Was once told that the entire drainage area for Yosemite Falls is only approx. 56 square miles. With this years meager snowfall amounts, unless some big storms come through in the near future... the high water mark for 2021 has already been passed, weeks earlier. Also explains why the big falls go dry come summer.by markskor - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
As a TM Store employee, this question comes up a lot. The first thing ... help you identify the general area and where best to park. My usual store answer- "Many just leave their car at the store parking lot (highly discouraged) but you can park at the old gas station lot (~100 yards west), or anywhere along 120 as long as long as you are over (that's all 4 wheels!) inside the white linby markskor - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
The Tuolumne Store/ Post Office/ Grill is scheduled to re-open this season. There will be no shuttles, and there may be some store and grill (due to Covid) restrictions but - Plan is to open up all, late May...28th or 29th depending on the usual...road conditions, reconstruction of the tent canvas, water stuff, staffing, etc.by markskor - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Great area to explore..seldom see many visiters there, and great fishing too....my .favorite Yosemite area. Kudos to you for doing it well, and solo.too!!!! However, a pet gripe...(just my high school teacher's past coming through)...your TR becomes hard to read as every sentence starts with/ has the word "I" in it ....sigh! Maybe make it a little more about the trail (third peby markskor - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Wanted to see how things are Tuolumne for myself, so... Took the 8:17 YARTS from Mammoth to TM yesterday...Observations (In no particular order): Great driver - Roger, (and his first grade son - Justin) will handle most of this route this season...Say Hi...blow his mind! Only 4 passengers...still $7 (senior price) one way. (cheaper than I could drive it!) They were putting the canvas roof baby markskor - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Tioga Pass Road to open fully, unrestricted, at 8am Monday July 1by markskor - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
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 Julby markskor - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
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.by markskor - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
FAQs for Restricted Tioga Road Access Tioga Road, Yosemite National Park Announces Limited Access Beginning on Friday, June 21, 2019 Q: What if I donβt 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 tby markskor - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
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 parkingby markskor - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
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 nowby markskor - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
From a friend in the know Aramark - "Yeah nobody is telling us anything.... Not management, but someone just said maybe the 26... ???"by markskor - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Wrote to my boss Tuolumne...said opening 2 - 3 weeks still...sigh.by markskor - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I just wrote to a friend, one of the crew members who actually sets up both White Wolf and the TM store tents, as I too am wondering when anything Tuolumne will open. His response just now - "I've heard a rumor that White Wolf will open this season.. But it probably won't.. And they still won't send us up to TM for another week or two... I'm sure behind the store is still full of snow...by markskor - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Myself, like many above, too many times to count...mostly coming down from a 10+ day fishing adventure. Memorable though, the time my (now ex) wife joined me on my last leg of the Muir...TM to HI. As we were coming off the top Vernal Falls railing section, just before the rainbow area, some basshole decided to slap her on her ass as he passed by. (She did have a nice ass but this was just plaiby markskor - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Sounds like a great itinerary..not too much hiking...plenty of time to enjoy the scenery -.suggestions: Stay Upper Cathedral instead, south - far side... up in the rocks first night. Second night, Lower Sunrise...closest to CR...right side behind big rock...lousy fishing but a great swimmin' hole. Third day...bag Clouds Rest and back to camp at Sunrise Lake.. Day 4 down the Tenaya switchbacksby markskor - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Another daily lottery, and even better, managed by www.recreation.gov. ...sigh... a nebulous Yosemite history. Looking forward to the anticipated interactions with the (always understanding) climbing community. What possibly could go wrong?by markskor - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
From Yosemite - We appreciate your patience with delays and changes to park operations due to the heavy snow this winter. We have two updates to share today: π Repairs to Upper Pines Campground facilities are nearing completion, and the campground is set to reopen this Friday, April 12! π Yosemite's High Sierra Camps will not open this year due to above-average snowpack, lack of acceby markskor - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Date: March 5, 2019 Yosemite National Park announces that the 2019 preseason lottery for Half Dome permits will open at 7:00 am PDT on Wednesday, March 13, 2019. For the latest information on the Half Dome preseason lottery, please visit https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hdpermits.htm. All hikers are required to have permits to ascend the subdome steps and the Half Dome cables seven daysby markskor - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotemtn man Reminds me of when the Park Service dumped Camp Curry and Co. for that East coast company that snuck by the Park Service the patenting of classic names like the Awahnee Hotel.. Not a big fan of Aramark either...Delaware North was much the better steward of Yosemite. However, nobody "snuck" the patenting of the famous park names past anyone. Much like Disney, a patent /by markskor - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Campfires are often impractical: Fires are only allowed in existing fire rings, which are typically buried under several feet of snow, with no way to locate them. Use a portable stove for any cooking. Open fires should be used for emergencies only. https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildwinter.htmby markskor - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Tioga Pass Resort news 11/12/18 Hey everyone. Well...we lied. We promised a summer of regular progress updates and then mostly stayed quiet. Honestly, it's a bit unsettling to see the lodge (especially) gutted out as it is now. It's sort of like watching a loved one undergo surgery. It was a tough summer. A lot got done, but not nearly enough to allow TPR to run in 2019. Instead, the repair/by markskor - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
My source - Working a cash register/ living behind the store all summer - up at the TM store...pretty much the center of the TM action. All the buses are shot...were used up long before Aramark took over. Always eager to squeeze any available dollar out of any possible venue, last year they tried a few band-aid bus fixes and then tried charging $1 per stop...IE, six stops Sunrise TH from TMby markskor - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Much like Frogg Toggs - light and disposable. Respectfully, not a big fan of rain-hiking under these cheapo-type ponchos...too soon makes me clammy. IMHO, just from past experience now, looks like it would work OK as a rain shield around camp - fishing, but if worn w/ a backpack hiking, (BTW, a bit heavy - 9 oz) - for something that will work once (...maybe twice) before failure. Cheap enoughby markskor - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Latest rumor...They will open the road through Tioga this Monday.by markskor - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Rumor has it that the road up Tioga Pass will open this Thursday.by markskor - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Just a quick update... The Tuolumne Store is now tentatively scheduled to open May 25th!by markskor - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Going down, after crossing over the Merced footbridge, just below Echo Valley - (now you are temporarily south of the river) - not much good camping thru the Bunnell Cascade area until down to the next 2 bridges below...(past the 14 switchbacks). Here, some possibilities exist south of the river, just before the first bridge. Once crossed to the north-side of the Merced River again (second bridgby markskor - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Unless another major storm...May 24th.by markskor - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Agreed a great loop. Suggest, if not wanting off-trail and solo - Park car in the orchard lot and stay Valley BP ... early morning 8:00 bus - Curry to Mono Meadows TH - ($25) Stay on Illilouette... maybe 8 miles in - due to bus/ late start. (BTW, after hitting the Illilouette about mile 7 - good campsite there but the next one, 1/2 mile up - better.) Lower Ottoway - good fishing. Amazing dayby markskor - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra