I was up in Yosemite this weekend and was speaking with someone who lives in El Portal. They said the expected completion date for the project is 2030.by FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Tuolumne Meadows Winter Conditions Report for 21 Feb 2024by FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
This sounds very similar to how they had planned to operate the camps in 2023 before the record snowfall last winter added another year to the High Sierra Camp hiatus. Dug through the Yosemite Hospitality website a bit and found the schedule of guided trips in 2024. It looks like the guided trips to the High Sierra Camps will go clockwise from TM Lodge to Sunrise to May Lake to Glen Aulin andby FatFlatlander - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Took my son's scout troop on a two night trek to Young Lakes and Glen Aulin last week. After driving four hours on Saturday morning from near sea-level in the Bay Area to Tuolumne Meadows, we ate lunch beneath Lembert Dome before throwing on our packs and heading up to Young Lakes. The trek in was pretty tough, and between the altitude and the fact that I neglected to eat anything during the hiby FatFlatlander - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
"there was nothing remarkable about this trip..." WHAT? Totally impossible on a trip to Yosemite. So many amazing places that never get old to see. Thank you for all the pictures! Love your idea to stop at every pull off along the Dana Fork between Tioga Pass and Tuolumne Meadows. I need to do that sometime! Lord knows I've almost crashed the car several times along that driveby FatFlatlander - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Wonderful report and pictures from a unique and interesting journey. Glad you were able to tough it out and complete it! What a great father-daughter experience and memory.by FatFlatlander - General Discussion
View of Saddlebag Lake taken Sunday, 7/31by FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
May Lake Road opened this weekend (7/29). I drove up on Sunday and didn't see any signs indicating the road was closed, so I asked at the TM Wilderness Center and they said it had just opened up.by FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
So forget what I said about White Wolf road being closed... it opened this weekend. I had not seen or heard anything about it going to open up, so I was surprised when I drove up to Yosemite on Sunday and was able to drive all the way in to the Lodge/trailhead parking lot. If you want to stage a car at TM and drive another to White Wolf, that would certainly work, and probably be the most conveby FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Just saw that Tamarack Flat campground opened today (Saturday, 7/29). Reservations come open two weeks out on a rolling basis at 7am PDT daily.by FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The road in to White Wolf is not currently open, and the Wilderness Conditions report from 7/26 does not give an estimated opening date. It may be open by the time you start, but you should be ready to hike roughly one mile from the Tioga Road to White Wolf. If the timing worked out, you could try taking YARTS from Tuolumne Meadows to White Wolf to avoid leaving a car there. I seem to remembby FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
This info was in the 21 July Wilderness Conditions report: - White Wolf and May Lake Roads are closed, with no estimated opening date. May Lake road needs to dry out before it can sustain vehicles, so maybe some time before it opens. Guess that doesn't specifically state whether or not the road has been plowed. But definitely still closed.by FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Mono County Tourism posted to Facebook this picture from Saddlebag Lake, which was taken Saturday: The post said the road had been cleared up to the lake.by FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thank you for all the hard work clearing trails up in the Sierras. (And for the pictures, too!)by FatFlatlander - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
In 2023, the Glacier Point Road will be open weekends only starting July 1. The road will be open: July 1 from 6 am through July 4 at 10 pm July 8 from 6 am through July 9 at 10 pm Glacier Point Road will open seven days per week, 24 hours per day, starting July 15 at 6 am. Expect 30-minute delays, Monday through Friday, 6 am to 9 pm. Services will be limited. More details are availabby FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
* - We didn't actually climb Half Dome. Took the scouts on a trek up to Little Yosemite Valley from 08-10 June. The original plan was to backpack up to Little Yosemite Valley the first day, hike Half Dome the second, and then hike back out on day three. With the Half Dome cables not being up, we had to modify. After doing 1.5 loops around Yosemite Valley in order to pick up our wildernessby FatFlatlander - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Well, not if you are walking or riding a bicycle. But if you are in a vehicle, yep!by FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
