IN OUR HIGHLY SCHEDULED WORLD, a place where tick-tock reigns, and gotta-do-gotta-do dominates, and appointments are kept and meetings are met, it can be funny to remember that the weather sometimes, and by "sometimes" we mean "often," has a final say. That goes very much for the openings of our wintertime play places, which depend, in part, on techniques humans have invented, but also what the clouds and temperatures and moisture levels can deliver. A few skis spots have delayed their mid-December openings, including in Yosemite and at June Mountain, but another place that waited to open is less about poles and schussing and more about the pirouettes and skates. It's the Ice Rink at Half Dome Village, a must-do for ice skate fans calling upon Yosemite National Park during its brrr-ier months. Alas, that must-do had to pull a must-wait, for it pre-Thanksgiving opening was scuttled. But it shall be scuttled no more, for the popular rink opened for the season on...
SATURDAY, DEC. 16: Did your great-grandpa skate here back in the late '20s? Did your parents meet beneath the grandeur of Half Dome, all while taking a few spins? Fold a visit into your own family plans this holiday season, or beyond (yes, the months of January, February, and even early March have a way of delivering real cold-a-tude to the national park). Note that the rink keeps shorter hours on weekdays, mainly in the afternoons, and that skate rentals are an additional four bucks (entry to skate is $10 for adults and seniors, $9.50 for kids ages 12 and under). Hurrah, hurrah, one of California's most storied and historic rinks finally is open and ahead of the traditional holiday fortnight, too. Enjoy, ice skaters, and all lovers of the Big Y.
