Re: Tioga Road

April 23, 2019

Tioga Road assessments and plowing began last week. The focus was on clearing downed trees and debris. The crew drove a snowcat to South Fork Bridge (eight miles from Tuolumne Grove, near Crane Flat) and found snow depths of five to seven feet, with deeper snow expected further up the road. Snowpack in the Tuolumne River basin was at 176% of average this year as of April 1.

May 2, 2019

Plows have reached Siesta Lake (just west of White Wolf).

Snowpack in the Tuolumne River basin was at 176% of average this year as of April 1. There is no estimated date for opening.

(From Yosemite National Park Twitter account)

Road crews are working on Tioga Road about one mile west of White Wolf in about eight feet of snow. That's too deep for the rotary plows, so a dozer goes out ahead to remove some snow so the rotary plows can get to work.

Link to tweet which includes video of snow removal on Tioga Road.

It's gonna be around awhile...

I thought this one was pretty neat. Shows the cat trax from Olmsted. Then 5 booms on each spot.



Sunrise TH..



Tenaya outlet crossable currently. With a slide into the water and climb out …

Crazy amount of snow everywhere.

---

May 7, 2019

Plows are plowing in 4 feet of snow in the Yosemite Creek area.

May 13, 2019

Crews are plowing at May Lake junction. Mono County crews will begin plowing from Tioga Pass on Wednesday.

With a winter storm warning in effect from Wednesday night thru Thursday night, and snow accumulation expected on the Tioga Road, Glacier Point Road, and even possible at Crane Flat and Chinquapin, I wonder how significantly that will set back the Tioga Road snow clearance efforts by NPS and Mono County.

May 21, 2019

Crews have plowed through the Olmsted Point avalanche zone and are working in the Tenaya Lake area. Crews will continue to monitor the avalanche zones as weather warms. Mono County crews have plowed one mile west from Tioga Pass.

Snowpack in the Tuolumne River basin was at 149% of average this year as of May 1. There is no estimated date for opening.

Some additional info from Yosemite NPS on Facebook:

Despite a foot of new snow higher up and enough snow on other roads to divert plows from Tioga Road, road crews plowed through the Olmsted Point avalanche zone on Saturday and have been working in the Tenaya Lake area. Mono County crews are also working into the park from Tioga Pass.

(While Olmsted Point avalanche zone has been safe in current conditions, warmer weather may make the avalanche zone unsafe again, which could cause delays until the zone is safe again.)



Plow-driver's view of the Tenaya Lake area


Tioga Road Plowing


Three rotary plows and two dozers are working on Tioga Road

Any slight chance anyone think the Tioga Pass will be open June 7th...

Tioga Road
May 30, 2019

With some assistance from Mono County, the length of the road is plowed (at least one lane wide), although there is a high-risk avalanche zone at Olmsted Point. Crews are working on side rouds and utility areas. Much additional work remains prior to opening.

Snowpack in the Tuolumne River basin was at 149% of average this year as of May 1. View a list of previous opening dates. There is no estimated date for opening.

June 12, 2019

Tioga Road will remain closed at least through this weekend (June 15–16); this does not imply it will open just after the weekend—there is no estimated date for opening. Opening work continues, especially near Olmsted Point. The road is closed to all entry, including vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. This closure is being enforced.

Quote
FatFlatlander
June 12, 2019

Tioga Road will remain closed at least through this weekend (June 15–16); this does not imply it will open just after the weekend—there is no estimated date for opening. Opening work continues, especially near Olmsted Point. The road is closed to all entry, including vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. This closure is being enforced.

OPEN OPEN OPEN......
so what your saying is its still closed and we do not know when it will open. So nothing new here.

Quote
FatFlatlander
Tioga Road will remain closed at least through this weekend (June 15–16);

That's helpful. Saw this earlier this week and was thinking of posting it in this group. This is credible information and nps is probably waiting for things to stabilize around Olmsted point. See pic in the link below.
https://diglloyd.com/blog/2019/20190611_1905-Yosemite-Hwy120-road-status.html

WOuld be nice if they opened it for bikes for a day or 2 before allowing cars

Wrote to my boss Tuolumne...said opening 2 - 3 weeks still...sigh.

From a friend in the know Aramark - "Yeah nobody is telling us anything.... Not management, but someone just said maybe the 26... ???"

