California
Ostrander Hut Tour
About this ski route
Ostrander is a stone hut built in the 1940s beside a frozen lake in Yosemite’s backcountry, ten miles in from Badger Pass and reachable in winter only on skis or snowshoes. It sleeps 25 and is run by a caretaker through the season. The route follows the Glacier Point Road corridor and then the Ostrander Lake trail, gaining about 1,600 feet. It is long rather than steep, and the weather in the Sierra decides how hard the day is.
Badger Pass across Bridalveil Creek to the stone ski hut at Ostrander Lake in Yosemite.
Highlights
What earns the trip
- A 1940s stone hut in Yosemite backcountry, staffed by a caretaker
- Ten miles in with no road access, in a national park most people only see in summer
- Skiing off Horse Ridge above the hut
- Sierra snowpack, which can be enormous
Stops
- 1
Badger Pass
The winter trailhead and the end of plowed road.
- 2
Bridalveil Creek
The junction where the route leaves the road corridor.
- 3
Ostrander Lake
The stone hut, beside the frozen lake.
When to go
Best time to go
Mid-December through March, subject to snowpack.
Planner estimate for the mapped line: 28 min
Before you go
Know before you go
- Hut beds are awarded by lottery in the fall and sell out. You cannot show up without a reservation.
- Ten miles with a pack in variable Sierra snow is a full day. Start early and carry a headlamp.
- A wilderness permit and park entry are required in addition to the hut reservation.
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