Hi, I'm going to Yosemite and planning to hike up to the base of half dome on April 15th... I know that Mist Trail is currently closed and that I can use the John Muir Trail, though that defeats the purpose of the mist trail experience. Does anyone know when they usually re-open mist trail or has anyone heard rumors about this season due to the snowfall a few weeks back? Im keeping my fingers crossed the trail re-opens before I go!!!

The part that is closed is the stretch between the gate and the top of Vernal Falls. If you go up the JMT to the next fork, you will drop down and reconnect with the Mist Trail just up the hill from the restroom. Don't have to do the JMT all the way to Nevada Falls, in other words, just to the top of Vernal.

I wasn't aware of this route. With the wet season we have been having, it will probably be delayed like last year.

Good to note. Need to keep note of this too.

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AlmostThere
Don't have to do the JMT all the way to Nevada Falls, in other words, just to the top of Vernal.

In fact the JMT is closed between Clark Point and Nevada Falls.

Around when does it open then?

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kingeorge
Around when does it open then?

Last year it opened in early May.

http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,24845,24845#msg-24845

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eeek

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kingeorge
Around when does it open then?

Last year it opened in early May.

http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,24845,24845#msg-24845

It actually opened sometime b/t April 15-17... but who's counting?

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Thanks. I hope it will be open by next week, if not I have to go this route. Any chance it would be opened by this weekend?

I was informed by a bird that I can ignore the gated signs and keep going. Is this common practice? I don't want to get fined.

Trails are usually closed because of icy condition, ice and snow falling on the trail from above, rocks coming loose due to the freeze-thaw cycle etc. If you are properly equipped with gear and knowledge you might not get killed.

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Old Dude

I like how you stressed the 'might not get killed.' As long as you are equipped and aware of your surroundings, you should be fine.

I like this part of the hike. It is funny because some people actually come very well prepared... either rain coats and if not, trash bags.

Thank you to all of you for the information! I'm taking a few people who have never been to yosemite, so I wanted to make sure we could do the mist trail portion... I love this part of the hike and also come prepared with the garbage bag... Lol. Still hoping it'll be opened by then. Thanks again!

This should make the winter closures along JMT/Mist trails a bit clearer.

Thanks for taking your time to make the map. This may come in handle some day.

Mist Trail will be the least of your worries:
(it was iced over completely on Sunday though) (and I mean BAD)
(we still crazily/stupidly went up it)

Good luck getting up the subdome though w/o some serious skillz (here it is Monday):

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chick-on
Mist Trail will be the least of your worries:
(it was iced over completely on Sunday though) (and I mean BAD)
(we still crazily/stupidly went up it)

I went up it once and wondered why my boots weren't holding as well as I thought they should. Then I put my hand down on a rock and found out why: everything was coated with clear ice. Found the gate closed at the top; not sure why the one at the bottom was open.

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eeek

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chick-on
Mist Trail will be the least of your worries:
(it was iced over completely on Sunday though) (and I mean BAD)
(we still crazily/stupidly went up it)

I went up it once and wondered why my boots weren't holding as well as I thought they should. Then I put my hand down on a rock and found out why: everything was coated with clear ice. Found the gate closed at the top; not sure why the one at the bottom was open.

I doubt it looked like this:

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Compared to Wednesday:

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That may be crazy.... but I just noticed this on Horsetail... look closely and you can see some ropes.
There were snow cones on Horsetail so we stopped and took some pix.

Click here and zoom in... def. some ropes across the fall itself.
https://picasaweb.google.com/yosemite.chick.on/MercedLake#5595494568482386690

Be safe out der,

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chick-on
That may be crazy.... but I just noticed this on Horsetail... look closely and you can see some ropes.
There were snow cones on Horsetail so we stopped and took some pix.

Be safe out der,

Those are vines.

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Old Dude

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mrcondron

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chick-on
That may be crazy.... but I just noticed this on Horsetail... look closely and you can see some ropes.
There were snow cones on Horsetail so we stopped and took some pix.

Be safe out der,

Those are vines.

Where is Tarzan?

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chick-on

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mrcondron

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chick-on
That may be crazy.... but I just noticed this on Horsetail... look closely and you can see some ropes.
There were snow cones on Horsetail so we stopped and took some pix.

Be safe out der,

Those are vines.

Where is Tarzan?

Somewhere in Africa.

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eeek

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chick-on

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mrcondron

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chick-on
That may be crazy.... but I just noticed this on Horsetail... look closely and you can see some ropes.
There were snow cones on Horsetail so we stopped and took some pix.

Be safe out der,

Those are vines.

Where is Tarzan?

Somewhere in Africa.

Forget Tarzan.... where's Jane?

Are those people on that ledge, or snow artifacts?

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AlmostThere
Are those people on that ledge, or snow artifacts?

When I zoomed in and looked yesterday, I was certain they were people but now that you mention the snow artifacts, I'm much less certain which they are.
--David K

I originally thought it could be peeps or a big climber bag.
But I think it's just a snow covered tree. Take a look at this one
taken in November:

orig here to zoom:
https://picasaweb.google.com/yosemite.chick.on/MoreJunk#5596559699756173778

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On a related note... In early Feb. I was irritated to see slacker-liners goofing across
Cascade. Kinda ruined the picts from above. It would have been purty kewl to
get some turkey in action though.
Cascade Falls (Big Oak Flat rd. is upper right) (this is zoomed in some)

Zoomed in as far as I could:

Orig of zoom for you to zoom:
https://picasaweb.google.com/yosemite.chick.on/MoreJunk#5596561118757407410

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chick-on
I doubt it looked like this:

Not at all like that. It wasn't snowy, just clear ice coating the rocks.

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eeek
Not at all like that. It wasn't snowy, just clear ice coating the rocks.

That's not all snowy you looking at. It's a whole lotta ICE.
Snowy is not dangerous (it's quite often sticky). Icey is.

Take a look at pict. #6 here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/yosemite.chick.on/MercedLake

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chick-on
Snowy is not dangerous (it's quite often sticky). Icey is.

Then there's slush. I can say from personal experience, slush is not sticky. Combined with sand, it can be a free-for-all slip-fest.

Yes, slush can be very dangerous and snow always lead to slush.

I I wouldn't want to slip anywhere in these pics. The drop doesn't look too fun.

It is opened!

It was gated last weekend, but I just jumped over the gate. The trails were ok last week already.

Great. It is one of my regular trails.