Re: Tioga Pass opening date

The earliest opening date of Tioga Pass since 1933 is April 8,1977. Bets on if this year will open earlier and what date?

That all depends on how much snow is at Olmsted. If that slab above the road is clear, it could open early.

These days the plowing is done with many more safety procedures in place so it goes a bit slower.

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Old Dude

I use an incredibly scientific method to precisely determine the opening date.

The method produced an opening date of May 5th.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2012 05:19PM by chick-on.

I've had many years in March when I anxiously thought, "Wow, this has been such a mild winter, Tioga will almost certainly open in mid-May. I can hike Youngs Lake, Clouds Rest and Ten Lakes in May!"

Well... 95% of the time, a snowstorm in April or May wrecked these fantasies. I try not to get my hopes up. And unless we get more snow, drought conditions will surely loom. I read Yosemite is at 26% of their normal snowfall.

i bet a pack of twinkies its open mid may...

May 4th!

My prediction is May 25th.

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hotrod4x5
My prediction is May 25th.

Looks like I am going to lose.

I'd bet on the Friday before Memorial Day. The road may be plowed and dry long before then, but there are downed trees to deal with, hazzard trees, clogged culverts, repairs, and some much needed general maintenance.

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Dave
I'd bet on the Friday before Memorial Day. The road may be plowed and dry long before then, but there are downed trees to deal with, hazzard trees, clogged culverts, repairs, and some much needed general maintenance.

That was my guess too, maybe I will win!

From the non scientific method that I have predicted the opening in the past...I say May 5. (I was leaving chick-on hangin', but I thought I'd chime in, since dbagnall was so close to my date...)

I was going to say May 3rd to be with hikerchick, but also because I thought the process might go something like this:

They start plowing on Monday April 16 per customary.
It takes them a week because there is essentially no snow.
It takes them another week to make sure avalanche zones are safe.
They decide that opening date will be Friday May 4th and give themselves a few working days for everybody to sign off on that decision and publish the date.
Then they actually do a soft opening the day before which is Thursday May 3rd.

However the weather report calls for storms this week so I am going to say that there will actually be a bit of snow for the plows to push around.
So the opening date will be .... Thursday May 10th.

Current forcast models for High Sierra call for 5-7 feet by Sunday. Sound like Spring will have to wait!

Prediction May 24th



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2012 08:00PM by boomtown.

Hmm. What is most important to some of us is not when we can drive to TM, etc, but when we can get up to the Tioga Gate. I have not looked at Shecter's latest reports to see what long term stuff might be developing but, if this week of March 18 is a good predictor, we may have some more precip and snow over the next couple of weeks and, as Katy Anderson mentioned, they'll have to push some more Lee Vining Canyon snow into the canyon. Hopefully, we can get to the gate by May 1 which, I think, is what he fisherfolks like. And we can get out to XC in the whole region.
Surely do miss the good ol' days of Tioga Pass Winter Resort; any rumors about a reopening one of these years?
Onward!

Why did it close?

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qumqats
Why did it close?

It closes every year due to snow.

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hotrod4x5

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qumqats
Why did it close?

It closes every year due to snow.

Not the road, Tioga Pass Winter Resort, it used to be open winters.

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qumqats
Not the road, Tioga Pass Winter Resort, it used to be open winters.

They have a problem with the winter water system. Until (unless) that gets fixed they aren't open in the winter.

A lot of back country skiers found Tioga Pass Winter Resort to be as good as it gets, unless one had the cash and could get to Canada. We have, more or less,kept up with the manage of the Lodge in the summer, but we've not talked with Ron for over a year, and have no idea if the water problem can be solved; the "official" demands are (I'm no expert, so I'm out on a limb with this) really Draconian. There is no way to have an economically viable resort up there in 'winter with the demands being made. Neither the owners or us skiers are happy about this.But the "officials" gave no viable alternative so far as I knowl
As I said, and I speak for many, we surely do miss that good ol' place.
Anyone know the present state of the Lee Vining gate and the road on up to the Pass?
Warren

From what I have read, they normally start plowing mid-April correct? Does anyone have inside info on when the plowing will start this year? With less snow pack I would assume that it will open earlier than usual.

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muirman
From what I have read, they normally start plowing mid-April correct? Does anyone have inside info on when the plowing will start this year? With less snow pack I would assume that it will open earlier than usual.

With two new storms moving in this Tues-Weds, and again on Fri., I think the plowing dates may be pushed back a little, but then again they may start it anyways. Still, opening should be a lot earlier than last year (6/18).

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muirman
From what I have read, they normally start plowing mid-April correct? Does anyone have inside info on when the plowing will start this year? With less snow pack I would assume that it will open earlier than usual.

They may start in mid April on some parts of the road. The opening depends on the avalanche hazzard at Olmstead. The plowing of that stretch will not be completed until that area is safe.

i have no scientific methods. a regular at the place i work at in SF, who lives in Yosemite knows a guy who works the plows and blasts for avalanche prevention, he says dude hasn't done any blasting at all because it's been so light this year..i am hoping it opens mid-may, young's lakes would be yummy

With the recent rain, is there snow build up or just rain water?

Here's a photo I took on April 8th.
The infamous Olmsted Pt. slide area is show along with Tenaya Lake.
I think I'm gonna be right about May 5th.
(and I'm glad I was the first to give that date)


(Isn't science awesome?)

