Re: Travelling mid of June from Mammoth Lakes to Rush Creek Lodge

Hello
We are travelling mid of June from Mammoth Lakes to Rush Creek Lodge to stay there. I have no ideas which road to take and how long the journey takes if Tioga is closed..
Could anybody help?
After Rush Creek, we would continue to San Francisco.. same here, which roads/how long from Rush Creek if Tioga closed..?

You don't say where you are coming from, so that doesn't help.

Tioga Road will almost certainly be closed in mid-June. It's possible that Sonora Pass could be open by then, it's the next pass North of Yosemite. Echo Summit and Donner Pass (Highways 50 and 80 respectively) are open now and will be open then.

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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 said Mammoth Lakes

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If Tioga is not open...and probably won't be mid June...bad luck for you.
Your once scenic alpine "2 - 3 hour drive", over 120, through the Sierra, will now be a 7+ hour odyssey going around.
There just aren't that many roads through - Ain't the Sierra grand!
Go South to Bakersfield - up 99 -
Or North - Sonora Pass.
Might wan't to skip to plan B...cancel Rush Creek Lodge res and stay east side - maybe somewhere Tahoe-ish, before SF?

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markskor
If Tioga is not open...and probably won't be mid June...bad luck for you.

Article yesterday in the Los Angeles Times states "This year, the still-snowed-under Tioga Pass may not open till almost July 4." :

Tioga Pass Plowing

Thanks for that.. unfortunately to cancel the reservation is already too late..
So if i would make the way to Rush Creek Lodge, how long/how to drive to SF? Wouldn't that still be on the tioga road?

Short answer is : about 3 1/2 hours, No

Long answer is:

State Route 120 is called Tioga Road from Crane Flat east to 395
So, no, you don't take Tioga Road.

Wonder if this works:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Rush+Creek+Lodge+at+Yosemite,+California+120,+Groveland,+CA/San+Francisco,+CA/@37.8571008,-121.7121162,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x8096dc0812ab59cb:0x584ff9f1f59784ef!2m2!1d-119.8800771!2d37.8135094!1m5!1m1!1s0x80859a6d00690021:0x4a501367f076adff!2m2!1d-122.4194155!2d37.7749295

Or (not so simply)
120 -> 99 -> 205 -> 580 -> Over Bay Bridge to SF


120 and west of Rush Creek is open year road
So once you at Rush Creek heading west is not an issue... and you should have minimal delays
(sans the traffic)

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It's actually faster to head North from Mammoth Lakes on 395, over highway 88 (Carson Pass) and then down 99 to 120 to Rush Creek, than it is to do South to Lake Isabella and Bakersfield. 5 and half hours instead of 7.

And if Sonora Pass is open, that's much faster still.

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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



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/2017 05:33PM by balzaccom.

Thanks for the messages, really appreciate that.
How long would take the journey from Mammoth to Rush Creek via Sonora Pass? And where could I see when Sonora Pass will be open?
And the mentionned route via Carson Pass etc, can I see this on a map somewhere? I fear that I won't find the right roads, as they say that gps won't work properly in the Park.. however, 5.5 hours drive seems ok, or am I wrong?

For road info outside of Yosemite, it's on CalTrans' site: http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi. Just enter the route number. Sonora Pass is on highway 108.

You can also get road info at https://yosemitenews.info/highway-status/.

Quote
PeBe
Thanks for the messages, really appreciate that.
How long would take the journey from Mammoth to Rush Creek via Sonora Pass? And where could I see when Sonora Pass will be open?
And the mentionned route via Carson Pass etc, can I see this on a map somewhere? I fear that I won't find the right roads, as they say that gps won't work properly in the Park.. however, 5.5 hours drive seems ok, or am I wrong?

At least it's not seven hours, which is what the southern route would be. Over Sonora Pass, I think it is close to 4 hours

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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

Sorry, me again.. ;-)
As I have to do my drive (from Mammoth Lakes to Rush Creek) next sunday, it seems still possible that Sonora pass will be open then (hopefully..), so just to be sure, if sonora is open, which directions would i have to take (which roads, etc)? And how long would it be? I just want to be sure that I would take the right roads.. if Sonora is an option.. thanks again!

Quote
PeBe
Sorry, me again.. ;-)
As I have to do my drive (from Mammoth Lakes to Rush Creek) next sunday, it seems still possible that Sonora pass will be open then (hopefully..), so just to be sure, if sonora is open, which directions would i have to take (which roads, etc)? And how long would it be? I just want to be sure that I would take the right roads.. if Sonora is an option.. thanks again!

If Sonora Pass is open, take US-395 north to CA-108. Take CA-108 West to CA-49. Take CA-49 South to CA-120. Take CA-120 East to the Rush Creek Lodge.

The total drive time (without stops) should be about 6 hours.

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Leave No Trace

Thanks for that, but I'm worried now.. someone mentionned here before that via sonora pass, it should be 4 hours.. you talk now about 6 hours..? I thougt via Carson pass it would be that long..

I was being conservative about how fast you might be traveling down the highways. It's 200 miles of mostly windy roads. On U.S. 395 you should be able to average about 60 MPH. But on Highways 108, 49 and 120, it's very likely you might get stuck behind people driving only about 40 to 45 MPHs (and slower around sharp curves).

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Leave No Trace

Highway 108 may not be what you consider as a "highway." A narrow winding road with shorts sections of 19% grade on one side and 26% grade on the other. We got reminded yesterday how sharp and steep the curves are. And Highway 49 is quite winding too.

Oh yeah...Rush Creek Lodge...I was confused because I associate "Rush Creek" with the June Lake area. But we stopped at that new resort when we tried to go to Hetch Hetchy and the Evergreen Road was closed. Just a month ago. Quite a fancy new property.

Google says it's a little more than four hours...

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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

Here Maps says 5 hours and 43 minutes:

https://goo.gl/XS589F

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Leave No Trace



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2017 05:29PM by plawrence.

Thanks for the correction. I had it at 4:25 ...but clearly missed something as i extrapolated while the pass was closed.. I've done a day trip loop over 120 and back through 108...and it didn't seem that long...

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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