Alex's Story

A Remembrance of Skis Past
by Alex Drobshoff

It was the late seventies as a young Yosemite climber that I first had heard of Ostrander Lake through obscure stories in Camp 4 of an airplane filled with contraband crashing into a backcountry lake. The story went on to tell of climbers making a pilgrimage to the downed plane and returning with backpacks full of enough saleable merchandise to live on for a year. As is true with most tails in Camp 4 the lore was stronger than the truth but I would go on to ski into the Ostrander hut later in life and return for many years to come. The first years were Spartan however. Getting to know the route, increasing skiing ability and better equipment helped to increase confidence. I got to know Howard a bit and learned to operate the white gas lanterns, split wood and operate the wood-burning stove. One year the weather was fine and the snow very lean so Howard broke out the ice skates and treated us to an experience I will never forget, ice skating in the Yosemite backcountry.

I worked at a young laser company and hoodwinked many of my coworkers into joining me on this trek to the hut by the lake. The tours that could be done if you woke up nearly 10 miles into the back country really opened up some possibilities. We had put together a regular group whose core had very strong winter traveling skills. Reservations made and off we go for another trip to the hut. We checked in at the ranger station and there was an old Hang Gliding buddy of mine, Rich, who was the ranger who would launch us off of Glacier Point in summer, working as a ranger on skis in winter. After the ranger station check-in and final head count our trip was under way: starting in the Badger Pass parking lot we packed up and hit the trail early.

The weather was the worst of all possible conditions with the temperature between rain and snow with a bit of sleet thrown in for good measure. I kept telling myself that as we climb it will turn to snow and we will be fine. My fancy Gortex was virtually worthless in these torrential conditions and I was dreaming of a coated nylon paddling jacket or even a plastic garbage bag, which is now standard fare in my ski pack. We all regrouped where the Horizon Ridge trail leaves the road and we discussed everyone’s condition and I thought here is where we climb in altitude and the conditions will dry out. Everyone was as wet and cold as I was, so feeling responsible for the groups welfare I took sweep. It blew and rained with the temperature continuing to hover in that miserable range around freezing. The last person in our party of 12 kept stopping to rest or mess with gear and I just wanted to blast into the hut but we were traveling as a team and, as the trip organizer, I had a responsibility to see that we all made it in. This was closer to the limit of my energy reserves than I liked to come and we were all soaked to the bone. Everyone was getting pretty tired and wet as the weather developed into a very bad storm with limited visibility and a strong risk of hypothermia. What starts as something familiar in the Badger Pass parking lot can really turn into an adventure and when it does you had better be ready.

There are few other feelings in life that rival a hard ski into Ostrander when the trail finally turns down hill and you know that just a little farther and you will be at the hut. Our team was strong and we all made it in to the welcoming environment of the hut with a roaring fire next to a soft dry bunk. I made it into the hut every year with the exception of one (when the hut was closed) from 1983 through 1994.