Backpacking from the Badger Pass Ski Area to Dewey Point was our first snowshoe backpacking experience. We brought our friends along with us and it was actually their first backpacking trip in general. They were such troopers, didn’t complain, and luckily we didn’t scare them into too much of a workout and they have been backpacking with us ever since.
Trip Overview:
Dates Hiked: January 23 – January 24, 2016
Time: 3 hours in, 3 hours out
Miles: 7.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,500 feet
Permit: A wilderness permit is required year round for backpacking trips in Yosemite. Permits for backpacking trips starting at the Badger Pass Ranger Station are available first-come, first-served and cannot be reserved. There is a quota for 10 permits for Dewey Ridge (#14) and 25 permits for Dewey Meadow (#18).
Trailhead: Badger Pass
Parking: Available parking at the Badger Pass Ski Area
Dogs: Not allowed
Getting to the Dewey Point Trailhead:
The trailhead to backpack to Dewey Point in the winter starts from the Badger Pass Ski Area. The Badger Pass Road is open from mid-December through March depending on weather conditions. There are no hiking trails here, only trails to be used with skis or snowshoes.
Dewey Point Trip Details:
The first 1.3 miles followed the old Glacier Point Road. It’s closed to vehicles, but groomed for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing during the winter. As a snowshoer, it’s common courtesy to stay away from the ski tracks so that the skiers can maintain their trail. The terrain here is pretty flat and the views were already amazing!
This section of the trail along Glacier Point Road could have probably been done with regular boots or microspikes, but we wanted to make use of the snowshoes we rented, and the area provided an easy area to get warmed up.
After the groomed trail, we reached the junction with Meadow Trail to Dewey Point. Here the trail leaves the road and follows through the forest and meadows, winding up, down and around. Awesome views of the large pine trees covered in snow were all around.
We encountered some cross-country skiers traversing the ungroomed snow, but a good amount of people snowshoed before us so they left an easy track to follow.
The trail was pretty clear for the most part. We came across multiple tracks splitting off in different directions occasionally, but it was pretty obvious which track had received more traffic. We also used the signs on the trees to keep us hiking in the right direction.
The last couple of miles were definitely the most strenuous, with more uphills and downhills. Luckily, we had ideal, powdery snow conditions on the ground, and not many icy areas.
We saw a couple of tents pitched along the side of the ridge, and picked a relatively vacant area to set up camp, making sure we had a nice view of the Valley for sunrise. We had to pack down the snow beneath the area where our tents would go.
Hand warmers, hot Cup-of-Noodles, and hot tea went a long way in helping us to stay warm. It had snowed mildly throughout the night.
We woke up to clear skies and an unforgettable sunrise from the window of our tent. Walking outside closer towards the overlook we could see across Yosemite Valley with views of El Capitan, Clouds Rest, and Half Dome.
Later in the morning after drinking our coffee and eating breakfast, we hiked to Dewey Point and waited our turn to take pictures at the overlook.
Need to Know:
- There are designated trails for skiers and snowshoers. If you’re on snowshoes make sure not to walk on the ski trails as it messes up their tracks.
When to Backpack to Dewey Point:
Dewey Point can be hiked or backpacked year round! There are two different trails for a winter route and a summer route. Between December and March, Glacier Point Road is closed beyond the Badger Pass Ski Area, so you must access the trailhead by snowshoeing or cross country skiing.
What to Pack for Dewey Point:
- Hydration: We usually start with 2-3 liters of water, each, and pack a water filter and some iodine tablets. If you’re hiking where there’s snowpack, you can boil some snow to have drinkable water. Electrolyte packets are also very useful for hydration on the trail.
- Nutrition: We usually eat a bar or oatmeal and a piece of fruit before starting off on our backpacking trips. For this trip, we started later in the day so we had already eaten lunch. Then for snacks along the way, more bars, jerky, or trail mix. For dinners, we either eat dehydrated foods or even leftovers from a meal we ate on the road trip out to the hike (cold pizza makes a great dinner!).
- Stove: We love our Jetboil to boil water for drinking and to heat up our dehydrated dinners, oatmeals, coffee, etc.
- Navigation: For hikes with more difficult trails to follow, you may want to invest in a GPS tracker. For simpler hikes, we use the GPS system on our phones and a tracker such as Gaia GPS or AllTrails.
- Headlamp: I usually also pack our inflatable solar latern by MPOWERD and attach it to the outside of my pack while hiking.
- Sun protection: Sunscreen, sunglasses, and sun-protective clothes – always a must!
- First aid: Our first aid kit consists of band-aids, gauze, medical tape, Compede Bandages (love this more than Moleskin for blisters), antibiotic ointment, alcohol wipes, ibuprofen, tweezers, pocket knife
- Shelter: We use our Marmot Tungsten 2-Person Tent (3 season, 4 lbs, 13 oz).
Leave No Trace
Always remember to practice the principals of Leave No Trace! These 7 principals include:
- Plan Ahead & Prepare
- Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces
- Dispose of Waste Properly
- Leave What You Find
- Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Respect Wildlife
- Be Considerate of Others
Check out the Leave No Trace program for more information.
