High Sierra Topix

Hi all. I'm hoping to get up to the Sierra this weekend, but can't quite figure out the latest on Tioga Road. Yosemite's website and phone recording talks about overnight parking being prohibited after October 15. But then I see that the road is currently closed due to snow. It was closed last night as well, but then opened back up today. Does anyone know more on this? Would I still be able to get up there this weekend? Thanks!

-Kurt

Hi Kurt

It just means if we get a major storm after the 15th the road will be
closed for the season up until then they till continue to plow it.
There havent been many closures before Nov in the past 20 years
though last year it closed on the 17th of Oct.

Last year I couldn't tell except by the signs along the 395. One weekend it was flashing "closed" and the next it would be "open". Everytime it said closed I thought it was closed for the season, but it was only until they could clear the snow.

HikinMike was always knew the status of the road closure up there. Speaking of . . . has anyone heard from him since the last surgery?

If there is snow dusting tonight Tioga will close, due to ice on the road. They open it back up in the mornings sometime. I saw it closed yesterday until this morning. There is still a storm coming across. (I am currently in Bishop and can see the storm coming over Lake Sabrina.)

I was able to enter the Park from the east side after 9:00 Saturday the 7th. So much for getting up early to hit the permit office at 8:00. On my trip I talked with a few people who just had to wait until the road was open depending on conditions. One party went over Sonora Pass when it was still open (1:00 AM Saturday). This morning, Tuesday, I exited from the eastside and the road was closed to west bound traffic and the road was what I would call good or R1, chains or snowtires. A couple people going down got the message about how slick snow is when they went in the ditch or dang close. There was more snow around Lee Vining and north of there than there was in the Park. A party headed up to Clouds Rest via the Sunrise Lakes trail said there was a 70% chance of precip and they had gotten there info on Monday. Very little snow accumulation at the higher elevations at least from what I could see and at the lower Sunrise Lake if that one is a Sunrise Lake. It was more of a cross between a snow pellet and hail, hard in the middle like hail and white on the outside like a snow pellet. So, if you are patient you may be able to enter the Park, just not on your time schedule.