High Sierra Topix

On the east side, 120 is almost always opened to the gate at the pass for the opening of trout season - last Saturday in April. That seems to be the date caltrans/mono county shoot for, and unless there is big snowfall right around then or unusual amounts of rock removal or repair to deal with they mostly hit it. But I have never heard of the road being opened to from the east to TM before it is open from the west - even in years when it is in fact completely cleared to TM from the east. If you can plan for a little extra time to start from the gate at Tioga pass, then you can plan your trip with less uncertainty.

That's a good thought Paul. Unfortunately, it'll be a challenge for me to grab 2 or 3 of my friends for even a 3-day mountaineering trip, let alone a 4-day trip. I imagine the extra 12 miles (total) from the pass would be a bit of a slog, so I'd add a whole day if I was to start from Tioga.