Yosemite NP - Crane Flat
When we got to Crane Flat, we found it emptier than I expected. I mean, the parking loop was almost full, but given that it was a Saturday, I had expected more people. Maybe it was due to inclement weather, but this just meant a quieter park for me and the girls to enjoy.
This place is the girl’s favorite snow park. Crane Flat is a campground during the summer, but in the winter, is transformed into a wonderful snow park. You can definitely do cross-country skiing starting here, but for me and the girls, it’s a place to enjoy sledding.
We hiked about a quarter mile up the slopes to find a Goldilocks slope that would give the sled just the perfect speed for the girls. After we found it, we played in and around that area for about two hours. Because it was fresh powder and below freezing, the snow was soft and caused the sled to be gentle, which the girls did not mind at all.
After about two hours, we came out of the snow, ate some lunch in the car, then headed back to our campsite for hot chocolate.
What I Learned:
The bed of the truck is the perfect place for me to prepare meals, especially ever since I got my tailgate cutting board.
Hike Review:
Because there were others who had come the days before, and because there wasn’t too much fresh snow, we just followed tracks which were already in the snow. If we were the first, we would have needed snow shoes.
Crane Flat is a great snow park for youngsters. There aren’t any slopes that are very steep, so it would not be fun for older kids.