Competition. Tioga Pass Prognosticator 23. Spring Opening 2017.

[Southwest Dave]

The latest updates from Yosemite seem to indicate the road is clear of snow but there is still more work to be done with snowmelt causing a hazardous situation on the roadway.

News Release Date: June 23, 2017

The Tioga Road in Yosemite National Park (Highway 120 through the park) remains closed to all vehicular traffic, including bicycles. Melting snow is causing water to run over the road in multiple locations, creating a safety hazard. Park staff and partners continue to conduct necessary repairs to power, communications, water, and sewer systems along the Tioga Road following a record-breaking year for winter snowpack.

The extent of the snowpack at high elevation and the impact it has also been mentioned.

April snow surveys indicated that in the high elevation regions of Yosemite, the park saw the highest snowpack on record. In many locations above 8,000 feet in elevation, the snowpack measured over 200 percent of average (based on water content). The increased snowpack has resulted in a late opening of the Tioga Road for the summer season. Warm summer weather has led to increased melting of the snowpack, resulting in high water levels that are fluctuating daily.

Not ideal for those wishing to use the pass at this time, but I am sure the boost to the water table will be music to the ears of those that rely on it.

A couple of pics from Yosemite NP.

Tioga Pass entry station.


Roadway near Tuolumne meadows.

Dave.

[DonnaR57]

I am waiting with bated breath, but it looks like I am going to be wrong. Seeing the photo of the entrance station, and the comments you quoted, it does not look like they're going to have that road opened officially by tomorrow at noon. :-(


Oh well. I can vote again, though, if my date has passed? Or not?


Donna

[Southwest Dave]

Oh well. I can vote again, though, if my date has passed? Or not?

You can indeed Donna but keep the 15 day rule in mind when doing so.

*** To win this prize, the date must be posted** on this Forum more than or equal to fifteen (15) days prior to the official Tioga Pass Road OPENING date.

Dave.

[glc]

Sonora Pass (CA-108) opened on June 13.

The Tioga Road opened from Lee Vining to the entrance station on June 19.

Ebbetts Pass (CA-4) is a whole other story. It will not be open till sometime in July due to construction. There are 2 sections, each about 1/3 of a mile long, that have to be completely removed and reconstructed. Details:

http://www.uniondemocrat.com/localne...delays-opening

[Mark Sedenquist]

Oh well. I can vote again, though, if my date has passed? Or not?

Donna, and for everyone's benefit, the rules state this:
*** To win this prize, the date must be posted** on this Forum more than or equal to fifteen (15) days prior to the official Tioga Pass Road OPENING date. **Your "date" must be identified in a post on this thread.

* You can make prognostications as many times as you want.

* There is no requirement that a given day passes before you make a new prognostication.

* In other words, you could, in theory post a new prognostication every five minutes, the 15 day rule applies for the awarding of the prize and the rules state that you are aren't eligible to be in the running for the prize if you POST ON THIS FORUM on any day that is less than 15 days prior to the official Tioga Pass Road OPENING date.

* So, as an example you couldn't read about a planned opening the day before the actual opening and post a prognostication for that following day, because this would be in the 15-day "no prognostications posting period."

I hope this explanation helps!

Mark

[DonnaR57]

Makes perfect sense to me. I'll cross my fingers for the next 4 hours, but.....doubtful that it will be open.

Mom had a blurb in her 1967 trip log, from early July, that the Tuolumne section of Yosemite was not open yet. So it must have been a rainy/snowy year, 50 years ago, as well.

Donna

[Southwest Dave]

If conditions permit the Tioga Road will open on Thursday, June 29, 2017, at 8 am so it doesn't look as though we will have a new Prognosticator champ this year. I remember flipping a coin in my mind when trying to decide between the 29th and 27th and I went with the 27th. Darn !! Looks as though I got it wrong by 40 hours and Mark was out by 49 hours.

Dave.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Dang. Rarely am I this close...

Mark

[DonnaR57]

And I was out by 92 hours. Actually, that's the closest I've ever come. Even if I never actually type in a guess, I usually have some thought in my mind about it.


Donna

[Southwest Dave]

The official Yosemite page is declaring Tioga Pass open as of June 29th, the 3rd latest opening recorded by the NP.

This date was matched in 1983 as the joint 3rd latest Spring opening and the latest opening since 1995 when it opened on the 30th June. The latest opening recorded by officials at Yosemite was in 1998, opening on July 1st.

Dave.