Re: Tioga Road

Rumor has it that Caltrans will be opening Highway 120 all the way to the park entrance at Tioga Pass real soon now. Possibly today.

This is completely off:

SR 120
[IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA]
IS CLOSED FROM CRANE FLAT TO 5 MI WEST OF THE JCT OF US 395 /TIOGA PASS/
(TUOLUMNE,MONO CO) - FOR THE WINTER - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN
ALTERNATE ROUTE

The park entrance is a lot farther than 5 miles west of 395. It's going to be several more weeks.

swede42 wrote:

> This is completely off:

They don't always update that report very quickly. The only way to know for sure is to go look.

I like to go up there when they do that. There's practically no one around so it's incredibly quiet and peaceful.

In past years Caltrans has almost always had the road open from the east all the way to the Tioga Pass entrance well before the plows break through from the west...even when the road report says otherwise.

If it doesn't snow, I'll probably head south on 395 Tuesday and check it out.

We drove from Tahoe to Lee Vining today. The lower gate on Tioga Road was closed and locked so we just hung a left onto the Poole Power Plant road and drove along Lee Vining Creek for aways. Stopped at a small turnout by a huge pine and walked down to the creek. We couldn't stay though because the wind was howling down the canyon, blowing branches out of the trees and such.

Both going and coming back on 395 the wind was brutal to drive in. CHP was stopping large trucks and campers and not allowing them to travel between Bridgeport and Mono Lake.

I'm thinking the Hwy 120 gate might have been closed because of the wind but I couldn't find out for sure.

Louis wrote:

> We drove from Tahoe to Lee Vining today. The lower gate on
> Tioga Road was closed and locked

That answers that question.

> so we just hung a left onto
> the Poole Power Plant road and drove along Lee Vining Creek for
> aways. Stopped at a small turnout by a huge pine and walked
> down to the creek.

I really like that area:





> CHP was stopping large trucks and campers and not allowing
> them to travel between Bridgeport and Mono Lake.

Wish they'd do that more often

> I'm thinking the Hwy 120 gate might have been closed because of
> the wind but I couldn't find out for sure.

They probably still have equipment working up there and don't want the traffic for safety reason.

eeek wrote:

> I really like that area:
>
>
>
>
>

It is really beautiful, I love camping there. A little dangerous, though - there are quite a few fishlines and fishhooks leftover and lying around - watch out if you go barefoot into the creek!

---

Wilderness forever,
Bruce Jensen

So who plowed that? Did Cal Trans trespass into the park? I wonder how far they punched that through to?

losthillsguy wrote:

> So who plowed that? Did Cal Trans trespass into the park? I
> wonder how far they punched that through to?

It was probably done by Caltrans. But if so, they had permission from NPS.

I think Caltrans usually plows all the way to the county line in Toulumne Meadows.

Apparently they have now opened the road from the east all the way to the pass.

***************

SR 120
[IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA]
IS CLOSED FROM CRANE FLAT (TUOLUMNE CO) TO THE TUOLUMNE/MONO CO LINE
/TIOGA PASS/ - FOR THE WINTER - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE

SR 120
[IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA]
IS CLOSED FROM CRANE FLAT (TUOLUMNE CO) TO THE TUOLUMNE/MONO CO LINE /TIOGA PASS/ - FOR THE WINTER - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE

Tioga Road opening operations continued Monday 5/05/08
Tioga Road progress for May 5, 2008:
Ending Location: Just West of Mono Meadow Trail head, approximately 43 miles from Crane Flat Gate
Average Snow Depth: 3 Feet

Mono Meadow? I thought that trailhead was off the Glacier Point Road.

No, you can get to Mono Meadow from 120. One might not like to route though.

---

Old Dude

Maybe they meant the Mono Pass trailhead. If so, then they've plowed past Tuolumne already.

I'm not really sure about all the towns, gates and locations mentioned above. It is very difficult to find on internet maps as well because I don't know where to look basically. Will it be possible to enter the park from the Lee Vining side any time soon and drive all the way via the pass (120) to the exit at El Portal (140)? Could anyone publicate a map of some sort with the plowed areas marked on it? Much obliged, the Dutch guy....

quizmaster wrote:

> Will it
> be possible to enter the park from the Lee Vining side any time
> soon and drive all the way via the pass (120) to the exit at El
> Portal (140)?

The current projections are early June. I suspect it'll be sooner.

Thx 4 the swift reply, I'll keep an eye on the NPS websites and ofcourse this forum

Exit at Fishcamp direction Fresno possible instead of El Portal?

Tioga Road opening operations continued Tuesday 5/06/08
Tioga Road progress for May 6, 2008:
Ending Location: West end of Dana Meadow Avalanche Zone. Approximately 45 miles from Crane Flat Gate .
Average Snow Depth: 5 Feet

That's two miles in a day. Things do get a little slower in avalanche zones.

---

Old Dude

In the 11:55 AM update of the web cam I could see some large equipment very close to the gate house so I guess they have made it all the way now.

Little bit of cleanup to do to widen the swath...I'll bet Tioga Road opens same day cables go up. Such teamwork!

From the Thursday Daily Report...

Tioga Road opening operations continued Wednesday, 5/07/08
Tioga Road progress for May7, 2008:
Ending Location: Tioga Pass Entrance Station. Approximately 46 miles from Crane Flat Gate.
Average Snow Depth: 6 Feet
8 '- 9' in the parking lot at the pass.
Snow removal operations continue including widening, utility roads and spur roads.
Four avalanche zones remain.

So they're about all the way through now?

It sounds like it's plowed all the way through, but are still clearing avalanche zones and such, so that the road is not yet open to traffic. If you drive up from the Lee Vining side, you can park a couple hundred meters from the gate and walk into the park. For me, this is the best time of year to visit - absolutely dead quiet and beautiful. Sonora Pass is open, so you can get around the park to the north to get back & forth between the east and west sides that way.

swede42 wrote:

For me, this is the best time of year to visit -

I understand the peace and quiet is the perfect surrounding to soak up all of Yosemite. Unfortuntelly I live in The Netherlands and due to work related restrictions I am only able to visit Yosemite in my holiday period. I am flying to L.A. on the 23rd, then take a tour of Big Sur and SF before heading towards Yosemite and Kings (end of may). I have to head on as well direction Nevada, Arizona... So there is a specific time frame I am working with. I'd love to live near the park to enjoy all seasons as well as the peaceful times, all those who can should count themselves lucky!!

Thanks for the additional info anyway, I will keep track of the infrastructure and avalanche zone repairs! Greetz from Holland.

Yea! They finally moved that Dozer out of the Tioga Pass Web cam area. That thing Sat there idle for 6 days. I was about ready to go volunteer to push some snow off the road.

the "rumors" and speculation on this subject cracks me up . the park service is always open about reporting plowing progress on thier own website .

Lucrativ wrote:

> the "rumors" and speculation on this subject cracks me up . the
> park service is always open about reporting plowing progress on
> thier own website .

They aren't always all that open about the opening date. I've seen them say it'll be a while and two days later announce a date that's a couple of days away.