Advice Please for Winter road trip SF to Denver and lot of National Park Skiing

In article ,
Ken Roberts wrote:
The _east_ side of Sequoia / Kings National Park has the most spectacular
winter mountain scenery of any of the places mentioned on the trip route.
....
If you're not a very experienced and skilled backcountry skier, then Yes,
snowshoeing sounds like a good way to get into some of the pretty + quiet
areas which are a ways off the roads. But you still need good judgment +
experience handling the winter environment -- with tricky dangers like
avalanches, and the difficulties of navigating when the hiking trails and

Heed this.

markers are covered with snow (and January can be an especially dangerous
and tricky time).

A number of fatalites last season.

--

Sequoia 40 miles north has a dedicated...

Sorry, Sequoia is South from Yosemite, obviously.

Booker wrote (after lots of good advice):
Southern Utah is beautiful, but it's not really a skiing destination.

or not commonly _thought_ of as a skiing destination.

Tyson Bradley's book, "Backcountry Skiing Utah" (Globe Pequot, 2002) devotes
70 pages to backcountry ski tours in the southern half of Utah, including 45
pages on the La Sal, Abajo, and Henry ranges. I think some of the peaks in
the La Sal range might be higher than anything in the TriCanyon Wasatch. I
once skied Mt Melenthin in the morning and then rented a mountain bike in
Moab and went out for a ride in the afternoon.

At least a few years ago, I remember there were groomed XC skiing tracks at
Ruby's Inn near Bryce Canyon (above the rim). I do not recommend skiing
below the rim in Bryce Canyon, but here's some old not-very-good photos from
times I've done it:
http://home.att.net/~kenroberts_ski/ut/bryce

Anyway hiking around the national parks way off-season without the summer
crowds is special. With a dusting of new snow (even if not enough to ski)
way beyond special. And one time when the snow-avalanche conditions were
unfavorable in the Wasatch, Sharon and I went to Zion N.P. and rented
drysuits and waded in the chasm of the Virgin River on January 1. Lots to do
around there.

Ken

Andrey wrote:
Mammoth is great, reliable skiing, but Royal Gorge and
Montecito are much better scenery-wise.

I can agree to disagree mildly about Tamarack vs Royal Gorge for scenery,
but I will not acknowledge any debate over whether the winter scenery south
of Mammoth on the eastside of the Sierras is better than the mountains
around Lake Tahoe.

Like here's a couple of photos of Mt Williamson + Mt Whitney, just obvious
views from the main roads:
http://www.roberts-1.com/t/s05/si/e/395

One of my European ski partners has been to most of the well-known good
places in Europe and North America, and just a few weeks ago he sent me an
Email already saying he wants to go back again next year to ski in the
southern Sierras -- his fourth ski trip there (or is it is his fifth?).

Andrey, you think you're ready by next April or May to try to get your
snowboard to the top of Mt Williamson? Maybe you'd rather go for Tallac or
Shasta, but I'm not sure I'm going to make it that far north.

Ken

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article .com,
wrote:

Why Yosemite? Doesn't come up in my mind as a ski destination. It's
just a valley with a huge rock overlooking it and several big trees.
But it's just my view on it.

_ It wouldn't be my first choice for just XC skiing, but there's
plenty of skiing there and Badger Pass has "enough" facilities,
plus there is some sort of XC center on the closed Tioga Pass Rd.

Skiing down in the Valley itself is rare. However, if you desire
to see Yosemite, winter is the time to go IMHO.

_ Booker C. Bense



-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: 2.6.2

iQCVAwUBRSe3jmTWTAjn5N/lAQHLqwP/dKngpOEceXunL2MjbSts/AjyYFvlaOU5
4JeceoMgsSztGOt53GrYp05yzLOvCE18tT4fNlkSFYbeH9wF/Q7+cNFhao4tc6K/
dCigB+Q3ZT8fa5viNA0Eo+U0CwUQPWgCRSACGm1oXXRSoEbBXb 6ywbx91VpUegAr
UdHpVYDdLro=
=uQ7T
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

John,

What a great trip you have planned! Winter in our national parks will
be a very different experience, with far fewer crowds. Do bring along
your favorite music CDs, and a list of songs to sing, because you are
going to be spending a lot of time driving in remote areas.

Just for kicks, I went to mapquest.com, chose Directions, and used
their new feature to build a rough itinerary. It's very useful, with
directions, maps, miles and drive times. I came up with 2,261 miles
and 37 hours of driving, from SF to Aspen, with all of the listed
stops. I'm sure that assumes clear road conditions; any storms will
slow you down. Don't forget that it gets dark early at that time of
year, too. If you are on a strict budget, check rental car prices
carefully, especially those notorious drop off charges (if you are
leaving the car at Aspen or Denver). And don't forget the cost of
gasoline.

In Colorado, chains are not required for passenger cars; in storms, the
rule is "adequate chains OR snow tires." My rear wheel drive sports
car is equipped with heavy-duty Blizzak snow tires, and I've never been
stuck in our mountains. I've passed by a lot of flipped-over SUV's in
snowy weather. The key is, if conditions get bad, just slow down or
stay off the road until things improve. We don't get as much snow as
the Sierras, and storms usually move out quickly.

If you decide to cut something out, I'd suggest the Wyoming portion,
just because the driving weather there can be brutal in January and
February because of strong winds. There's plenty of excellent skiing
around Salt Lake City, both XC and downhill.

Ending with an entire week in Aspen or Snowmass Village is a great idea
- no more driving! The skiing, dining, partying, scenery and people
watching are the finest in the world. Just be aware that you are
arriving at peak season in mid-February, and bargains will be few in
this very expensive place. Lift tickets are usually the most expensive
in America, over $70 I think, so be prepared. Snowmass Village
actually does offer dog sledding at Krabloonik; check their website.
The good news is that the cross country track skiing is FREE, and
excellent, with a huge network of trails connecting Aspen and Snowmass
Village. Sking or snowshoeing to the famous Maroon Bells is a great
day trip, if avalance danger is low. Ashcroft, a drive up Castle Creek
Road, charges a trail fee, but is worth it - perhaps the most
spectacular scenery of any cross country area I've seen. Save it for
last, as the altitude is a lung-busting 10,000 feet at the base area.
Perhaps I'll see you there.

Aspen to Denver? Hmm. If you have a group, with winter gear, I'd
suggest just driving the rental car once more and dropping it off at
the airport. It's about 200 miles.

Have a great trip!

Chris
Boulder, Colorado

Thanks to everyone for all the great advice and tips.

We'll have a sit down with our AAA maps and try and fit in all the great
suggestions, and look
at travelling down along 395.

Does anyone know if it is possible to ski up to and stay at the Glacier
Point Lodge / Hut at Yosemite - without being part of the organised trips
that are run a few times each week ?

Thanks again.


"John Riley" wrote in message
...
Having visited the US National Parks from Australia a few times in
summer - and hiked with amazement

we are planning a trip in Jan2007 to see them in all their Winter beauty.
We love to cross country ski in

Australia, but would also love to experience the many other winter
activities available in the USA.

Eg - Shoe Showing, dog sledding, ice skating ? and possibly even snow
mobiling +++ others. ?

We have 4 weeks, commencing in San Francisco Mid Jan 2007 (Martin Luther
King holiday weekend)

and fly out of Denver Mid Feb 2007. The last week of our trip will be
spent at Snowmass (Aspen) with

some friends from the USA and we will go Alpine (downhill?) and cross
country skiing there.

We have a tentative route that takes us: over 19 days

San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Seqoia Nat Park, Las Vegas, Bryce
Canyon, Salt Lake City

- and nearby ski fields, Jackson Hole / Tetons, Yellowstone (Mammoth Hot
Springs Hotel ?)

then south east (via ??) to Snowmass / Aspen. - transit to Denver.

Now all my questions !! :-)

Does the above route seem ok - what places would you add / leave out ? (I
am thinking of

dropping Lake Tahoe and Sequoia to allow more time at the others ?)

I would really love advice on the sorts of different actvities we can do ,
and places we should visit on our

trip. Also places to stay that may be a liitle different / unique. I guess
we would have an upper

limit of around $150 US a night, and hopefully mix that with a number of
$50-90 nights.