Tioga pass road update, 6/17/19

Road crews are patching potholes, cleaning ditches and road side debris and forestry is wrapping up immediate hazard tree work that needs to be done. The Avalanche Team performed one final blast on Olmsted to primarily charcoal the upper section.
Yesterday we were able to work each end of Olmsted to narrow this area down to about 100 yards wide and you can now see each vehicle pass through the zone from each end. The west bound lane is still acting as the toe of the snow remaining on the slope so we are not able to remove at this time. The area is finally beginning to melt out but it needs to reduce in volume/depth before we can change to just a no stopping zone. We are hoping that by early next week we will see dramatic difference in snow levels with the water running off the slope.
Though it has been reduced in size it is still unstable due to the heat and water running under the snowpack and could result in a wet slab release that will impact the road.
Tony with Mono County will be coming up tomorrow afternoon and Bob Brantley will be showing him Olmsted and what efforts we have been doing to reduce snow in this area.
B&G and Utilities has been working daily this week in TM and sounds like they are making good progress.
We are hoping next week is the big push of melt and we can get the avalanche areas safe to get full opening crews up there to push facilities open. I also have a draft of a vehicle access-shuttle plan in the Supt office in case we can get the road safe but the snow is preventing us from stationing our emergency services people or getting water or services turned on…we could try to use this to at least let cars through on a limited hours basis if possible.
I would guess we are still looking at melting out all next week but the warmer temps are improving things.
—
Michael Reynolds
Superintendent
Yosemite National Park



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/18/2019 09:07AM by markskor.

Tioga Road to open 6/21/19

Yosemite National Park announces there will be limited access to Tioga Road (Highway 120 East) for visitors interested in crossing the Sierra. Tioga Road will be open to all vehicles, including bicycles, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am and from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. No parking will be allowed on Tioga Road and day use recreation is not permitted. There is no visitor parking available at either end of the road closure.

There are no visitor services available along Tioga Road. The Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center, Wilderness Center, and the Tuolumne Meadows Campground remain closed. Opening dates for the 2019 season have not been determined. Restroom facilities will be available 5 miles east of Crane Flat Junction and at Tioga Pass.

Visitors are encouraged to plan their trips over Tioga Road in advance and to prepare for the restricted access and no access to visitor services. The road will remain closed outside of these times to allow for continued roadwork and snow clearing.

Quote
markskor
Tioga Road to open 6/21/19
from 10:00 am to 11:00 am and from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. No parking will be allowed on Tioga Road and day use recreation is not permitted.

Hmmm...I don't remember the exact distance from the Tioga Pass entrance to Crane Flat but IIRC it's about 46 miles and the speed limit ranges between 25 & 45 MPH so, doing the speed limit, that's about 1:15 to get end-to-end. So if it's only open for an hour, closed for 4 hours and then open for another hour and you're not allowed to stop...sounds like somebody didn't think this through!

Exactly what I thought about not being able to drive through there in the time it is to be open. I think that they have a typo in their release.

Usually, after the entrance gates close, the exit gates remain open until the sweep vehicle arrives.

So how does it work, they open the gate for an hour and then wait for everyone to clear through?

Ugh...I'd rather have them keep it closed and have a bicycles only day!

FAQs for Restricted Tioga Road Access
Tioga Road, Yosemite National Park Announces Limited Access Beginning on Friday, June 21, 2019
Q: What if I don’t make it across the corridor during the travel windows?
A: Law Enforcement cars will be sweeping the road at the end of each travel window and locking the gates behind the last car. Any violators will be ticketed.

Q: Do I have to be at the gate in line at 10:00 and/or 3:00 sharp to get through?
A: You will be able to enter the road corridor for pass through travel between 10:00am and 11:00am and 3:00 and 4:00pm, from 5 miles east of Crane Flat and at Tioga Pass. There will be no stopping and no parking allowed anywhere. This includes turnouts, parking lots, side roads and trailheads.

Q: How early should I get in line to be ready to get through the gate?
A: There is no need to line up before the opening times of 10:00am and 3:00pm. There will be administrative traffic with trucks and equipment in the opposite lane. Please do not line up early, or obstruct traffic.

Q: Where and when do I line up for the thru-traffic driving access?
A: On the west side (inside the park), you will wait at Walker Party Gate which is 1 mile from
Tamarack Flat turn off. From the East Side, you will wait at the park entrance at Tioga Pass

Q: Can I day hike on the road corridor?
A: No. This limited access is exclusively for thru traffic from 10-11am and 3 -4pm and dropping off of backpackers. There are no services along Tioga Rd and minimal staff

Q: What services are available right now?
A: There are no services available along Tioga Road during this limited access period.

