Sentinel Dome Additions and Corrections
| mpbro | Untitled Comment | |

Voted 10/10 | In the winter, access becomes more challenging. The Glacier Point Road is closed at Badger Pass Ski Resort in the winter (November-May on most years), roughly eight miles from Glacier Point. This approach is ideal for beginner/intermediate cross country skiers, as the road has ski tracks all the way to Glacier Point. This option is probably the "standard route" during the winter. It climbs less than 1000 feet and it is (hopefully) impossible to get lost.
(At least) two options are feasible from Yosemite Valley to Glacier POint/Sentinel Dome. Option 1: The Four Mile Trail climbs the 3200 feet from the Valley to Glacier Point. The trail is officially "closed" at some point, but it is hard to know exactly what this means. In November, I hiked the Four Mile Trail and hit some "interesting" ice. I'd stop short of saying that you'd need crampons; more useful would be the little traction devices which are sold at REI (among other places). Trailhead for this trail is marked from the southern Yosemite Valley road. Option 2: From Happy Isles, you can take the Mist Trail past Vernal and Nevada Falls, then go onto the Panorama Trail, which doubles back to the west, across Illiloutte Creek, and up to Glacier Point/Sentinel Dome. This is definitely the longer of the two, although a loop (up Panorama/down Four Mile, or vice versa) can be very satisfying if you use the YARTS shuttle or can hitch a ride. |
| Posted Feb 12, 2002 8:37 pm |