We are happy to stay at Hostels, and placesl like Yosemite Bug. Has anyone
experienced

staying at the 10th Mountain Division Huts ?

We will have a rental car - San Francisco to Snowmass. Am I ok in renting
a mid size car , Will

we need chains (Must carry them in the mountains in Australia and use them
occassionally)

The rental companies cant seem to guarrantee chains would be available -
will they be expensive to buy ?

As we are hoping to spend most of the time in the snow - should we
consider a small 4wd rental ?

Any suggestions on an econimical way we can get from Snowmass to Denver
for our flight home, I have found

Colorado Mountain Express (www.cmex.com) but the fare is about $100 US
each.

Really appreciate all hints, help and humour.

PS - any suggestions of songs for our winter road trip also greatfully
accepted.

Does anyone know if it is possible to ski up to and stay at the Glacier
Point Lodge / Hut at Yosemite - without being part of the organised trips
that are run a few times each week ?


Nope. I skied out there with some friends two years ago but one of
them is married to a YNP ranger so we stayed in one of the ranger
lodges. BUT you can find some amazing campsites, right on the edge of
the valley. You should be able to rent winter camping gear at Marmot
Mountain Works or REI in Berkeley.

MLK weekend traffic, it's true there's a lot but in my experience
if you just drive up Thurs night, Friday morning, Saturday morning /
return on Tues. you can avoid it all. Another option to keep in mind
is taking the 160 from Sacramento into the Bay Area instead of
interstate 80 -- it adds about 40 min. (depending on traffic) but is a
beautiful road along the levees on the Sacramento River , 2 lanes,
50-60 mph, with vineyards and orchards all along the sides--feels like
you've arrived on another planet after the stop-and-go traffic on the
80.

For lodging around Tahoe, the Sierra Club runs the Claire Tapaan (sp?)
lodge in Soda Springs with shared accommodation (dorms but some singles
& doubles I think) & 2 meals a day for around $50/night -- it may be
too late to get reservations though.

good luck
df

See http://www.yosemitepark.com/BadgerPa...trySkiing.aspx


"Derick Fay" wrote:

Does anyone know if it is possible to ski up to and stay at the Glacier
Point Lodge / Hut at Yosemite - without being part of the organised trips
that are run a few times each week ?


Nope. I skied out there with some friends two years ago but one of
them is married to a YNP ranger so we stayed in one of the ranger
lodges. BUT you can find some amazing campsites, right on the edge of
the valley. You should be able to rent winter camping gear at Marmot
Mountain Works or REI in Berkeley.

Does anyone know if it is possible to ski up to and stay at the Glacier
Point Lodge / Hut at Yosemite - without being part of the organised trips
that are run a few times each week ?

Ask YCS.

In article .com,
Derick Fay wrote:
MLK weekend traffic, it's true there's a lot but in my experience
if you just drive up Thurs night, Friday morning, Saturday morning /
return on Tues. you can avoid it all. Another option to keep in mind
is taking the 160 from Sacramento into the Bay Area instead of
interstate 80 -- it adds about 40 min. (depending on traffic) but is a
beautiful road along the levees on the Sacramento River , 2 lanes,
50-60 mph, with vineyards and orchards all along the sides--feels like
you've arrived on another planet after the stop-and-go traffic on the
80.

I would be very leery of this well meaning advice especially in winter.
And I just drove 160 2 weeks ago on the way to a steam boat regatta.
1) this area is regarded as #2 to New Orleans for levee breaks.
2) A levee broke last year which was a headache for driving and that was
summer time. The Governator asked Bush for preventative money and was
turned down. The dike structure was being seriously undermined.
3) while some stretches can be driven at 60 MPH most can't. Cars quite
commonly drop off the levees, people drown, or hit some island based
side tree or just plow into a field.
There are no shoulders, no place for turn around during the occasional
breech nor turn offs unlike the stop&go I80 or I5.
There are lots of motorcyclists out for good
times as well. etc. This merely makes the locals ****ed.

For lodging around Tahoe, the Sierra Club runs the Claire Tapaan (sp?)
Tappan
lodge in Soda Springs with shared accommodation (dorms but some singles
& doubles I think) & 2 meals a day for around $50/night -- it may be
too late to get reservations though.

Go week days.

--