If you had a White Wolf to Smith Meadow permit, you would have to camp at Harden Lake the first night, or beyond Harden Lake along the trail to Smith Meadow. The next day, you could head down the trail towards Pate Valley and hike the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. So essentially it will add a day to your trek. You would start at the trailhead at White Wolf campground, and could stay in the bby FatFlatlander - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I am leading a group that will be driving up to Yosemite from the Bay Area middle of next week and backpacking out of the Happy Isles -> LYV trailhead. Our typical routine is to use the Big Oak Flat entrance station as a rally point where all the vehicles meet up, we pick up our wilderness permit there, and then caravan to whatever trailhead we are departing from. With Hwy120/BOFR closeby FatFlatlander - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
From the Yosemite Road Construction webpage: Sentinel Drive (between Yosemite Village and Southside Drive) will be closed due to contruction from approximately June 5 through July 6, 2023. Work will begin in late May in the area. Improvements are being made to Sentinel Drive as part of a larger project in Yosemite Valley to create a more continuous flow traffic pattern This is one of the primaby FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I believe the park's official alternate route is to park by the Wilderness Center and follow the JMT east to the Elizabeth Lake trail.by FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
We had a reservation at White Wolf in July. On Wednesday I got an unprompted phone call from Aramark with a recorded message saying they had decided not to open TML and WWL this summer, and that our reservation would be cancelled and refunded.by FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Not really a surprise, but I just got a call from Aramark stating that both Tuolumne Meadows Lodge and White Wolf Lodge will not open for the 2023 season.by FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Big Oak Flat Road is closed; no access to most of Yosemite via Highway 120 from the west The Big Oak Flat Road is closed west of Merced Grove; there is no access to Yosemite via Hwy 120 from the west (except to Hodgdon Meadow and Hetch Hetchy). Closure is expected to late at least to mid-June or possibly into Julyby FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
2018 - HSCs were open. 2019 - HSCs closed due to heavy snowpack. So 2023 will be the fifth straight year that they have been closed.by FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Tuolumne Meadows Winter Conditions Update for April 5, 2023 April 05, 2023 || Posted by: Laura and Rob Pilewski Tenaya Lake New Snow: 29 inches Settled Snow Depth: 140 inches High temp: 38°F (March 27) Low temp: -17°F (April 4) March Weather Summary: New Snow 170 inches (historical average 55.5 inches) Snow Water Equivalent 13.11 inches (historical average 3.84 inches) Averagby FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Tuolumne Meadows Winter Conditions Update for March 21, 2023 March 21, 2023 || Posted by: Laura and Rob Pilewski New Snow: 24 inches Settled Snow Depth: 142 inches High temperature: 41°F (March 17) Low temperature: 4°F (March 17) Clark Range on March 16, 2023. Ski Conditions and Weather The calendar on the wall says today is the spring equinox but it sure looks and feels like mid-by FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The wilderness boundary around Yosemite Valley is 200' above the valley floor, so the entirety of the Valley Loop Trail and Mirror Lake Loop Trail are outside the wilderness. If a backpacker descends to either of those trails they have exited the wilderness and would need a new wilderness permit to re-enter and continue their trek. Slight quibble with what Mr. NQTG posted. You can legally caby FatFlatlander - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Yosemite National Park is closed through Friday, March 17 Minimal public access will be restored starting March 18. Yosemite Valley will be open from sunrise to sunset starting Saturday, with very limited services available. Access will be via Hwy 140 only. Hetch Hetchy will also open, 8 am to 5 pm. DANGER Conditions in Yosemite are very snowy While several miles of paved pedestrian paths iby FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Yosemite National Park is closed through Thursday, March 16—possibly longer Yosemite National Park will remain closed through Thursday, March 16—possibly longer. A partial reopening on March 17 is a best-case scenario.by FatFlatlander - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion