleviated. The alpine snowpack has been affected by high winds and is a grab bag of wind-hardened snow surfaces and wind-scoured bare ground.
Wildlife
We observed numerous bear tracks on Tioga Pass’s east and west sides. It didn’t look like easy travel as their prints sunk to the ground. However, the pine martens in the area appeared to have no trouble bounding up and over the unconsolidated, early-season faceted snow.
Moment of Zen
We want to take the opportunity to encourage everyone to get outside and nourish their soul as much as possible this winter. Being outside is good for the mind and body and is vital to being human. You don’t have to be in a place full of iconic superlatives like Yosemite National Park to reap the many rewards of being outside. Today, we skied up one of our favorite local domes just 10 minutes from our cabin. Not to see the sweeping views of Tuolumne Meadows nor the grandeur of Cathedral Peak (both are visible from this location). We visited that one whitebark pine tree that grows impossibly out of the only cleft in the granite with enough soil to nourish it. It only stands about three feet tall, but this tree is a giant. This tree is larger than (human) life!
Questions
The Tuolumne Meadows Ski Hut is open. This primitive cabin is the campground reservation office in the summer and is located along Tioga Road at the entrance to the campground. It is marked with a sign. Firewood and eight bunks are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For those visiting the Tuolumne Meadows Ski Hut from the east (only), permits are self-issued at the Ski Hut. For those entering from other areas, please see Yosemite’s website: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildfaq.htm#winter, or you may contact the wilderness office at 209/372-0740. As of this writing, there is electricity and limited (Verizon) phone service in Tuolumne Meadows.
Come prepared, and please make good decisions while traveling in the wilderness!
Read through the following three pages before embarking on any day or overnight snow travel within this park:
You may contact us with any additional winter Tuolumne Meadows-related questions, but response times may vary if we are away on patrol.
Happy Winter!
Laura and Rob Pilewski – Tuolumne Meadows winter rangers
