High Sierra Topix

We were up in Yosemite this weekend and took advantage of the wonderful weather and lack of snow to take a trip up to Tioga Pass. At Olmsted Point it was hard to tell whether it was August or December, and there was far less snow than when we were here on July 4 weekend.
What was quite a surprise was the number of ice skaters on Tenaya Lake - while we were playing on the ice there was even a hockey game going on.
We then headed up through Tuolumne Meadows with only a few inches of snow on the ground.
After lunch we decided to hike from Tioga Pass over to Gaylor Lakes. The path was pretty visible, with up to about six inches of snow on the ascent, but the descent on the north side had up to 18 inches in places. However, the basin itself was pretty bare and we made an easy circumnavigation of the frozen lake.
As the afternoon wore on, the snow got a bit hard in places and I had to kick steps back up to the pass. However, after a few tense moments we made it back to the car just before sunset on Mount Dana and alpenglow over Tenaya Lake and Half Dome. A wonderful day, and one that I'd highly recommend while this weather lasts - after all this is the latest that Tioga Pass has been open for more than 30 years, and with the current forecast it looks like it might be open right up until New Year.

beautiful report.. Looks cold, but like august.. scary at this point as we need the snow.

It wasn't too cold - mid to high 30s at 10500ft at 2pm, dropped to around 30 at sunset. The valley was mid 20s early morning, probably low teens to single digits overnight, but it was actually much warmer higher up where there was sunshine (hard to find in the valley this time of year).

We can always look forward to some nice early season trips if this weather continues...

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Here's a view from above Middle Gaylor Lake





(Tioga Pass closed Jan 1 2000 to end the 1999 season)

hikerchick395 wrote:http://www.facebook.com/editprofile.php ... =1&theater

Here's a view from above Middle Gaylor Lake

(Tioga Pass closed Jan 1 2000 to end the 1999 season)

I guess you were parked next to us then? It didn't look like anyone had actually been down into the basin since the last snowstorm, but lots of people had been to the col (and presumably climbed the peak).

Interesting that the Yosemite website (http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tiogaopen.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) lists a much earlier date for 1999 (Nov 23). I know that 120 above Lee Vining outside the park is often open earlier in the spring than the rest of the route, but does the same thing sometimes happen with fall closing?

Got my info from the Mono Lake Committee. For example, this year the NPS had put Nov 18 as this year's closing date, but I read that they will update it. The pass has closed and reopened a few times this year...over several websites it was stated that on Nov 18 the pass was closed and it would remain closed for the season. (I felt fortunate as I was up there on Nov 17.) But as in years past, it has reopened since.

Even these stats can be disputed as in some years, the pass opened at 3 or 4pm and they recorded it as open the next day. It is easy to remember as one year it opened on my birthday but was officially listed open the next day.

Not much traffic up Gaylor...a few footprints. I had the teal Chevy S10.

We were in the gold Sienna next to you. Looks like the pass is still open and there are some fun pictures on the Yosemite Facebook page of people eating Christmas picnics on Tenaya Lake.
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We're going to Death Valley next week, so if 120 is still open we may try to come back over Tioga Pass in the first week of Jan.

Great report. Woukd love to see a photo of hockey on Tenaya Lake so I can show the guys/gals on my beer league team in L.A. Most of us have never had a chance to play outdoors. Thanks!

Sadly the hockey game was up at the other end of the lake, so we never got a good photo of them.
You could always try it yourself though - with the current weather forecast Tioga Pass will certainly be open through the New Year holiday.

Went back up over Tioga Pass on the 26th. Tenaya Lake was very busy, with people parking into the lanes of the highway. There were hockey games, figure skaters, walkers (like ourselves,) sledders, people sitting in chairs and picnickers..some with their wine glasses in hand. (Sunbathers and picnickers on the east beach, too.) After my husband walked on the Dana Fork, then the Tuolumne by the 120 bridge, I went along, out on the ice on Tenaya Lake. Pretty cool. I only got brief video of hockey...I'll bet that there are some available to watch on youtube.