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chick-on

I think I'm gonna be right about May 5th.
(and I'm glad I was the first to give that date)

Nah, you're going to be off about one week. Tioga Road will be opened to vehicle traffic on Thursday, May 10th at 8:00 AM.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/2012 09:28AM by plawrence.

Chick-on, that is an amazing photo you took. Thanks for the information. I hope you are right with your date!

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chick-on
Here's a photo I took on April 8th.
The infamous Olmsted Pt. slide area is show along with Tenaya Lake.
I think I'm gonna be right about May 5th.
(and I'm glad I was the first to give that date)


(Isn't science awesome?)

With it being in the mid-80s in Texas right now, man does that ever look good.

With all the new snow visible on the Sentinel cam I expect that is going to delay the opening just a wee bit!

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hotrod4x5
With all the new snow visible on the Sentinel cam I expect that is going to delay the opening just a wee bit!

Not so sure about that...


5 days later...


Maybe a weeeeeee bit... but not much... it goes fast...

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chick-on

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hotrod4x5
With all the new snow visible on the Sentinel cam I expect that is going to delay the opening just a wee bit!

Not so sure about that...


5 days later...


Maybe a weeeeeee bit... but not much... it goes fast...

I'm formally throwing my hat in the ring by stating April 21.

Yup. That's right, this Saturday.

Little bird told me.

If you are correct about this you are my hero!

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tanngrisnir3
I'm formally throwing my hat in the ring by stating April 21.

Yup. That's right, this Saturday.

Little bird told me.

I didn't even know they started plowing yet. Don't they usually do updates about the plowing on the nps site?

Yes, they have started plowing, they announced that on Facebook. I have found that is the best place to track them, as the website is harder to update than simply posting an update on Facebook. They started a couple days ago. They also said they would have an update shortly to Glacier Point road on the plowing process.

Thanks, muirman. Don't know why I didn't think to check their facebook.

They are pretty good at responding to people's questions, and have had more than a few asking about Glacier Point and Tioga Rd.

I was wondering where the heck the update you were talking about was, and then realized I was on DNC's YosemitePark page and not YosemiteNPS.

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mbear
I didn't even know they started plowing yet.

They certainly have.

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Don't they usually do updates about the plowing on the nps site?

They haven't always been good about doing that.

I hope y'all are right. I'll be making my first trip to Yosemite May 24-26 and I'd like to take Tioga Pass on the way to Vegas. Made the travel plans without doing any reseach on weather/road closings...classic rookie mistake I guess.

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BamaJuggs
I hope y'all are right. I'll be making my first trip to Yosemite May 24-26 and I'd like to take Tioga Pass on the way to Vegas. Made the travel plans without doing any reseach on weather/road closings...classic rookie mistake I guess.

This year I think you'll have a very good chance of the pass being open by then.

Once they start plowing, how long does it usually take to open?

According to the parks webpage for Tioga plowing they start each year "on or about April 15" aka TODAY. How long it will take them to complete the plowing and open the road is what this little guessing game is all about.

La Nina is bringing in warm weather this weekend, in the mid-80's in Reno. I assume it will be warm in the park as well. Because of this I am predicting May 1. My nephew is flying in for a trip down there the first week of May, so this is more wishful thinking than an actual prediction, but it doesn't hurt to be optimistic right. Either way we will be heading down there, I just want him to be able to see upper Yosemite.

Just curious, but was anyone correct in LAST year's guess-a-thon?

I remember being there at 0500 hours on the day it opened and there were so many people, literally camping out there already, that we were the 56th car in.

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tanngrisnir3
Just curious, but was anyone correct in LAST year's guess-a-thon?

I remember being there at 0500 hours on the day it opened and there were so many people, literally camping out there already, that we were the 56th car in.

Someone was correct – after the fact.

(Hindsight is 20/20)
.

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plawrence

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tanngrisnir3
Just curious, but was anyone correct in LAST year's guess-a-thon?

I remember being there at 0500 hours on the day it opened and there were so many people, literally camping out there already, that we were the 56th car in.

Someone was correct – after the fact.

(Hindsight is 20/20)
.

HikerChicky from The 395 was correct / spot on way before the fact

I swear she must have been peeking at my answers though....

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I wasn't referring to her prediction...

I have no idea what you mean. I just wanted to give credit to hikerchick395.

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Tioga Pass will be open April 27, 2012.

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chris554
Tioga Pass will be open April 27, 2012.

Is that your guess?

Yea

The Pass is open to bicycles as of April 28, 2012

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tioga.htm

Jeff...

So after Tioga has opened to cars, how long does it normally take for Porcupine Creek campground to open?

Btw: Hi everybody .. : ]

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Arendi
So after Tioga has opened to cars, how long does it normally take for Porcupine Creek campground to open?

It's usually the last campground to open. The ground has the dry.

And the winners are: hikerchick395 & chick-on who were only two days off. They predicted May 5 instead of May 7.

(Though I think hikerchick would win a tie-breaker since she predicted a May 5th opening first. )


Congratulations to both the Hikerchick and the Chick-on!

.

What do they win?

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yosemitejim
What do they win?

http://www.ske-art.com/skestuff9/B005HGABDI

Of course

Of course Twinkies. I haven't seen the chocolate filled Twinkies. That is an extra special treat.

They win the dubious privilege to be the ones to start this subject (post) again next spring.

Any word yet? I am trying to drive up early this year.