Best guess for Tioga Pass opening?

All discussion related to transportation to, from and within the Sierra Nevada. Need directions or flight information? Info on road conditions? A ride to the trail head? Can you offer a ride, or do you run a transportation business or shuttle service for the Sierra Nevada? Come on in and post the details!
User avatar
Hillbasher
Topix Acquainted
Posts: 36
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 9:44 am
Experience: N/A

Re: Best guess for Tioga Pass opening?

Post by Hillbasher »

May 29
User avatar
el marinero
Topix Acquainted
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2014 9:31 am
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Alameda

Re: Best guess for Tioga Pass opening?

Post by el marinero »

I’ll say June 19th
User avatar
Mike M.
Topix Expert
Posts: 647
Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 10:50 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Portland, Oregon

Re: Best guess for Tioga Pass opening?

Post by Mike M. »

Update from the park service yesterday:
May 21, 2019

Crews have plowed through the Olmsted Point avalanche zone and are working in the Tenaya Lake area. Crews will continue to monitor the avalanche zones as weather warms. Mono County crews have plowed one mile west from Tioga Pass.
Despite the recent snowy weather, crews are making substantial progress.

Mike M.
User avatar
markskor
Founding Member - RIP
Posts: 2442
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 5:41 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Crowley Lake and Tuolumne Meadows

Re: Best guess for Tioga Pass opening?

Post by markskor »

Mountainman who swims with trout
User avatar
Mike M.
Topix Expert
Posts: 647
Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 10:50 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Portland, Oregon

Re: Best guess for Tioga Pass opening?

Post by Mike M. »

Latest update from the park service website, as of May 30th:
Tioga Road

May 30, 2019

With some assistance from Mono County, the length of the road is plowed (at least one lane wide), although there is a high-risk avalanche zone at Olmsted Point. Crews are working on side rouds and utility areas. Much additional work remains prior to opening.
Mike M.
User avatar
c9h13no3
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1323
Joined: Tue Sep 18, 2018 1:19 pm
Experience: Level 1 Hiker
Location: San Mateo, CA

Re: Best guess for Tioga Pass opening?

Post by c9h13no3 »

Road is open up to Ellery Lake on the East side. Won’t be long now.
"Adventure is just bad planning." - Roald Amundsen
Also, I have a blog no one reads. Please do not click here.
User avatar
Mike M.
Topix Expert
Posts: 647
Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 10:50 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Portland, Oregon

Re: Best guess for Tioga Pass opening?

Post by Mike M. »

Latest update from the park service, posted today (6/12/2019):
Tioga Road

June 12, 2019

Tioga Road will not be opening this weekend (June 15–16). Opening work continues, especially near Olmsted Point. There is no estimated date for opening. The road is closed to all entry, including vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians.
Oh so close!

Mike M.
User avatar
rightstar76
Topix Expert
Posts: 776
Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2006 3:22 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Best guess for Tioga Pass opening?

Post by rightstar76 »

Oh shucks. I guess (no pun intended) I won't be getting one of Mark's sketches this year. :(

That leaves seven HSTrs in the running who put their specific dates after this weekend for when the road opens.

Which one will be the winner? The suspense builds...
User avatar
rlown
Topix Docent
Posts: 8225
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Wilton, CA

Re: Best guess for Tioga Pass opening?

Post by rlown »

The Avalanche zones and side roads are still to be done.
Mark has been known to paint when at TM, and post his paintings on the bulletin board. Basically, they're free, and he said some were taken.
No harm, no foul.
He does have some I want, but I'm waiting until he's close to death so they become worth $$$ :)

I would like the crab original though. Loved that.
User avatar
markskor
Founding Member - RIP
Posts: 2442
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 5:41 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Crowley Lake and Tuolumne Meadows

Re: Best guess for Tioga Pass opening?

Post by markskor »

Tioga pass road update, 6/17/19

Road crews are patching potholes, cleaning ditches and road side debris and forestry is wrapping up immediate hazard tree work that needs to be done. The Avalanche Team performed one final blast on Olmsted to primarily charcoal the upper section.
Yesterday we were able to work each end of Olmsted to narrow this area down to about 100 yards wide and you can now see each vehicle pass through the zone from each end. The west bound lane is still acting as the toe of the snow remaining on the slope so we are not able to remove at this time. The area is finally beginning to melt out but it needs to reduce in volume/depth before we can change to just a no stopping zone. We are hoping that by early next week we will see dramatic difference in snow levels with the water running off the slope.
Though it has been reduced in size it is still unstable due to the heat and water running under the snowpack and could result in a wet slab release that will impact the road.
Tony with Mono County will be coming up tomorrow afternoon and Bob Brantley will be showing him Olmsted and what efforts we have been doing to reduce snow in this area.
B&G and Utilities has been working daily this week in TM and sounds like they are making good progress.
We are hoping next week is the big push of melt and we can get the avalanche areas safe to get full opening crews up there to push facilities open. I also have a draft of a vehicle access-shuttle plan in the Supt office in case we can get the road safe but the snow is preventing us from stationing our emergency services people or getting water or services turned on…we could try to use this to at least let cars through on a limited hours basis if possible.
I would guess we are still looking at melting out all next week but the warmer temps are improving things.

Michael Reynolds
Superintendent
Yosemite National Park
Mountainman who swims with trout
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 15 guests