High Sierra Topix

gary c. wrote:Thanks for all your replies. I was hoping that you guys might say that there was a wadable place somewhere in the valley that we might take advantage of.

Thanks for the youtube link Mark. I had found it when trying to research about the bridge and thought it was even more sketchy than the guy in the clip. Guess it's time to start considering other options and hope that the NPS gets something in place by July (not hopeful).

I had permits for the same TH, same weekend, that I just swapped out. The permit office said the bridge will not be repaired and that there's no way he'd do that trip with the bridge in that condition.

If your really gung-ho about going up the GCTC, you could also go HH>Rancheria>Pleasant Valley>Pate route, which is around 25 miles.

Just keep your center of gravity low and balanced, check that the ends are bearing solidly on the abutments, and go for it. Any one of those 3 girders, even with as much rot on the right one shown in the video, would take your weight, and the swaying is just normal deflection because of the length and a lack of lateral stabilizing. It might move around a lot, but one person's weight isn't going to even come close to collapsing it. Obviously it's not a properly engineered span built to specs any longer, so of course the NPS is going to advise against it, but just think of all the logs and downed trees you've ever crossed and realize that this is just like any of them, only made out of milled lumber. And even if you do go into the water, by July, it really isn't that deep and fast through there anyhow (knee-ish deep), and you have plenty of clear runout and smooth banks downstream.

However, if they do decide to officially close it, they'll just shut down permits for the route, and you don't need to worry about it one way or another, because, technically, it's the only official way to make the crossing.

I'm surprised you used "properly engineered" in a government controlled area.

Ha! Yeah, that's a big assumption on my part, but look at the 101 "widening" just south of you realize that over engineering is now a government mantra when it comes to infrastructure projects. I'm sure somebody did a few calcs, or at least said, "Hey, that's a big span, let's throw a Sh!t ton of big wood into it just to make sure."

Belaying a person if they were to fall into swift water could likely just pull them under. This is NOT a safe option.

Going in via Rancheria will not likely work. I did that route early season at peak flows and could not safely cross the creek in Pleasant Valley.

You do not need to use the Pate Valley Bridge to see the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne; the most scenic part begins after you cross the bridge. Just go in from Tuolmne and then go back out. It amazing how different the scenery is going down vs up. It is like a whole new route as long as you camp at different locations. It should only take 1-2 more days, less if you do not drop all the way to Pate Valley.

Wandering Daisy wrote:You do not need to use the Pate Valley Bridge to see the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne; the most scenic part begins after you cross the bridge. Just go in from Tuolmne and then go back out.

That's probably the best idea. The first part of the classic GCT loop is mostly just buggy forested B.S. anyway. And you have to arrange some sort of shuttle.

If the Pate Valley bridge is that sketchy, then why don't you just get down and belly-crawl across it?

Because it might well fall into the river while you are on it. It is not safe.

I did that route early season at peak flows and could not safely cross the creek in Pleasant Valley.

OP is planning to go early July, I have gotten across there earlier in the season, in a higher snow year. Pate Valley is nice, as is the Muir Gorge area, but the highlights are from Waterwheel Falls and up.