Your California Pass Opening Report

Typically Tioga gets plowed, and then it takes one week of work before they open it for traffic.

I would not hold my breath for Memorial Day.

–B.G.–

"The cool spring has been great for our water supply, sub-optimal for our early season hiking plans :-)"

I am loving this snow. While it changes hikes to snowshoe trips I love the solitude of being alone in the mountains. I am doing the Rae Lakes loop this weekend and probably won't see more than a couple of people all weekend. This in contrast to the hoards of humanity in the peak summer months.

I love snow!

Thanks for the info Rick- Because of all the excellent snow fall we have received this season me and a BPL crew are heading to the Shasta-Trinity NF, South Fork National recreation Trail 2,250ft (20 miles round trip)–I like the snow but it definitely shortens the hiking season and will extend the bug season..

-Jay

108 is already open…I checked Caltrans last night. Usually 4 opens around the same time as 108 and 120 is a few weeks after those two. So maybe early June. Time to break out some snowshoes

The Caltrans page I checked has 108 still closed, where did you look?
Yosemite has Tioga completely plowed, so I'm betting on a memorial day opening.

According to http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tioga.htm, Tioga Pass Road is just sort-of plowed. They say: Plows have reached Tioga Pass and will now be working on widening the road. Plowing continues Monday – Saturday. Average Snow Depth is 4 to 6 feet. Plowing operation will continue today.

I just checked http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi. It says:

108: IS CLOSED FROM 26.4 MI EAST OF STRAWBERRY TO 3 MI WEST OF THE JCT OF US 395 /SONORA PASS/ (TUOLUMNE,MONO CO) – FOR THE WINTER – MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE

4: IS CLOSED FROM EAST END OF LAKE ALPINE TO 7.2 MI WEST OF THE JCT OF SR 89
/EBBETTS PASS/ (ALPINE CO) – FOR THE WINTER – MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE

120: IS CLOSED FROM CRANE FLAT TO 5 MI WEST OF THE JCT OF US 395 /TIOGA PASS/ (TUOLUMNE, MONO CO) – FOR THE WINTER – MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE

Welp, it looks like Tioga isn't opening in time for the holiday weekend, drag. Probably something to do with the fact that it's still snowing up here!

I read in the local paper today that 120 was cleared of snow but the avalanche danger near Olmstead Point was extreme and they are having difficulty triggering a release.

Jay, If that is the trail I'm thinking about it's a nice hike along the river from Forest Glen. My wife and I hiked it a few weeks ago. We talked to the forest service and the trail goes all the way to 28N30 but they did not know about snow (it is about 3900 feet at that point).

Greyson, I had checked the caltrans hwy page last wed or thursday. I had a buddy that had said that it was open. I checked the page and it said no restrictions. Could be that it was closed again with all the snow that the Sierra's have been encountering. My bet on Hwy 120 is two more weeks until it opens

I was backpacking in Yosemite's Hetch Hetchy Valley over the last three days. Yes, we got snowed on, about one inch. Parts of the Evergreen Road got two inches.

They will probably keep Tioga Pass closed for a little longer. As a result, the Hetch Hetchy area was overrun with tourists.

–B.G.–

For those who haven't heard, Tioga is set to open Saturday: http://twitter.com/YosemiteNPS

It must be about time to head to the East Side to play connect-the-dots (cross country skiing term).

–B.G.–

So many options for 6/11-13. Opening Tioga Road just complicated it.
1) Tuolumne Meadows north on the PCT via snowshoes
2) Muir Ranch up Goddard Canyon, cross country to Wanda lake and back to Muir Ranch. hike and snowshoe.
3) Emigrant Wilderness via snowshoe.
4) JMT/SHR from Devils postpile to Thousand Island.
5) SHR north of Tioga Road.
6) Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne.

Hmmmm……What a dilema.

I would go #2 and Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne plan B.

2 cents

Here's what I found on Tuesday, June 1.

Taken at about 6k feet west of Tahoe, in the Crystal Basin rec area.

But someone has been helpfully digging out the trees ;-)

Cheers,

Rick

Wow. We are going to have to move fast to finish up the cross country ski season.

–B.G.–

"2) Muir Ranch up Goddard Canyon, cross country to Wanda lake and back to Muir Ranch. hike and snowshoe."

+1

That would be a fun one! Via Ionian Basin? N. Goddard Creek/Davis Lake? Maybe return via Evolution Meadow? Any way you choose, it would be a great route.