Hi Liam and welcome to the RTA forums.
Good luck with your prediction, maybe they can break the ice in time !
Dave
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Hi Liam and welcome to the RTA forums.
Good luck with your prediction, maybe they can break the ice in time !
Dave
The crews are now working around the Olmstead Avalanche zone, by my estimation about 2/3rds of the way across the Pass. Although the temperatures are still dipping below freezing at night at around 8500ft elevation you would hope nature will give them a helping hand with snow melt.
As it's a record breaking year on many fronts, I am predicting another. The latest the Pass has opened since records began was in 1933 before the road was paved, opening on July 8th.
So my prediction for this seasons opening is July 10th at 8AM
Dave
Not the most promising plowing update this week for anyone hoping for an opening any time soon. Sounds like NPS crews continue to be held up with thick ice at the Olmsted Point avalanche zone. Thus I am going to change my prediction for this season's opening to July 14 at 9 am.
With the crews still held up in the Olmstead Point area the Park service has announced that Tioga pass will not open to traffic in time for Independence day.
There has been an update with regards to Glacier point road which I have pasted below.
DaveQuote:
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.
My pick made more than 3 months ago expires in a couple of hours. My new pick is Sat. July 15 9 AM.Quote:
Originally Posted by tseeb
Discredited post at https://www.mountainproject.com/foru...open-this-year but it's possible that damage to road could results in limited opening hours on Tioga into August. Local news just reported 5 hr delays getting into Yosemite.
Temps in Northern CA have mostly been cool until yesterday. Mammoth had lows in the 20s from June 19-23. Last week we camped with friends at almost full New Hogan Reservior lake in Sierra foothills where Summer temps are usually in the 90s if not higher. We had one day of 85, two days of 80 and the day we arrived was even cooler. Not complaining as we are going to Sacramento tomorrow where 108 is predicted.
Throwing in another dart from my office in Las Vegas.
Monday, July 24th at 8 am.
Mark
There still appears to be a lot to do in getting the Pass open but they have at least one lane open for the entire length of the road.
Plowing update for Friday 30th June from Yosemite NP below.
Quote:
At least one lane is plowed along the length of Tioga Road, although the Olmsted Point avalanche zone is still active and dangerous. More plowing, tree work, road work, and sign replacement is still required before the road can open. Additionally, restrooms must be available before the Tioga Road can open to the public. Restrooms are necessary to protect public health, water quality, and other park resources. There is no estimated opening date.
There is road damage at Olmsted Point, 10 miles west of Olmsted Point, and near Tamarack Flat Campground.
Now that would be a late one Mark ! (Yet very possible !!)Quote:
Throwing in another dart from my office in Las Vegas.
Monday, July 24th at 8 am.
Mark
Dave
Yep, it would establish a new threshold. Mammoth Mountain Ski area, is expecting to keep the lifts open until July 30th -- (or at least that is still the current thought) and so it seems likely that there must be an incredible amount of snow still up along the Tioga Pass route.Quote:
Originally Posted by Southwest Dave
Mark
Ice Melt and Water Flow Report
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...ridge_0704.jpg
At 10 Feet, water would be passing over the top of the bridge --which apparently happened about a month ago.
And this is the gauge at Happy Isles
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...cedRiver-1.jpg
Again, flood stage is 8 feet.
Mark
No ploughing update posted so far this week? Maybe they gave up and they're gonna call it a fallow year!!
Hi Craig.
Sometimes there is a delay with the updates, so I expect they are still working hard at it!
Dave
Delayed as you said! They are just trying to make me nervous ahead of our upcoming trip!!
Quote:
July 6, 2023 (updated every Friday) *This week's update was delayed.
As reported last week, one lane is plowed the length of Tioga Road to Tioga Pass. Crews continue to clear snow from the roadway and shoulders. In addition, crews are conducting minor repairs, mitigating hazard trees, and performing other tasks necessary to prepare the Tioga Road for public access.
The avalanche hazard at Olmsted Point is declining due to the recent warm temperatures melting the heavy snow and ice. We are working to repair road damage at Olmsted Point, 10 miles west of Olmsted Point, and near Tamarack Flat Campground.
Park crews continue to make extensive repairs to employee housing, work areas, and visitor facilities. In order to protect public health, water quality, and other park resources, sanitation facilities must be available before the Tioga Road can open to the public. The park is contracting for pumping of vault toilets along the Tioga Road corridor and for potable toilets in employee housing and work areas. There is no estimated opening date for the Tioga Road.
