Best winter trip in Yosemite or Emigrant

How did you get to Youngs Lakes? IF Tioga Pass is open, then there are lots of options…Cathedral Lakes and beyond, for example.

BUt if the highways are closed over the passes, you have fewer options. Emigrant is pretty limited, since the close the road at Dodge Ridge…and it's a long hike from there to get anywhere that has a lot of views.

Yosemite you can always climb up Snow Creek and head to either North Dome or Mt, Watkins, both sensational views..

"IF Tioga Pass is open, then there are lots of options…Cathedral Lakes and beyond, for example."

Even if it is a no snow year and they leave the Tioga Pass Road open, there is no overnight parking allowed. Therefore, Young Lakes is out of the question unless you can get dropped off and picked up by a driver. Or, if you intend to ski overland from Tioga Pass or from Yosemite Valley.

–B.G.–

We've gone snowshoeing in Mariposa Grove in Yosemite, so I know that area is accessible.

Gene

What about the Carson pass on 88? I'm not a winter hiker but going over to Lake Winnemucca should be nice if the highway is open.

Lake Tahoe has lots of winter hike options. If things get crappy you can rent a cheap motel room and go out for beers and dinner.

Sorry for the misscommunication.
I actually did Young lakes in early May when there was still a ton of snow. (Also failed to summit Conness, bummer!)
I was more just referring to snowy trips that had great views as examples of what I'm looking for this winter.

I've been considering north dome as one trip option.
Was wondering how bad snow creek would be if I needed snow shoes. …pretty vertical right?
I did yosemite falls in Snowshoes and that was tough…but do-able.

Also considering Ostrander lake or Dewey point…and/or maybe hetchhetchy area?

Or what about that 4 mile trail thing that goes up to glacier point?

Was thinking of LYV to Merced lake…but not sure how safe that would be? Any avalanche danger?

I'm pretty dumb as far as Tahoe or Carson pass areas. I'll do some googling on that..

"Or what about that 4 mile trail thing that goes up to glacier point?"

That is the so-called Four Mile Trail, and it is about 4.6 miles each way. I would not recommend that in a typical winter. Often there is a sign at the bottom indicating that it is closed. There are a couple of spots about three miles up that would be dangerous in the wrong conditions.

Now, if you want to get to Glacier Point in winter, you park your car at Badger Pass and ski out the unplowed road in a few hours. Of course then you have to turn around and ski back.

–B.G.–

The Four Mile trail closes in winter. They close the Mist Trail as well for the same reason – not safe. Trails out of the Valley are major steep and you cannot camp on them. Nor can you build a fire anywhere in Yosemite in winter. Going to North Dome will mean going up Snow Creek or Yosemite Fals trail, since you still cannot park overnight on tioga road and no shuttles go up there either. Also if there is snow the road is gated shut and inaccessible. No plowing til April.

Most winter trips go out of Badger, where you can get a permit and head for the Ostrander hut or out to Glacier Point hut. That would be my suggestion rather than anything out of the valley floor, if there is any snow at all.

If there is enough snow you can spend the night in Mariposa Grove – again, absolutely no fires – we snowshoed up to Wawona Point and spent the night a couple years back. Not a three day outing but still quite nice.

I'd suggest going out 168 and parking at Huntington. You can easily put together a three day snow trip in Kaiser.

"Nor can you build a fire anywhere in Yosemite in winter."

Why do you say that?

Getting to the top of Nevada Falls may present some danger; I've only done it in the early spring. but people go up here in winter all the time.
Otherwise, there's potential avalanche danger at Bunnell Point on any snowy year. Also, the switchbacks leading up from the two bridges here can present a problem: you can't see the slope overhead at all to judge the snowpack. I've also walked through the remains of a pretty good avalanche about a half mile beyond where you top out on these same switchbacks. (Pretty good=knocked over trees.)
Going up the high trail to Merced Lake is probably safer in winter. But three days may be optimistic in winter to get all the way to the lake and back.

Great info so far.
So far I think I'll add the following to my list to do this winter:
-Snowcreek to Northdome/my Watkins
-Badger pass to Ostrander lake, or Dewey point, or glacier point.

What about Hetchhetchy? I think that road is plowed year round correct?
I think I remember a post here saying there's some cool snowshoe trips up there?

Hetch Hetchy road gets plowed all winter, though you might be waiting a day or two for the plows to get there after a big storm. Rancheria Falls or Lake Vernon are both good winter destinations.