Re: Tioga Pass opening this week looking possible?

It's not dependent on the snow anymore but on road repairs. We have a great road crew and they're working as hard as they can.

One thing I didn't realize until I drove Tioga Road in January is how much the asphalt buckles when the ground around it freezes. Tioga Road was a lot bumpier in spots in January than it ever is during the summer. Besides removing deadfall I presume the road crews will be smoothing over any bumps that were created over winter.

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They sure didn't on GP road....

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Glacier Point Road, though, isn't a state highway.

I would think that Caltrans would want Tioga Road, as part of Hwy 120, to meet a higher standard than what would be acceptable on an ordinary park road, even though through Yosemite, Tioga Road is maintained by the Park Service and not Caltrans.

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I kind of thought Caltrans had pretty much no say within the park.

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Not directly, but I'm pretty sure that the Park Service works in conjunction with Caltrans and the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) to ensure that any designated routes of the National Highway System (NHS), which Hwy 120 is a part of, is up to the agreed upon specs.

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What's that old saying? California is just a desert that Cal Trans decorated?

California is just the location of Yosemite.

So, any thoughts on whether this will change the proposed opening dates for various campgrounds along the road? I know it really depends on snow and future weather events, but I'm nearly done with my hectic school semester, and ready to start planning my summer trips.

As mentioned elsewhere, power needs to be restored by Southern California Edison before most of the facilities can be opened along Tioga Road. Obviously, that shouldn't effect some campgrounds like Yosemite Creek, but the Park Service might not want the Tuolumne Meadows Campground open until power is restored to the Tuolumne Meadow Store, Grill and the service station since those facilities help support those staying at the TM Campground.

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I doubt it will take longer than a week to get power back up. The TM campground on the other hand, might take a month to be ready to open.

Very close, the end of the week. Nice guess.