Yosemite Ski School Too Precious to Waste

Operation's decline alarms passionate 'alum'

by Paul McHugh
San Francisco Chronicle - February 14, 2002

Air turns to wine in winter evenings at Yosemite's Glacier Point. Rose hues of sunset light -- known as "alpenglow" -- creep up snowfields and granite formations.

Kathleen Keeling, a physical therapist from Napa, burst into the sumptuous Glacier Point hut exclaiming about the twilight show. "It was magical!"

Her overnight, cross-country ski trip to the $2.7 million chalet was nearly sold out. Keeling's group of four from Napa was complemented by a group of six from San Francisco, plus five more patrons from around the state and two guides.

With a plum like Glacier Point overnights crowning a menu of services, one might figure Yosemite Cross-Country Ski School -- based at Badger Pass, on the valley's south rim -- to be a fabulous success. One would be wrong.

The concessionaire could not supply client numbers. This operation employs half the ski instructors it did a decade ago. Its Nordic Holiday Race, California's oldest such event, once drew 300 participants. It attracted fewer than 40 in 2001. This year, it came within a hair of being canceled.

Besides the glorious Glacier Point hut, cross-country skiing at Yosemite National Park includes free use of more than 12 miles of machine-groomed trails, use of the high-country Ostrander Hut and 90 miles of marked ski trails to sites such as Giant Sequoia groves and spectacular overlooks.

"Skiing in Yosemite is an A-plus experience for those willing to leave groomed surfaces, go remote, and find the grandeur," said Stewart Collins, guest recreation manager for Yosemite Concession Services Corp. (YCSC).

YCSC is a subsidiary of the mammoth Delaware North corporation ($1.3 billion in annual revenue and 25,000 employees) that won a 15-year contract to manage the park's recreation and service facilities in 1993.

This cross-country ski school boasts gorgeous terrain and a mighty corporate owner. So, why is it in dire straits?
Some local decline reflects trends in the sport. The National Sporting Goods Association (a trade group) reports that 2.3 million Americans cross- country skied in the year 2000. That's half as many as skied in 1990. Such a drop in users will put a whammy on any set of services.

More of the drop might result from national park constraints. Badger Pass is hemmed in by wilderness. Additional groomed track -- the prime lure for beginner skiers -- is tough to build. Also, its deal with the Park Service bars the school from the revenue stream of trail fees. The funky main alpine lodge at Badger likely only will win an upgrade if it becomes a staging area for busing visitors to the valley.

Blame also must be pinned on an enthusiasm deficit in the current concessionaire. The former concessionaire, Yosemite Park and Curry Co. -- which had a 93-year history here, the last 20 owned by MCA -- lost its post by overemphasizing its income at the park's expense. Despite that, Curry did generate an electric atmosphere, even exhilaration, for park visitors. Curry saw Yosemite's mountaineering tradition as a lit torch. Right along with its more tawdry acts, the company bore that flame forward.

The new concessionaire, YCSC, has made one type of effort. It did provide a lion's share of funds for the Glacier Point chalet, and built new structures for the cross-country school at Badger. But, two essentials -- a strong vision for the future, and the will to make a compelling case for skiers to come -- are absent.

The Nordic Holiday Race is a sad case. Lack of promotion, creativity and support have it shriveling on the vine. This year's buildup was sabotaged by zero advance publicity and an erroneous date on the Web site. The school long delayed publishing a basic brochure listing this race or any other offering. A month before the race, the event was saved only by appeals from the guides.

Here's why I care: Yosemite Cross-Country Ski School is my alma mater. I first came 20 years ago. Two days after my first lesson, I happily joined hundreds at the race. Gliding in Yosemite's winter landscape inspired further pursuits. My first snow camp lesson was at Badger. My first trans-Sierra ski trip was with Yosemite guides. We even tried a winter ascent on Mount Clark. Yes, I could have learned this stuff elsewhere, but Yosemite offered me a ton of inspiration and expertise at a site of mythic grandeur. I'd hate to see others not be able to have this opportunity.

The problem might be that Delaware North is not only new to Yosemite, but new to any national park. (Its expertise lies in sports arenas and racetracks. ) Another might be that YCSC must surrender 15 to 16 percent of its gross proceeds to the Park Service, whereas Curry only turned in three-quarters of one percent. The temptation to abandon low money-makers, letting them dwindle or fail, must be huge.

But a park that's a crown jewel of the Range of Light demands an inspired vision. The mecca for conservationist/adventurers from John Muir to David Brower should not become merely a mill where folks are bused like sheep, herded on tours, fleeced at shops, then sent home. Whatever else it becomes, Yosemite also must be a shrine of the wilds, where visitors can be individually strengthened, formed for challenge and taught to find their path in the mountain realm.

The remnant guides have blazed a trail. I urge all who care about cross- country skiing and mountaineering activity at Yosemite to attend the Nordic Holiday Race on Feb. 23-24.
The guides offer a tremendous deal: a diagonal stride race, a telemark race, a skate race and a party, all for $30 per entrant. If this year's event fails, it might topple the first domino in a string of opportunities. On the other hand, an impressive success can emphasize to YCS and Delaware North that a passionate clientele exists with needs and desires that must be addressed.

Then, next year, instead of shrinking, mountaineering could expand, and so help the park regain a traditional milieu. Instead of vanishing, the Nordic Holiday could add more fresh elements, such as an uphill snowshoe race -- heck, even the world's first snowshoe dance. Why not? Make it fun, and they will come.
In the Yosemite park of today, it's not important if fresh inspiration shines from the top down, or from the bottom up. It is needful only that it occur.

YOSEMITE WINTER SPORTS

-- The Nordic Holiday Race -- Feb. 23-24 at Badger Pass. On-site registration is 8:30-10 a.m. on Saturday. Cost: $30, for three events and party. Times: Diagonal stride (classic) race, 17K, 10:30 a.m. Saturday; Telemark race, on downhill NASTAR course, 1:30 p.m. Saturday; Skate race, 35K to Glacier Point and back, 10:30 a.m. Sunday; Awards party follows. Information: Dave Bengston, director, (209) 372-8444.

-- Lodging -- In park, (559) 252-4848. Cabins, houses: (888) 438-3522, or 4yosemite.com. Hostel: (209) 966-6666, or www.yosemitebug.com. Park campgrounds: (800) 436-7275, or reservations.nps.gov.

-- Yosemite Cross-Country Ski School -- Options include: Learning package, four hours of lessons, plus equipment, $40; various guided ski options as well as telemark and skating lessons; Glacier Point overnight tours, $150 (midweek) or $180 (weekend), with two-night stays available for $225 and $270. Custom back-country tours. (209) 372-8444, or www.yosemitepark.com/html/activities. html, click on YosemiteParkTours.com, click on Winter Activities, then on cross-country skiing.

-- Guide Books -- "Cross Country Skiing in Yosemite," by Tim Messick, $9.95 from the Yosemite Store, (209) 379-2648.

"Snowshoe Trails of Yosemite," by Michael While, $13.95 from the Yosemite Store, (209) 379-2648.

-- Self-guided Skiing -- Beginners can ski at Crane Flat, the first 5 miles of Glacier Point Road, and (after fresh, low snowfall) at meadows on valley floor and the Wawona Golf Course. Intermediates can ski at Tuolumne and Mariposa Giant Sequoia groves, on all Glacier Point Road, and (after fresh, low snowfall) on Mirror Lake loop and the John Muir Trail out to Vernal Falls Bridge -- both on the valley floor. Experts can obtain a color map to the best trails for $3 from the Cross-Country school at Badger Pass.