We've been doing a lot of skiing lately, and I keep meaning to put up some pictures of the beautiful places that we have been and the skiing that we have done.
This first picture is taken from Dewey Point, which is (at least so far) my favorite view of Yosemite Valley. In the summertime, most people drive out to Glacier Point (which also has a spectacular view), which means that Dewey Point is nearly deserted. For me, the feeling of solitude coupled with such magnificent scenery makes Dewey Point extra special.
We had planned to head out and find some slopes to ski down that Tom had marked (with the GPS) last fall, but ended up taking a gentle hike out to this amazing spot instead. Once there, Tom and John began speculating on the ski-ability of various lines. They all looked pretty desperate and crazy to me, but I'm still working on that. Someday I hope to be a good enough skier that those things look possible to me too.
On the way out, Tom still had the itch to take the skins off his skis and do some descents. Ultimately, John and I were both glad the he persuaded us to take a few runs. They weren't very long, but it is wonderful to have such nice skiing so close to home.
Speaking of nice skiing, the rest of these pictures were taken at what Tom and I have started calling our “Secret Stash” even though it is about 4 miles from our house, and really only a few hundred feet above the road. We measured the slope angle near the top to be roughly 35 degrees, and there is open tree skiing, untracked powder and log jumps to delight the soul. In fact, these pictures are taken on the day after the incredible powder day.