Re: Sonora Pass, around 11 am today

Thanks to that godawfully slow RV for finally pulling off and giving me the opportunity for a perspective shot. (taken from the passenger seat of a lifted Toyota Tundra, if that helps with the perspective at all - the right side snow banks are probably 6 feet tall). Shot taken a couple hundred feet below the pass on the east side. Still is a ton of snow even on that side.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/31/2011 07:04PM by calipidder.

...and that's one of the more snow-free sections!

What amazes me is how clean the snow is. When they use the giant snow blower up in the mountains of So Cal, it blows dirty snow up onto the adjacent snow bank, making it all ugly and black.

I guess it has to do with the road. Ours are covered with pumice after each snowfall and plowing, while those roads are closed once it snows in significant amounts.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/31/2011 07:11PM by hotrod4x5.

That is probably due to the schtuff they put on the road to keep your car on it.
And the schtuff you see on the snow is that schtuff.
* schtuff is the technical term for salt and sand

Tanks for the fotos. Contemplated driving over it last wkend... but decided to not snowshoe on a trip
and wear shoes instead of the stinking boots.

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chick-on
That is probably due to the schtuff they put on the road to keep your car on it.
And the schtuff you see on the snow is that schtuff.
* schtuff is the technical term for salt and sand

Tanks for the fotos. Contemplated driving over it last wkend... but decided to not snowshoe on a trip
and wear shoes instead of the stinking boots.

It's pumice, the schtuff they use around here is.

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hotrod4x5
It's pumice, the schtuff they use around here is.

I am gentle bird. But want to pumice you for editing whilist I writing response to your query.

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Sonora Pass _is_ closed with even small amounts of snow. I've driven it with snow covering it and can understand the reason...it's a real white-knuckle drive, with steep downslopes leading to curves, with cliffs waiting for anyone who breaks traction. Even more fun when those same downslopes have traffic jams caused by people in the opposite direction who can't make it up the grade.

EDIT: I probably misunderstood the "ours" versus "those" references...I definitely don't see Sonora Pass as "Southern" California...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/31/2011 07:21PM by ttilley.

I drove it once in a gnarly sleet storm. Ugh, what a nightmare.

We were at travertine hot springs this morning and the lenny clouds over the mountains had us wondering if it was snowing/storming again up there. Luckily the skies were clear until the descent. Although, with snow banks that high you'd just bounce around like a pinball if you lost traction instead of going over some edge. The giant snow banks do have an advantage...

And the pass proper...



Still a lot of melting to go, folks.....

I remember the days when Tioga Road looked like that when first opened. After the plow operator was killed they became a lot more conservative.

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eeek
I remember the days when Tioga Road looked like that when first opened. After the plow operator was killed they became a lot more conservative.

It was like that in June of 1978...I worked in the valley and drove to the east side to be in line to be first to go over the pass. The snow absolutely dwarfed my little Subaru. The road at Olmsted was only one lane. Quite a surprise since my first trips over were in drought years 1976 and 1977. (The pass was open in April in 1977.)

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calipidder
Thanks to that godawfully slow RV for finally pulling off and giving me the opportunity for a perspective shot. (taken from the passenger seat of a lifted Toyota Tundra, if that helps with the perspective at all - the right side snow banks are probably 6 feet tall). Shot taken a couple hundred feet below the pass on the east side. Still is a ton of snow even on that side.

Is that a UFO right above the cloud line? I think you might have some proof of alien life right there!!!!!!!

It is a smooshed bug on the windshield.

I mean, yup, it sure does look like a UFO. Better contact the authorities.

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calipidder
It is a smooshed bug on the windshield.

I mean, yup, it sure does look like a UFO. Better contact the authorities.

It was flying and you don't know what kind of bug it is. That means it was a UFO.

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calipidder
It is a smooshed bug on the windshield.

I mean, yup, it sure does look like a UFO. Better contact the authorities.

No way that is a bug. You could tell that is a UFO in a banked turn. I am sure the camper noticed it also and that is why he is stopped also. Besides, no bug in his right mind would be flying at that altitude when there is that much snow.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/2011 03:22PM by telfair ave.

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telfair ave
I am sure the camper noticed it also and that is why he is stopped also.

It's more likely that he stopped because he forgot which peddle to push down on.

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eeek

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telfair ave
I am sure the camper noticed it also and that is why he is stopped also.

It's more likely that he stopped because he forgot which peddle to push down on.

So, what you are saying is that you do not believe in my crackpot UOF theory? Wow, you are a hater.

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calipidder
It is a smooshed bug on the windshield.

I mean, yup, it sure does look like a UFO. Better contact the authorities.

And there is an Alien Landing Strip nearby.

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Old Dude

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mrcondron

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calipidder
It is a smooshed bug on the windshield.

I mean, yup, it sure does look like a UFO. Better contact the authorities.

And there is an Alien Landing Strip nearby.

Yeah...the Marine base.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/2011 02:08PM by Louis.

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calipidder
It is a smooshed bug on the windshield.

I mean, yup, it sure does look like a UFO. Better contact the authorities.

There are ways to keep bugs off the windshield: