HOW MANY ICICLES... form around Yosemite National Park each winter, from the tiny, pinkie-length formations to the massive pointy wonders that seem to be taller than a giraffe (or at least a person)? Could you count them all, if you tried? Well, that would be a definite "no," as in nope, as in no way, but what a whimsical cold-weather pursuit that might be. Still, the beloved Sierra expanse isn't without its whimsical cold-weather pursuits, and you don't even need to cover the meadows and waterfalls and further-reaching-est corners of various valleys to complete your mission, like you would if you were counting icicles. Rather, you just need to arrive at Half Dome Village ready to twirl and/or leap and/or pirouette and/or glide atop a sheet of ice, the sort of ice that fills a festive seasonal rink. That's right, in addition to being home to approximately 572 marvels, and 983 life-transforming sights, and nine thousand transportive moments, Yosemite Valley has its own...
ICE RINK: And it is due to open again, for its wintry run, on Wednesday, Nov. 22. It'll keep weekday and weekend hours during its run, which makes sense, since Yosemite itself is timeless and calendarless and need not concern itself with days of the week, and there will be some evening skating opportunities in the chilly mix, too. The price? If you're an adult, it is ten bucks to skate and four bucks to rent skates, while children ages 12 and under may skate for $9.50 (and, yep, skate rental remains $4 a person). Impressing any nearby wonders, like Half Dome or Glacier Point with your on-the-rink skills? You know, those ol' granite features don't clap and they don't nod in approval, but then they don't need to, having been around for eons, successfully, and all that. So perform that pirouette for your pals and enjoy an icy excursion in a national park that sees its share of ice.
