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EXCURSION<br />
MOUNT RAINIER<br />
NATIONAL PARK • WASHINGTON<br />
Mount Rainier National Park has all the snow you could<br />
ask for in a winter landscape. The area known as Paradise<br />
receives an average of 54 feet of snow every year and held<br />
the world record for annual snowfall at 93.5 feet in the 1970s.<br />
In winter, Mount Rainier also has all the recreation you could<br />
ask for: sledding, sliding, skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing,<br />
climbing and camping. Despite lingering budget cuts, they will<br />
actually be open seven days a week this season, which is good<br />
news for snow lovers. Earlier this year, wilderness volunteer<br />
vacationers worked to restore the beloved Mount Rainer park.<br />
BRYCE CANYON<br />
NATIONAL PARK • UTAH<br />
While it may be hard to imagine, Bryce Canyon’s earthly spires are even more spectacular when icy.<br />
Bryce Canyon National Park also has ideal stargazing skies, and the cold, dry air makes them all the<br />
more amazing. Saturday astronomy programs and full moon snowshoe adventures are just a couple<br />
of the several incredible programs offered here during the winter season. The annual <strong>Winter</strong> Festival<br />
is held on President’s Day weekend. There are many dangers here in this season, however, so if you<br />
do visit, be sure to follow park regulations and get up-to-date weather information at the visitors<br />
center before venturing out. Boots are mandatory and traction devices are highly recommended for<br />
trail hikers, and backcountry permits are issued to only the most prepared and experienced.<br />
YOSEMITE<br />
NATIONAL PARK • CALIFORNIA<br />
Classic places like Yosemite National Park never fail to amaze, even after last year’s wildfire. In winter, snowy peaks, foggy slopes, icy waterfalls and frozen streams beacon<br />
to visitors who will find beauty as well as fun. Some roads close in winter, but those that access Wawona and Yosemite Valley are cleared. That’s where visitors can ice<br />
skate in the outdoor rink, which a controversial plan proposes to close. The Glacier Point/Badger Pass Road is also plowed so that skiers and snowboarders can reach the<br />
popular Badger Pass ski area. Trails are open for snowshoers, and the Merced River has year-round fishing. With so many gifts offered by this breathtaking landscape,<br />
you might consider giving back this year through adoption.
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