Q: Will the YARTS and Hiker’s Bus be running?
A: No. The YARTS bus will not start running until the Tioga Road is open without restrictions and the Hiker’s Bus will not begin running until the Tuolumne Lodge is open for the season.

Q: Can I drive my vehicle and park at the trailhead if I have a wilderness permit?
A: No. There is no overnight parking allowed on the Tioga Road between Walker Party Gate andTioga Pass including turnouts, parking lots and side roads.

Q: Can I park at either end of the closure and hitchhike to my trailhead from there?
A: Due to needed staging areas for this thru access period, there is no parking available at either end of the closure. Plan to park in trailhead and wilderness lots along Big Oak Flat Rd, Yosemite Valley and Wawona. It is highly recommended that drop off and pick up logistics be planned before arriving in the park.

Q: With the Tuolumne Wilderness Center closed how do I pick up my wilderness permit if
I am coming from the Eastside?
A: Wilderness permit reservation holders were directed to pick up their permits and bear canisters from Big Oak Flat, Yosemite Valley or Wawona. If this is absolutely not an option, they can rent a bear canister from The Mono Basin Visitor Center and there are a very limited number of self-registration permits available at Tioga Pass when staff is present.

Q: What happens if I finish my backpacking trip after the last limited access vehicle run for the day?
A: You can either spend the night in the Wilderness, camping at least 4 miles from Tuolumne Meadows or choose to hike out of the Tioga Rd corridor.

Q: Can I hike up to Tioga Road from the Valley (or elsewhere) and catch a ride down?
A: While you are free to hike where you choose, coordinating a ride will be essential before you start your trip. Tioga Road remains essentially closed except for two windows each day.

Q: What are the trail conditions for backpacking off the Tioga Road?
A: Conditions are challenging. Over 90% snow cover remains above 8500 feet. Any trip of off Tioga road requires strong navigation skills, expectation of snow travel and high creek crossings.

Email from Yosemite - "I am very excited to report that we gained administrative access to Tuolumne as of yesterday. As of today, maintenance began the process of setting up Tuolumne Lodge, Store, and Grill. For any of you working at Tuolumne Grill or Tuolumne Store, I anticipate your start date to be Monday 7/8. The store is slated to open July 12th...the Lodge (and hiker bus) soon after."
Stop in and say hi!
mark.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/2019 10:19AM by markskor.

Does this mean that the Tuolumne Meadows campground probably won’t open until July 8th or 12th? I’ve got a TM Wilderness Permit for the end of June and am trying to figure out the logistics.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/2019 12:32PM by Gary A.

my limited experience w campground opening (last 5 years or so) is that it opens a week or so after the lodge.

Still yet to be determined as to when the campgrounds will officially open... opening date?
All depends on when they get the water turned on...water and sewage logistics are the major problem. No toilets and no potable water = no camping. If campgrounds were open without these, well, campers will "go" anywhere...Argh!
If I had to guess...maybe late June but probably first week of July.

In 2017 Tuolumne opened August 1

Drove over the Tioga Pass yesterday, about 10 30 am and returned at 3pm ... Wow, absolutely beautiful...WO NELLI DELI fish tacos, YUM YUM YUM,
Saw, deer, marmot, bald eagle, osprey, and a few other critters. Nice day drive.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/2019 01:21PM by MY HAPPY PLACE.

Our family will be traveling out to Yosemite next week and I look forward to showing off some of my favorite spots. Any word on when Tioga Pass road will be open for longer than the 2 short windows to drive through? Even if we can’t hike would love to park at some spots on the road.

There has been nothing in the Daily Report about changes in the hours that Tioga will be opened. Currently you are not allowed to park along the road.

Is it possible to drive from Crane Flat to say, Olmstead and turn around without stopping, or is turning around also impermissible?

I have friends who will be in the park (for their once-in-a-lifetime trip) Sunday and Monday, and they were planning doing the valley stuff on Monday. I'm going to suggest that they change their schedule b/c I think if you're only going once, you MUST drive along Tioga Road, preferably with stops and some walks...

FYI Tioga pass road will open unrestricted from Monday.
Tioga Road (continuation of Highway 120 through the park) will open to unrestricted vehicular traffic on Monday, July 1, at 8:00 am!

Quote
nwhkr
FYI Tioga pass road will open unrestricted from Monday.
Tioga Road (continuation of Highway 120 through the park) will open to unrestricted vehicular traffic on Monday, July 1, at 8:00 am!

That's great news; but unfortunately not open for this weekend. Doh!

Tioga Pass Road to open fully, unrestricted, at 8am Monday July 1