Yosemite in February

[Castlerock]

I will be in Santa Clara for business at the end of February. A co-worker and I plan to leave Santa Clara on Friday evening and get close to Yosemite before stopping at a hotel. We will have all day on Saturday and will need to leave Yosemite by 3:00 or so on Sunday to be back in San Francisco for a red-eye home.

Any suggestions for things to do/see in 2 days in Feb? I like to hike but will not be looking for any overnight nor anything too icy.

Any suggestions for a hike in Yosemite Valley?

I am considering Mariposa Grove. It sounds like the road will be closed so we will have to hike in. Is it worth it? Should I be spending our limited time somewhere else? I have seen big trees in Alaska but never a giant Sequoia.

[cartman]

The valley itself is not that big, only about 8 miles by 1 mile, but anywhere you go you will encounter stunning views. There are a network of trails all along the Merced River in the valley, you can't go wrong with any of them.

The Mariposa Grove is pretty stunning, the trees are immense. There are some with branches that are six feet across! It will be a decent hike in from where you'd likely have to park (1.5-2 miles).

The weather will be iffy in February, sometimes 120 will be closed due to snow fall, so you'd have to go down south to 140 or even further south to 41 to make it into the park.

[Scoobz0202]

I haven't looked for a couple weeks, but I was reading trip reports of people hiking up high and there being absolutely no snow. That can easily change real quick, but this year may be a pretty damn great february to go to avoid ice, snow, etc. Like I said, though, for all I know that has completely changed in the past couple of weeks.

[Glengoyne]

My absolute favorite spot in Yosemite is Glacier Point. You get to look out over the valley, and it is stunning. There are a couple of hikes you can do from the road up to glacier point one is Sentinel Dome. It is short about one mile. The other takes you along a cliff side, that I have never done...being afraid of such heights. I would doubly avoid that if there is a chance of ice.

Down on the floor, you can hike to Nevada falls in the spring and summer. I don't know what it would be like in the winter. Since the rocks/steps are slippery with water and moss in the spring, I'd imagine that they'd be icy in the winter. I guess that if the flow is very diminished, there might not be ice. It might be worth grabbing a book on hiking in Yosemite, especially if you can confirm ahead of time there are seasonal tips.

It is a beautiful place, and one that I completely take for granted as it is just barely two hours away. I should go more often.

[cartman]

Glacier Point is amazing, but unfortunately access to it from the valley floor is usually closed in the winter. The only other way in is via cross-country skiing or snowshoes from Badger Pass ski area as the road to it is closed in the winter as well.

[Blackadar]

No idea about Yosemite in February, but I'll see it in July. Can't wait!