Ostrander Ski Hut (via Horizon Ridge and Merced Crest Trails)

Details

Photo Notes

The Ostrander ski tour photo album includes photos of the Horizon Ridge Trail, the Bridalveil Creek Trail and the Merced Crest Trails, as well as pictures of the hut interior and the lake itself and the ski slopes above it.

Ostrander Hut Reservations

If you want to stay in the hut, you should call the Yosemite Association (209-372-0740) for information. They hold a lottery for reservations every November, but realistically it's easy to get reservations during the week most times.

The Routes

There are three main routes to get to the Ostrander Ski Hut, which has bunks for 25 during the winter months. The easiest is to take the Ghost Forest Loop from Bridalveil Campground, but be aware that in low snow conditions, this may be difficult due to creek crossings. The next easiest and the most common way to get to the hut is via the Bridalveil Creek Trail, which actually leaves Glacier Point Road about a mile past the campground turnoff itself (about four miles from Badger Pass). This is the summer trail to Ostrander Lake and, even in winter, you will find an outhouse at the trailhead. The luxury of covering your first four miles on a groomed road with substantial sections of downhill contribute significantly to the popularity of this route. On the flip side, it doesn't feel much like a wilderness experience after a hundred skiers have packed out a trench a foot deep for much of the length of the trail. You are, however, treated to the quiet beauty of the so-called Ghost Forest, a burn area where many of the large trees were killed and now stand as quiet sentinels over the new growth that is filling in the area.

The Horizon Ridge trail, on the other hand, has the significant advantage of offering stunning views of the Clark Range, Half Dome, Mount Starr King and distant views of Mount Conness, Mount Dana and so forth. One option if you know the area, is to ski about the first four miles of the Bridalveil Creek trail and then cut cross-country up open slopes to meet Horizon Ridge about a quarter mile before the summit. In the accompanying photo gallery, that was the option we took, camping about halfway between the two, and breakfasting at the summit of Horizon Ridge. If the trail is icy, you get a late start or just want a somewhat mellower trip, this is a nice option that gets the highlights of Horizon Ridge, offers some low-angle slopes that are nice for tele-turning on cross-country skis (or for beginning skiers on heavier gear), and only adds perhaps thirty minutes of skiing over the standard Bridalveil Creek Trail. As an added bonus, from the top of Horizon Ridge, you get nice views of Heart Attack Hill and Horse Ridge, the ridge above Ostrander Lake.

The Bridalveil Creek Trail joins the Horizon Ridge Trail just below the so-called Heart Attack Hill. Considering the number of steep arduous climbs in Yosemite, the name is somewhat of a mystery to me as it is neither long nor steep. Not even comparable to the Snow Creek Trail, Mist Trail or even the Four Mile Trail. I think it is some name thought up by the Yosemite Winter club back in the 1930s when people thought that skiing was an extreme sport (and, given the equipment, it was!). There's no particular reason to stick to the blazed trail to get to the top of Heart Attack Hill and the open slopes to the left may offer some advantage on old and icy snow. Just make sure that when you near the top, you do rejoin the trail. In any case, Horse Ridge is quite visible so in clear weather, you should be able to navigate your way to the hut with or without the blazes.

The Ostrander cirque is about as picturesque a spot as you could hope for and better skiers will enjoy spending an entire day, or several days, touring around and exploring descents off Horse Ridge.

An alternate route, or a possible return route if you want to do a loop, is to return via the Merced Crest Trail, which is the option shown in the accompanying gallery. This feels more like a backcountry experience. If you look carefully at the pictures, you'll notice that the Bridalveil Creek Trail shows signs of dozens, perhaps hundreds of skiers, while the photos of the Merced Crest Trail, taken weeks after the last substantial snow, nevertheless show just two sets of tracks (ours). The trail is well-marked, has some fun descents for strong cross-country skiers (difficult for intermediates on lightweight gear, but generally never that long), and some great views. The start of the trail is a bit odd, in that it contours around on fairly steep slopes and one should be aware of avalanche risks after a new snow, but the key is to gain Horse Ridge without gaining or losing a ton of altitude from the lake (up a bit and then contour). Once on Horse Ridge and following the trail markers, at the aspen grove trails 16 and 17 split. Trail 17 is more clearly marked and breaks right, but the trail back to Badger Pass breaks left across the aspens and then is marked clearly, almost excessively at times. That doesn't really detract from the experience, though, since compared to the Bridalveil Creek and Horizon Ridge Trails, it feels downright quiet and lonely out there. The views are perhaps not quite of the same breathtaking scope as those from Horizon Ridge, but the feel is noticeably less civilized.

Additional Information

• Reservations are available through the Yosemite Association. For more information call them at (209) 379-2646. There is space for 25 and costs $20 per night. Busy weekends fill early and spots are awarded on a lottery basis in October, so plan early. Most weeknights are dead quiet.
• Camping is also an option. The trails are not on a quota basis in the winter. Stop in at the ranger station at the base of the Badger Pass beginner lift for a free overnight permit.
• Parking overnight in the winter requires a permit, whether staying at the hut or camping. The permit is obtained at the same ranger station.
• Further reading may be had be checking out the entertaining New York Times article on the hut.