When:
Feb 22-24


Where:
Grubb Hut Vicinity
Last minute change due to weather and yet more parking problems. We'll be out near (not in) the Grubb Hut. A few (most?) of us going will be headed in on Friday afternoon.


Who:
This is open to anyone who wants to join up. Newbies to snow camping are welcome -if you have the gear for snow, zero degree weather, and you're fairly confident with your abilities it should be a good learning experience. However, unlike the recent Dewey Point trip, we're not going to be within a 3.5 mile hike of a warm ski lodge; it's just a caution.

Edited by JacobD on 02/21/2013 17:45:29 MST.

Hi Jacob, and all. I am up for either trip.
FWIW, I would prefer the earlier date, only because the following weekend I have tickets for the Banff Mountain Film Festival.

Thanks Jacob.

I should be ok for either weekend. But it would be best for me if the date was finalized sooner than later.

Dave

Let's plan on finalizing the date on Monday following the GGG.

I'm quite interested if you end up going on the latter date.

A ride from SF would be appreciated if anybody's leaving from the Bay Area, but I'll find a way to the trailhead either way.

Both options sound good to me and I could make either weekend work.

Bradley, I'll likely be driving and I live in SF, so I should be able to give you a ride.

Interested, I think I can do either date. But the earlier weekend is less likely to get interfered with by work obligations.

Edited by macrophyllum on 01/24/2013 19:58:48 MST.

Hi all, my gf and I would be able to make the first weekend. Both options look good; we have a slight preference for the Tahoe one.

I may be one of the few who knows where the Devils Dance Floor is found.

I think you want to look at a different route. Drive from Crane Flat toward Yosemite Valley. When you get around the turnoff to Foresta, there is a trailhead. I think the eastward trail may be called the El Capitan Trail. Now, there is a certain amount of up and down, but the trail might be a more direct way of getting there, as opposed to Crane Flat. Honestly, I'm not sure how you would get there from Crane Flat. You could go east on the Tioga Road (unplowed) past the gate and up to the turnoff to Tamarack Flat, then down the unplowed access road to the campground, and then through the woods to the Devils Dance Floor.

I'm not sure that the Devils Dance Floor would be that great of a place to camp in the winter. It is a bald granite dome.

You might try going from the Valley up the Snow Creek Switchback Trail. You could could camp in the woods near the Snow Creek Cabin.

--B.G.--

I'm interested in either trip for either weekend. It all depends on what is happening at work if I can make it. I won't know until we are closer to the actual date.
I would be on skis.

Bob, thanks for the insight. The route to the DDF from Crane Flat is summarized in the link I gave in my original post, it sounds very similar to what you described.

As far as camping, if we do that trip I'm not proposing we camp on the DDF proper, we'll have to find a suitable spot. Similar in the way in which we didn't camp on Dewey Point proper, just near by. I don't think anyone will be keen to pitching their tarps on an open exposure, unless they are insane winter backpackers perhaps ;)

I'm interested too. I could do either weekend.

Andrew

I talked to everyone who was interested in this at the GGG. There were only a couple of people who wanted to do the earlier date, most were leaning towards the later date which should also work better for me, so let's roll with that.

Edited by JacobD on 02/21/2013 17:46:29 MST.

I'm in +1.

Sounds good to me. Looking forward to it!

How many people are planning on heading out there on Friday? I don't think I'd be able to get out of work early enough on Friday, so I'll probably head out early on Saturday morning.

I'll probably head up Saturday, too. Carpooling would be good.

Wrong weekend for me. Really sorry to miss this.

I'm in, almost for sure.......

I have an extra set of skis and boots that I might be up for lending out for the trip.

I mean, I'm definitely up for lending them out but I just want to gauge interest.

Otherwise I might put the boots up for sale. Or I might not get around to it.

Like I said, gauging interest. If you are going on this trip and want to try skiing and wear a size 11-11.5 boot let me know. The skis are good probably up to about 180-190 pounds of skier.

Thanks,

Dave

Edited by davidlutz on 01/28/2013 18:10:11 MST.

Dave, I was originally planning to rent snowshoes from REI but it would be more fun to be on skis if you are thinking about loaning them out. I am a size 11 but have kinda wide feet- do you think the boots would fit me?