As you may have heard through the grapevine, we will be offering to our guests, a Winter All Access Pass , commencing January 8, 2007. The price for Adults (13 and older) is $49, and Child is $29. The Pass is valid mid week non holiday periods only. Blackout dates are all weekends, January 15, 2007, and February 19 through February 23, 2007. With this pass the purchaser will have a one time access to the following: one BP Lift Ticket, one BP equipment rental (Cross-Country, Alpine Ski or snowboard), one BP Group downhill or cross-country ski, or snowboard lesson, one tubing session, one Curry Village Skating Session with rentals, and one 2 hour valley tour. The Pass becomes valid the day that the purchaser redeems the first activity. The pass is then stamped with that day's date and is valid only for that date. Activities can only be redeemed at the following locations: Badger Pass Ski Area, Curry Village Ice Rink, or Yosemite Lodge Tour Desk.

The pass will be sold at our retail stores, Badger Pass Ski Area, Curry Village Ice Rink and the Lodge Tour Desk. There is also a lodging/All Access Pass package where guests will be able to purchase the pass at time of reservation, then pick up their All Access Pass at the front desks on check in.

Guests can purchase an All Access Pass at this time on YosemiteGifts.com. We intend having the All Access Pass available for purchase at one of the above mentioned sites several days prior to January 8, 2007.

For more information please contact Colin Baldock at 372-8430.

Here is a link to the Pass:
Badger Pass Winter All Access Passes!!


















 

TUOLUMNE MEADOWS - WINTER CONDITIONS UPDATE - December 27, 2006

Weather: (December 21 through December 27)

High temp: 48° (Dec 26)

Low temp:  -2° (Dec 21)

New Snow: 18” (Dec 21, 26, 27)

Total settled snow depth: 23” as of Dec 27

Ski Conditions and Weather: Merry Christmas from Tuolumne! 11 inches of new snow in the past 24 hours here at the meadows have finally given us a reason to send out the first winter conditions report of the season. We still only have 23” of base up here, and that will no doubt go down as this new snow settles, but we finally have enough snow to go skiing. Most of our skiing so far this winter has been along the roads in the area, venturing off the roads usually resulted in running into lots of barely covered rocks and logs. While this new snow may open up some additional cross-country skiing, the coverage is still to thin to allow any thoughts of linking turns in the high country. 

Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for this area go to www.esavalanche.org for the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center and click on advisory. The ESAC site is updated several times a week and more often during weather events.

High ridge-top winds (40 to 50 MPH) out of the northeast on Dec 22 (and previously on Dec 18) moved a lot of loose snow up high. Any southwest slopes in the high country could be prone to avalanche activity due to this wind loading, and the subsequent snow from the past two days. Anybody traveling up high should be aware of this hidden danger. Most of the north and east aspects of the high peaks were stripped bare of snow during these wind events.

Wildlife: The mild weather of the past 6 weeks has allowed a lot of the local wildlife to delay their move south, or to lower elevations, for the winter. In the past week we are still seeing dark-eyed Juncos and even a canyon wren, along with some of the winter locals such as red crossbills, mountain chickadees, and pine siskins. The tracks of coyotes and pine martens are still common sights along the snowy roads and meadows.

Questions: If you have any ski related or weather questions feel free to call (209) 372-0450 between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm. If we are out skiing, leave a message and a phone number so we can return your call. (Jeff and Kathi, the Tuolumne winter rangers).