40 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: YOSEMITE MARIPOSA COUNTY {due west} The setting sun stains the clifftops surrounding Yosemite Falls with a terracotta glow as the moon hangs in the sky. After gazing to our heart’s content, my husband and I amble back through the meadow, pausing to take a family portrait for a pair of doting grandparents posing with mom, dad and new baby. On this January evening, they’re the only other people sharing the path with us. You’ve probably heard the cautionary tales about Yosemite Valley in the summer—traffic jams, overflowing parking lots, shuttles filled to capacity—but in wintertime, California’s favorite national park returns to its idealized state: a peaceful getaway rather than an open-air mosh pit. The mountain air is just as invigorating in the off-season, dramatic landscapes and towering trees just as inspiring as they are when the weather’s warm. My husband and I decided to recreate the trip we took back when our daughter was a Goldfish cracker-guzzling preschooler who dreamed of playing in snow. Convinced that our crumb-covered backseat would lure hungry bears, we parked at the Amtrak train station near Oakland’s Jack London Square and rode the rails to Merced, where we transferred to a waiting Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) bus. Without the stress of driving, we could relax as the road skirted the banks of the Merced River and followed its tumbling course up into the mountains. Now, with our daughter away at college, the two of us got to spend all day exploring without having to schedule our activities around naptime. Even though our backseat is a whole lot cleaner these days, we still opted for a car-free adventure. Our YARTS bus driver, an outgoing New Englander, cheerfully pointed out the highlights as we rumbled toward the park: Bridal Veil Falls, Dog Rock, the Three Brothers, El Capitán (CAPPY-tan, if you’re from Boston) and Yosemite Falls. We hopped off the bus at the Yosemite Valley Lodge and got settled into our second-floor room before strolling over to Lower Yosemite Falls before dinner. As we soaked in the scenery, the roaring water provided a soothing soundtrack while clouds grew rosy and the sun sank behind the cliffs. It was the perfect start to a relaxing three-day winter weekend in one of California’s most beautiful places. ABOVE: The historic Ahwahnee Hotel at Yosemite National Park is frosted with snow in winter.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==