Re: Road and Campground Closures Due to Fire

Big Oak Flat Rd between Crane Flat & the El Portal Rd is temporarily closed. There is no access to Yosemite Valley via the Big Oak Flat Rd or Hwy 120. Tioga Road is open and accessible via Big Oak Flat & Tioga Pass Entrances. Crane Flat Campground is closed.

Not again...... Who started it this time?

From the Park's Facebook page:

The El Portal fire started yesterday afternoon in the Old El Portal area of the park's administrative site. The fire grew rapidly and is currently estimated to be 2100 acres. Multiple structures are threatened with one structure reported as lost.

The areas of Old El Portal, Foresta, and the Crane Flat Campground have been evacuated. Big Oak Flat Road (Highway 120) is currently closed from the El Portal Road (Highway 140) junction to the junction with Tioga Road at Crane Flat. Bridalveil Creek Campground is also being closed to support the fire operations.

Tioga Road is currently open and accessible only from Highway 120 in Groveland and Lee Vining. Yosemite Valley is open and accessible from Highways 140 (Mariposa) and Highway 41 (Oakhurst).

A Type 1 Fire Management Team is scheduled to arrive at 1300 and will take over management of operations at 1600. There are many firefighters on the ground and more on the way. In addition to ground crews a DC 10, 8 tankers, and 6 helicopters are being used to fight the fire.

Our thoughts are with those fighting the fire and those affected by it.

And, for anyone who's not aware of it, fire updates (on both this and other fires in the Park) are posted here. The first update on the El Portal fire is here.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2014 07:33PM by DavidK42.

It's already in the outskirts of Foresta.

It looks to me that it's heading towards the Big Meadow Fire area. That should slow it down a bit. Not good news for the Foresta residents though.

First time park visitor... Planning to drive from SF tuesday morning (only planning to be there tues/wed). Was hoping to get a few insights. Since hwy 120 is closed, how packed will hwy 140 be (if the park is still accessible through hwy 140)? Planning to mostly just sightsee the popular spots. Saw a pic on twitter (nps webcam?) of the half dome view being somewhat obstructed by smoke... Should I still even try to visit?

Thanks in advance

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Ririn1013

First time park visitor... Planning to drive from SF tuesday morning (only planning to be there tues/wed). Was hoping to get a few insights. Since hwy 120 is closed, how packed will hwy 140 be (if the park is still accessible through hwy 140)? Planning to mostly just sightsee the popular spots. Saw a pic on twitter (nps webcam?) of the half dome view being somewhat obstructed by smoke... Should I still even try to visit?

Thanks in advance

If Hwy 140 remains open, it should be manageable (the traffic) since it's a weekday. (Weekend days have a lot more day-trip into Yosemite from the Central Valley and foothill communities.)

Don't sweat it and just go with the flow. Hwy 140 won't be that packed though the wait at the entrance station might be little bit longer than normal.


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I might be inclined to postpone your visit. Look at the webcams; http://www.yosemiteconservancy.org/webcams/el-capitan#.U9ZPEEDFrkc The smoke in the Valley is really thick. If anyone has any kind of breathing problems, they should stay away until the fire is out.

You could also come up 140, after eating lunch in Mariposa, go south on 49 then east on 41. That would take you to the South Entrance and a few minutes away from the Mariposa Grove. Then head up to Glacier Point, above the smoke, and see some spectacular views of Half Dome, the High Sierra, and the fire.

Huge. Smoke thru the entire park pretty much. Could see the plume Saturday night from Kendrick.
And on way out yesterday....



I'd scrap the trip.

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People with breathing issues should check out this web page before coming up.

http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/aqmonitoring.htm

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chick-on

Hetch Hetchy looks surprisingly full

Hi with work had to cancel two backpacks planned this spring but finally making it up to Tuolomne this weekend. So good to enter via 120 from the Bay Area? any thoughts on smoke as I will be up near Cathedral? thanks!

Ted

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Tedbay
So good to enter via 120 from the Bay Area?

Currently that is the case.

We saw this plume (it looked huge--like a thunderhead) from Leopold Lake in the EMigrant WIlderness....and Saturday night our camp was not only smoky, but also had a covering a light ash...

However, but Sunday evening the smoke had cleared...

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Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-Rocks-Paul-Wagner/dp/0984884963

They must be making some progress on it. Saturday I could see the thunderhead looking plume from my home in Calaveras County. Sunday had a lot of smoke. It was gone by Sunday evening and no trace of anything from here today (Monday). The Yosemite cams still look smokey though.

Any word on the "Dark Hole" fire? I had planned to stay at Yosemite creek campground the weekend of the 8th but see that it is currently closed.
Just wondering if workers were making any progress in containing the fire and if so do you think they might open the campground after its out?

Also, I read there's a few other small fires in the park according to the nps website.
Do you think here maybe closures to any of the other sites. May use white wolf as an alternative with fingers crossed it isn't packed from other first come first served sites.

Crane Flat & Bridalveil Creek CG's are also closed. BV is being used as a staging area for the fire crews so I would guess that that will be closed for a while. The most recent incident report shows that the fire is now 5% contained.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2014 08:10AM by DavidK42.

Here's a photo from Leopold Lake in the Emigrant Wilderness on Saturday afternoon. This scene reminded us so much of the Rim Fire last year.



Hope they get this under control soon....

We'll post more photos from the trip later

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Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-Rocks-Paul-Wagner/dp/0984884963