Yosemite National Park’s Outdoor Ice Rink Opens for Winter Season
By Kenny Karst ~ DNC Parks & Resorts
The brisk, fall weather in the Sierra Nevada mountain range heralded the annual opening of a Yosemite icon on Nov 27, 2008, Thanksgiving Day for the winter season. The Curry Village ice rink in Yosemite National Park is one of the last remaining outdoor ice skating venues still operating in California.
Celebrating its 80th year of operation, the Curry Village ice rink was first established in 1928 when the Yosemite Winter Club flooded an unused parking lot. Now a permanent fixture, the rink is located in the easternmost section of Yosemite Valley, nestled amongst towering pines and majestic, granite peaks.
"It’s fun to see people’s jaws drop when they look up at the alpine glow on Half Dome during the afternoon skating sessions," said Mike Poisson, manager of the ice rink for DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, the park’s official concessionaire. "That’s just one of the amazing sights of Yosemite Valley you can see when you’re on the ice. Glacier Point, Washington Column, and North Dome surround you while you skate through the crisp, mountain air. It’s awesome." A new fleet of Riedell skates has been purchased for guests to use, including their Soft series figure skates for adults and children, and adult hockey skates for those who prefer an experience on the ice sans a toe pick.
The Curry Village rink boasts all the amenities of a modern skating facility, including a warming hut and cubbies for shoe storage. Between each session, a professional Zamboni machine keeps the ice surface fresh for new skaters. For those not skating, a warm fire pit adjacent to the rink is perfect for socializing, making s’mores (kits sold on premises), sipping hot cocoa, apple cider or coffee, or just reveling in the beauty of Yosemite in winter.
Daily skating sessions are offered from 3:30 to 6 p.m. and 7 to 9:30 p.m. weekdays (subject to weather conditions). On weekends and holidays, the rink is open for an additional morning session from 8:30 to 11 a.m., afternoon sessions from noon to 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 to 6 p.m., and an evening session from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Ice skating in Curry Village is $8.00 per adult, per session, and $6 per child. Skate rental is $3.00 per session. Helmets are available at no additional cost, and private sessions for groups up to 200 in size are available.
For more information on winter activities and lodging in Yosemite, visit the DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite web site at www.YosemitePark.com or call 801-559-4949. For current ice rink conditions, call 209-372-8319. For road and weather conditions, call the automated National Park Service information line at 209-372-0200.
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