Snowshoeing · Yosemite National Park, California, USA · recorded with NomadTracks

Dewey Point in winter: 12 km on snowshoes to Yosemite's quiet rim

In summer, Yosemite's valley rim is a parade. In February, the Dewey Point trail is silence and untouched snow: 12.4 km from Badger Pass through the forest to a cornice with El Capitan dead ahead and the whole valley a kilometer below.

Distance12.4 km
Elevation gain292 m
ActivitySnowshoeing
Duration3 h 30 min

About this data: this track and its photos were personally shared with us as samples by a NomadTracks user. NomadTracks never uploads, collects or shares your tracks or photos — your recordings stay on your devices and in your own cloud.

Route map of Dewey Point in winter: 12 km on snowshoes to Yosemite's quiet rim drawn from the recorded GPS points on an OpenStreetMap basemap
The actual recorded GPS track — start marked green, finish orange. Numbered pins mark where the photos below were taken.

Download GPX Coordinates, elevation and relative times — recording dates are normalized out, photos not included.

Elevation profile of the track
Elevation profile over the full distance. Switch the map above to interactive mode, then slide across the chart — a marker follows the route.

Marked trees, buried trail

The summer path is under two meters of snow — navigation is yellow markers on trees and your own judgment. The recorded line is the safety net: however the meadows confuse you on the way back, the way home is drawn on the map.

Winter recording in practice

The phone stayed in an inner pocket the whole day; live stats were checked on the wrist. Cold cost about a quarter of the battery — the recording was never in danger.

About the place: Yosemite National Park, California, USA

Dewey Point hangs on the southern rim of Yosemite Valley, California, directly opposite El Capitan. In winter the route starts at the Badger Pass ski area on the closed Glacier Point Road and follows marked winter route poles through the forest — a snowshoe or ski tour rather than a hike, typically possible December through March. Permits aren't needed for day tours; the rim cornices demand respectful distance.

Snow-covered rim view into Yosemite Valley from Dewey Point
1 · Snow-covered rim view into Yosemite Valley from Dewey Point
Snowshoe trail winding through deep snow between the pines
2 · Snowshoe trail winding through deep snow between the pines
Tall pines and bleached snags against the winter sky
3 · Tall pines and bleached snags against the winter sky
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