TR: Scouting Yosemite Area Conditions
Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 11:37 am
I took two days driving to check out the conditions in the high country. See the associated pictures below.
The Rim Fire
It was pretty bad, no doubts there. In my lifetime I have seen the area of the Cherry Tar Road entrance and the nearby bridge burned. From the auto turnout viewing area, you have a pretty good view of the burn area. Along 120 there is burn areas on both sides of the road. Once you pass into Yosemite (North), you see bands of burned area. The same holds true along about the first 1/3 of Tioga Road coming from the west. Evergreen Road to Hetch Hetchy (HH): The first part is OK, but as you near the meadows you see swaths of burned area. Loggers are busy clear-cutting some of the burned areas, including some huge old-growth un-burned trees. At the meadows, the area near the road are OK, but across the meadows to the left towards Akerson Mtn. (going towards HH), you can see big burned areas with a few swaths of un-burned trees. I did not go to HH beyond the meadows near Akerson Mtn.
Reservoirs:
The ones I saw were mostly empty. There is not much of a runoff this year. Mammoth Pool looked like it was down to nothing when in years past at the same time it was overflowing.
Snow:
I saw one patch of snow at 8000 feet on Tioga Road, and everywhere else I looked was dry. I did not see any significant snow until I got to the Tioga Pass area. What snow I saw was on the north slopes above 9000 feet, and even that was patchy. The snow I walked on was soft, not consolidated, and that was at 10,500 feet above Gaylor Lakes. Most all of the snow will be gone in a week or two.
Mosquitoes:
I camped at Rock Creek, 4000 feet south of Yosemite, and the mosquitoes were out and annoying (say 3-4). I believe the mosquitos will be mostly gone by July, a month early this year.
So, if you don't mind a few mosquitoes and moderately high water, the back-country is open for business for backpackers.
Don't forget to click on the pictures:
The Rim Fire
It was pretty bad, no doubts there. In my lifetime I have seen the area of the Cherry Tar Road entrance and the nearby bridge burned. From the auto turnout viewing area, you have a pretty good view of the burn area. Along 120 there is burn areas on both sides of the road. Once you pass into Yosemite (North), you see bands of burned area. The same holds true along about the first 1/3 of Tioga Road coming from the west. Evergreen Road to Hetch Hetchy (HH): The first part is OK, but as you near the meadows you see swaths of burned area. Loggers are busy clear-cutting some of the burned areas, including some huge old-growth un-burned trees. At the meadows, the area near the road are OK, but across the meadows to the left towards Akerson Mtn. (going towards HH), you can see big burned areas with a few swaths of un-burned trees. I did not go to HH beyond the meadows near Akerson Mtn.
Reservoirs:
The ones I saw were mostly empty. There is not much of a runoff this year. Mammoth Pool looked like it was down to nothing when in years past at the same time it was overflowing.
Snow:
I saw one patch of snow at 8000 feet on Tioga Road, and everywhere else I looked was dry. I did not see any significant snow until I got to the Tioga Pass area. What snow I saw was on the north slopes above 9000 feet, and even that was patchy. The snow I walked on was soft, not consolidated, and that was at 10,500 feet above Gaylor Lakes. Most all of the snow will be gone in a week or two.
Mosquitoes:
I camped at Rock Creek, 4000 feet south of Yosemite, and the mosquitoes were out and annoying (say 3-4). I believe the mosquitos will be mostly gone by July, a month early this year.
So, if you don't mind a few mosquitoes and moderately high water, the back-country is open for business for backpackers.
Don't forget to click on the pictures: