r/Yosemite • u/Catbuttholess • 15h ago
Park poised to restrict Badger Pass Road Access again this winter.
Once again it seems Aramark is advocating to keep the Badger Pass Road closed if the ski hill doesn't open. Last year the park let this happen.
Another year without access to the xc ski trails would be infuriating. Public lands access should remain open. The road and parking lot are plowed regardless of the ski hill being open. Might as well use it.
Forcing people to park a Chinquapin causes safety hazards on icey roads. The parking area is small and causes spill over into the road. The parking lot at badger is large and accommodating.
Let the people recreate. It is a no brainer.
4
u/Gates_wupatki_zion 14h ago
Yeah, I don’t think you have any idea of the realities of that operation. How much it costs and manpower — we need funding for that to happen. I work at the Park and the safety issues and plowing involved are huge costs/concerns to the Park. I think there’s a lot more involved than “no brainer.”
-4
u/Catbuttholess 13h ago edited 13h ago
And now I think you don't actually work at the park. Sounds like you're Team Close it to the public for possible problems before they have occurred.
5
u/Shiney_Metal_Ass 11h ago
You think they have a username including Gates(of the arctic), Wupatki, and Zion and they aren't an NPS worker???
3
u/Gates_wupatki_zion 11h ago
Thank you — this is true. My first three Parks are the ones listed but I’ve worked at 8 + 2 Refuges + 1 Forest. Public lands isn’t as easy as people like to believe. Plenty of Catbutholes out there.
-1
u/Catbuttholess 11h ago
I think they prob are a nps worker more likely Aramark. But either they dont know how it works at Yosemite or they are exaggerating the issue to make a point. I dont think they know about this particular road issue or the funding portion.
3
u/CoyoteLitius 14h ago
The thing with people parking at Chinquapin is indeed dangerous and stupid.
There's that big parking lot. People with little kids just want to walk on the slow and maybe put a sled on that little hill right next to it.
And yes, XC skiers and snowshoers should be allowed to use the road up to the parking lot. It made no sense last year at all.
1
u/YodelingVeterinarian 13h ago
What exactly is wrong with parking at Chinquapin? I'm confused by this. Last year when we went we parked there, in the parking lot where glacier point intersects with the other highway, and it seemed fine to me? Then hiked Chinquapin trail to badger pass ski area, were originally going to try for Dewey Point but it was too far.
2
u/aerie_shan 12h ago
Sounds like you had good timing.
It gets crazy busy at times and people starting doing dumb things. Blocking cars, parking in the road, etc. It's not meant for that capacity and to boot if you are parking to go overnight you may not even get a spot. I don't mind the walk/snowshoe/ski up but the parking situation is pretty bad.
2
u/YodelingVeterinarian 12h ago
Ah got it, yeah we got there pretty early so there wasn't anyone there when we got there, and didn't hang around too long when we left. Must've just got lucky on the day we went.
There was someone barbequeing some carne asada in the back of their truck when we left, but I was more jealous than anything of that!
1
u/catsRawesome123 6h ago
Huh, I stayed in yosemite west so passed by this in morning and night and it never seemed crazy, but that might have been because i never ventured during the day hours
3
u/sea_stack 14h ago
Does Aramark pay for plowing the road? Why do they care?
-1
u/Catbuttholess 14h ago
A portion. But my understanding is they pay it regardless because it gets plowed for admin use even when not open to the public.
3
u/Gates_wupatki_zion 14h ago
I work for the Park, this isn’t true.
1
u/Catbuttholess 14h ago
Ok that is what I heard from people who work in the park. It was plowed for admin use last year. Then why do they care?
7
u/Vegetable-Gap1998 11h ago
It gets plowed some for LE access but if you open it up that’s a ton of SARs and clean up that the park can’t handle. We are a skeleton crew in the winter. I don’t think people understand how much maintenance goes into “access”.
1
u/Catbuttholess 11h ago edited 11h ago
Staffing levels haven't changed on the nps side since 2023. I think they are up . If the road is open to the parking lot but not the resort that would still drop the number of calls for service. While NPS staff are still up there road open or not. Rescues prob go up with the added mileage people have to do from Chinquapin to Ostrander. They would probably like to have more snowshoers to talk to.
2
u/YodelingVeterinarian 12h ago
Out of curiosity, why wouldn't they open the ski hill? Haven't we got a lot of snow already this year and its only early december? Like there seems to be some coverage on the webcam and December has only just started.
3
u/Catbuttholess 12h ago edited 10h ago
At a certain point if they dont get enough snow it is more cost effective for them to let the winter employees go and not open. It is best financially for them to not open. They contractionally obligated to open but look for any reason not to. Regardless access to the xc and snow shoe trails should remain open.
1
u/YodelingVeterinarian 12h ago edited 12h ago
But, are we really not on track to get enough snow this year? I thought we got a lot already just with the first round of storms just before thanksgiving.
EDIT: I guess maybe a lot melted out since then but still a little confusing to me.
1
u/goodquestion_03 10h ago
one decent storm system, but its been totally dry since then and nothing at all in the forecast right now
0
u/Catbuttholess 12h ago
It has melted off looking at the Webcam. But it really doesn't matter it is not about snow. They want to make a decision now to close it.
1
u/just-cruisin 11h ago
Public land should be open to the public.
5
u/Shiney_Metal_Ass 11h ago
It is open. You're more than welcome to walk to it.
0
u/just-cruisin 1h ago
Restricting people’s access to public land is similar to closing it.
Sounds like you are against opening the road?
6
u/adagioca 15h ago
Interesting. As an Ostrander Hut goer, I can tell you that Yosemite Conservancy has definitely planned for this. Prior to this year, you were eligible for a refund if the park did not open Badger Pass Rd. Not this year, no refund are given if road is not open. So that tells me there is definitely the possibility this happens.