In some years, Tioga Road opens to cyclists for a day or a few days prior to the road opening to vehicles. If this occurs this year, that update will appear here.
I can't imagine the pass not opening in the next week or 2, but to keep me in the game I am going to predict the opening to be at 5pm on August 1st.
Dave
And you thought I was guessing way too late -- on the 24th of July!Quote:
Originally Posted by Southwest Dave
Mark
Will have to bump my guess once again to July 29 at 8 am as my current guess is about to come invalid once again.
We are due there Monday 21st August around midday so my guess is for 24 hours following that point!
They are keeping us guessing by stating the Tioga pass will not open this weekend but they are "Optimistic" it will do before the end of the month. The road is clear but lots of work to do including clearing snow from the side roads and Parking lots, removing boulders and hazardous looking trees. They are also working on problems with Sanitation and safety issues before opening.
Dave.
Hi Craig. Sorry you can't 'straddle' 2 dates but you can choose 21st or 22nd August ?Quote:
Originally Posted by UKCraig
On another point, have you seen the reports on multi hour waiting in queues to enter the park? They advise to arrive early and get parked up. Being a Monday may help but it's still bang in the middle of the summer holidays.
Dave
Here in pictures (Thanks to Yosemite NPS) you can see some of the affects of this record beating winter and the work still ahead.
Road damage.
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...Tioga-road.jpg
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...oad-damage.png
Rock debris. (This may have been a large rock they had just blasted)
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...ock-debris.png
Destruction of buildings
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...structures.png
Digging out of trash cans and recycling bins
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...trash-cans.png
They also have problems to sanitation and are looking to get contractors to supply Porta Loos and pump out services while repairs are carried out.
Quite the task!!
Dave
Yep, lots to do.
Thanks for posting the photos.
Mark
The woman at the deli at our favorite restaurant at the Mobil station has heard from crews that the goal is to open the road next week. One lane with traffic control.
The avalanches took out one of the two lanes at Olmstead Point
I have and I think it determines our plans arriving in to the park from San Francisco. We are staying the first night in Fish Camp so, instead of the obvious route across country and then down through the park, we will cross over via Modesto and Merced and then check in to our accommodation before heading in to the park later in the day to visit the Mariposa Grove. Next morning it'll be an early start to make our way in to the park. Hopefully that'll side skirt the worst of the problems.
Keeping things on topic: midday on 22nd August (said in jest: I hope I am wrong!)
Can't beat local Intel ! Is thatThe Woah Noah Deli? Yeah love that place!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Sedenquist
Hard to imagine them shoveling snow on the pass with such high temperatures sweeping through the Southwest!! I understand Death Valley has every chance of breaking the record for hottest day on Earth ever!
Dave
Yep, that's the place!Quote:
Originally Posted by Southwest Dave
Yeah, there is still snow on our local mountains -- which can be seen from the Strip! But we will be above 111 F (~40.5 C) every day for 10 days now, so I think the snow will be gone soon.Quote:
Hard to imagine them shoveling snow on the pass with such high temperatures sweeping through the Southwest!! I understand Death Valley has every chance of breaking the record for hottest day on Earth ever!
I just looked -- Death Valley is looking at possible temps of 122 F today or 46 degrees C. And it was pretty dang toasty on our patio this morning in Las Vegas.
Mark
Since both of my two previous guesses have expired, my new one is August 3 at 9 AM.
We returned on Sat. from 8 days in South Lake Tahoe, our longest stay in many years. Our son and eight friends rode boat across Echo Lakes and backpacked Desolation Wilderness to Ropi Lake the weekend before last. They encountered enough snow they needed GPS to stay close to trail even though they did not go much above 8000'. We encountered a couple of patches of snow under trees between Lower and Upper Angora Lakes (~7500') and found Blue Lakes Road closed at the 4th gate when we tried to drive to Sunset Lakes. Picture is Kirkwood taken from CA-88. They would have had to move a lot of snow to allow people to ski off lifts and to 7800' base.
Attachment 5130
Since getting home to our warm part of San Jose the high temps have been 102 on Sat, 101 on Sun and 103 today when it was supposed to start cooling off.
I know that this is a crazy year. Thanks for snow report.Quote:
Originally Posted by tseeb
I have friends who typically do a portion of the John Muir trail each summer, since none of are 100% proficient with technical ice climbing, they have elected to "not-go" this year.
Must be some VERY HUNGRY bears in the high country about now.
