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Glacier Point Rd update

PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2016 1:50 pm
by Phil
For all those that were wondering and worrying, and all those who might- The plowing on Glacier Point Rd is complete. A few touch ups and some maintenance, and it'll be good to go. No formally announced opening date yet, but it opened to cyclists as of yesterday, 04/16, and that's a good start.

Plowing on Tioga Rd begins tomorrow.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tioga.htm

Re: Glacier Point Rd update

PostPosted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 8:58 pm
by Phil
*update*

Glacier Point Rd will be fully opened to all traffic tomorrow, Tuesday, 04/19/16, at 9am. Let the games begin..........

Re: Glacier Point Rd update

PostPosted: Tue Apr 19, 2016 10:09 am
by Grzldvt
This is pretty surprising... one of earliest I am aware based on the amount of snow we have had. Must be lighter than I thought.

Re: Glacier Point Rd update

PostPosted: Tue Apr 19, 2016 10:58 am
by Phil
Yeah, it is pretty unexpected. Someone said they were told that it wasn't going to happen until May 27th. Obviously Tioga is a much bigger project with a lot more variables along the way, but purely from the historical standpoint, when Glacier Point Rd has opened in the past around this time, Tioga Rd has opened about the first week of May.

Re: Glacier Point Rd update

PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 11:57 am
by mebgardner
Phil wrote:Yeah, it is pretty unexpected. Someone said they were told that it wasn't going to happen until May 27th. Obviously Tioga is a much bigger project with a lot more variables along the way, but purely from the historical standpoint, when Glacier Point Rd has opened in the past around this time, Tioga Rd has opened about the first week of May.


With all the fan-fare of the "exception snow" in the news, I too was surprised to learn that the exceptional snow we got this year meant 75% of "normal" annual snow. With El Nino providing the moisture, and this now being "exceptional", I'm pretty worried for the future. My wife is *very* concerned for all the critters who also depend on the snow and ice to be "normal", and dependable.

Welcome to the new normal.

I was thinking of asking about bridges that are known to be "out" / "down" because of the "exceptional" runoff, not that anyone would know yet.

Re: Glacier Point Rd update

PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 2:04 pm
by AlmostThere
Bridges? What bridges?

All the bridges are on "front country" trails. Most are built sufficiently high off the water to not be inundated and swept away, like their predecessors.

The Wapama bridge was destroyed and rebuilt in runoff a few years ago -- there is no way to build that in such a manner that it wouldn't be. And shortly after it was rebuilt, people died crossing it when the falls was high.

Backcountry stuff, it's rare to find a bridge. Usually a waterway has to be pretty dangerous for a sustained period to get one.

Re: Glacier Point Rd update

PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 7:44 am
by mebgardner
That was a tragic moment for their loved ones, and must have been a terrifying moment for the people being swept away over the bridge. I struggle to image what that would be like.

Re: Glacier Point Rd update

PostPosted: Tue May 10, 2016 5:56 am
by tall_hunter
I found out the hard way that the road can and will be closed whenever it snows at the pass. There may be signs posted at the trailhead of Four Mile Trail stating "no shuttle service" but what the park really means is "Glacier Point Road is closed". Therefore, you can't count on a buddy driving up to Glacier Point to pick you up and haul you down.

Re: Glacier Point Rd update

PostPosted: Tue May 10, 2016 8:21 am
by balzaccom
I'll bet that's a lesson that is hard to forget!