Yosemite Forum

Does anyone know if the bridge will be repaired by next July?

I'm planning my July 4th week trek and am looking at the northern part of Yosemite.

Hey Jim,

I have no special knowledge on it otherwise as to timing or intentions, but I doubt it.

By July 4th, while it may not be at peak flow, the Tuolumne will still be charged up, and that alone will keep trail crews away for safety and logistical reasons. Unfortunately, it'll also make the river still too high and fast to ford, historically, until later in the season. Assuming either or both means, and very much dependent on whether budgeting is available for repair/replacement in 2019 at all, anyone should only reasonably realistically expect to be able to either wade or cross a new bridge not much earlier than sometime in either later in August or September.

Dependent on snowpack and trail conditions, you can always avoid the crossing and still hike most of the northern areas by heading up Cold Canyon, dropping down to Pate Valley, then looping back up to Glen Aulin via the GCT trail.

Hello,

It's a wooden bridge & also looking in bad condition. So any other way to go opposite side. Is there any boat facility for them?
Thanks...

Nope. No boats. And wading this year is going to be a real adventure, because of the big snow pack--real adventure as in potentially lethal. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that high water and snow this year ripped away the last shreds of the bridge itself...

This is not the year for that hike, unless they get the bridge rebuilt.

A boat? The USS Death Wish, maybe.

"Paddle or die" or paddle and still die.

A really big slingshot?

...or, you can stand there where the bridge used top be and say "No f'ing way" a whole lot of times and delude yourself into believing that you can make it in the morning..

With water that big, you have to worry about getting past Register Creek first, and that might even be sketchier in and of itself.

And then we always have the old standby of carrying a really big and heavy survival knife with a compass on the pommel and knowing that everything is going to work out just fine, regardless.

Even if they had the plans and money this year, they still wouldn't be able to put a crew on it until late August/Sept.

TamraLeggett wrote:Somebody have any invigorated know-how on the fording items closed Pate Valley Bridge? I agree that i might now not risk that interface, regardless can be available to a section. NPS expressed possible later within the season. Reflected whether or not anybody understood go with the flow water organizes or had an insightful proposition of the place to move.

I will say this simply and bluntly as possible - if you intend to go this year, go in September. Long, long after the melt is over and done. It will be past the time when the falls are most impressive but crossing the river will be possible without turning into one of many water-related deaths.

Or, go down the trail to Pate (or some earlier stopping point, no need to lose all that elevation either) and then - turn around and hike back up to Tuolumne Meadows. It's a gorgeous hike in summer.