Mark
I’ve heard from multiple sources that It will open Saturday, July 22. There will be delays at places where only one lane is available.
The Tioga pass is scheduled to open on Saturday July 22nd @8am according to Yosemite NPS. For anyone travelling to Yosemite and planning to drive over the Pass, camp or hike in the area, it's best to check the Current conditions first. Latest info from Yosemite is quoted below.
There has been a lot of posts to trawl through to find the chosen dates, (and once it's Officially confirmed open, I shall double check) but for now it appears as though Mark (Sedenquist) is the closest with his prediction of July 24th @8am. (Insider info perhaps!)Quote:
While vault and portable toilets will be available, there will be no water, no store or food service, and no fuel. Be sure to bring all the food and water you need. The Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness Center will be open (8 am to 5 pm) and a general information desk near the visitor center will be open from 9 am to 5 pm.
Tioga Road has some damage, so watch for one-lane sections, with delays up to 15 minutes just east of Olmsted Point.
There is no estimate when Tamarack Flat or Porcupine Flat Campgrounds will open. Other campgrounds on Tioga Road will not open this year.
It's still snowy up there! Meadows and some trails are flooded. Snow is persisting in some shady areas as low as 8,000 feet, with extensive, deep snow coverage by 9,000 feet. Stay on trails to protect growing plants and plan for wet feet. Marked trails may be hard or impossible to follow; hikers should have GPS, as well as map and compass (and know how to use them).
Dave
Sheriff Dave, it does sound a little suspicious that I could win the DCTPP again!Quote:
Originally Posted by Southwest Dave
Mark
And thanks to the Sheriff for another well-managed contest.
Mark
Is there a prize for being first to drive over Tioga? I did on 7/27 after skiing two days (really mornings as they are only running lifts for skiers 730-12) at Mammoth. They are open until next Sunday, 8/6 a,lthough snow is getting thinner every day and they could lose more runs by then. On Wednesday after skiing I rode shuttle and did 1+ mile each way hike to Rainbow Falls.
Attachment 5135
I missed seeing Mikaela although race course marshals did ask me to wait 60 seconds for someone to come down course when run I took required crossing it to get to lifts. Not my picture.
Attachment 5131
I stopped at busier than I've ever seen before Mono Mobil. Too busy for me to get food, my phone would not connect a call and the website I wanted to watch at 1:30 had problems.
Attachment 5132
The RAM truck that carries my camper hit 50K miles at beginning of pass.
Attachment 5133
I stopped at Tenaya Lake where I considered jumping in. I had very short delay getting past one lane section between there and Olmstead Point. I was lucky driving down 395 from Minden, NV as there were a couple of long one lane sections due to construction but I caught up with line of vehicles and did not have to wait.
Attachment 5134
We don't have such a prize yet -- but probably could have. Do you want to be the sponsor?Quote:
Originally Posted by tseeb
Please check your email for another message.
Mark
That right there is a prize in itself, I would love to be there!! Thanks for the pictures and update tseeb.Quote:
Is there a prize for being first to drive over Tioga?
Although we are still waiting for the official Opening and closing page to be updated (I have given them a nudge) it was confirmed Tioga pass opened on July 22nd at 8 am.
This just about puts Mark (Sedenquist) in Dctpp territory (Darn close Tioga pass prognosticator) and so he gets to hold that honor alongside the The Tioga pass prognosticator Champ. He has been the longest ever reigning Champ and has held onto that crown since winning it in 2018. That's far to long so watch out for the next contest (coming soon) and see if you can De-throne him and take the crown !
Dave
Trying to post some larger images.
First are two from the top of Mammoth taken on 7/27. I was able to carefully get to run in center (to right of snowcat) without removing my skis early in the morning, but when I went to top later I saw sign saying "Walking Required to Access Cornice Bowl". Mountains in the background are The Minarets, Mt Ritter and Banner Peak. Note that Mammoth Mountain sign was totally buried a couple of times this Winter and had to be dug out.
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...iceFromTop.jpg
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...orniceSign.jpg
Not all the skiing on 7/27 was at Mammoth. This is an area called Ellery Bowl that is just below (very windy on this day) Ellery Lake on 120. Excuse the power lines.
https://www.roadtripamerica.com/blog...wlSkiers-1.jpg
Very cool, glad you figured out the protocol to use and post the larger images.
Mark
Dave, I think we're overdue for our 2023 Winter Closing competition!
It is already posted - look down one postQuote:
Originally Posted by liam2k04_
To clarify the navigation:
Winter Closing 2023