Home A - Z FAQ Bookstore Art Prints Online Library Discussion Forum Muir Weather Maps Lodging About Search
CalHotels.US--online reservations now CalHotels.US Lowest Hotel Rates Guaranteed. Click Here For Yours!
Hotel photos, maps, reviews, & discount rates.

U.S. Hotels in California (Yosemite, L. A., San Francisco ), AL, AK, AR, AS, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, FM, GA, GU, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OK, NV, MH, MP, NM, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, PR, PW, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, VI WA, WV, WI, WY

[Yosemite]

So Little Snow In The High Country - Shocking

Hiking, backpacking, running, biking, climbing, rafting, and other human-powered activities in Yosemite National Park

Moderators: Wickett, dan

So Little Snow In The High Country - Shocking

Postby Grzldvt » Wed Jul 03, 2019 12:44 am

Went over to the park yesterday with my hiking partner as we heard Tioga road was opening for the season. So this is a Grzldvt tour, all 3 sections of the park in a day.
We did the Valley Floor to see the waterfalls, and it was an absolute zoo. Almost as crowded as it is in August. The falls were good but have seen it better. Drove up to Glacier Point and it took 15 minutes to get a spot. Mostly because no one knew the upper level had quite a few parking spots. We actually helped with that letting people know there were spots available. Glacier was also a zoo, and we were shocked to see how little snow was in the high country.
The selfie culture is very strong at this location... Had to laugh as we were in the minority by not having selfie sticks... LOL
Left Glacier and went up Toga Road. We did not get any snow until we hit the May Lake Road and even then it was incredibly spotty. Got to Tioga Pass and there were a couple big drifts, but you could see the snow was very spotty and trails were easily found. Talked to one of the rangers in the Kiosk to find out why it took so long to open the road, he was useless.
What I did discover is the FB page for the Tioga Pass Resort posted pictures of a very heavy late May snowfall, but still a month to open a major highway?? That was clear by mid June.
Based on the road opening so late, we thought we would be driving with 5-7 feet along the road, not spotty inches to maybe a foot.
We did not venture to far off road, but based on what we saw fairly deep in the woods the snow is going very fast.
No mosquitoes YET, but there is a pantload of standing water so I would suspect in the next two-three weeks there will be cloud of veracious blood suckers.
Been awhile since I have been to Mariposa, but we stopped in to the 1850 brewery for dinner and it was fantastic. highly recommend it.
Steve
Grzldvt
Veteran-poster
Veteran-poster
 
Posts: 374
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 10:18 pm
Location: Coarsegold, CA

Re: So Little Snow In The High Country - Shocking

Postby AlmostThere » Wed Jul 03, 2019 7:52 am

And yet, if you hike toward Crown Valley, there is plenty of snow left...

It doesn't do to make assumptions, at all.
AlmostThere
Veteran-poster
Veteran-poster
 
Posts: 2077
Joined: Fri May 15, 2009 6:57 pm
Location: Central Valley California

Re: So Little Snow In The High Country - Shocking

Postby dgilman » Wed Jul 03, 2019 10:04 am

[quote="Grzldvt"]Talked to one of the rangers in the Kiosk to find out why it took so long to open the road, he was useless.
What I did discover is the FB page for the Tioga Pass Resort posted pictures of a very heavy late May snowfall, but still a month to open a major highway?? That was clear by mid June.
Based on the road opening so late, we thought we would be driving with 5-7 feet along the road, not spotty inches to maybe a foot. /quote]

You sound like a treat.
dgilman
Frequent poster
Frequent poster
 
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: So Little Snow In The High Country - Shocking

Postby AlmostThere » Wed Jul 03, 2019 12:37 pm

The person in the kiosk probably didn't know that they were still concerned about avalanches in mid June, but I knew, because I paid attention to Facebook updates from the park.

Generally they want to get all the rocks and trees off the road before they open it. They plowed snow out of pullouts before opening it to through traffic - no stopping - for a few hours a day. And then a week later it was open 24/7 but still no services. It's pretty clear for anyone paying attention what was going on.... The same as always. They got it open as soon as was safe to open.
AlmostThere
Veteran-poster
Veteran-poster
 
Posts: 2077
Joined: Fri May 15, 2009 6:57 pm
Location: Central Valley California

Re: So Little Snow In The High Country - Shocking

Postby Phil » Wed Jul 03, 2019 3:30 pm

I've personally never found the spring/early summer snow and flooding reports to be particularly accurate and representative of actual conditions on the ground. Sure, you get higher and snow depths, etc become more the case, but generally I'm pleasantly surprised....except about mosquitoes....foul little bastards. But, it's always a matter of inserting reality and being ready for it, even if it's a couple more lbs or whatever.

As us, with experience and lot's of the right skills and gear, I think it's hard to remember sometimes that it's not us so much that they're worrying about in closures and warnings, etc, it's the fact that it's Yosemite....with maybe 3 or 4 out of 5 people that are going out there with their selfie-sticks, but almost nary a clue beyond much else, and as sad or annoying as it might be, when it comes to safety, you gotta cater to the lowest common denominator, because they'll almost invariably figure out how to get themselves into trouble.
Phil
Veteran-poster
Veteran-poster
 
Posts: 1335
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2015 5:02 am
Location: Healdsburg, Ca

Re: So Little Snow In The High Country - Shocking

Postby Grzldvt » Wed Jul 03, 2019 10:39 pm

Please.... I have been going into Tioga Pass the second week of June for over 30+ years when it is open, many times I am driving with several feet of snow on both sides of the road. I have had to snowshoe to Glen Aulin more times than I can count because we always go to Le Conte Falls. With the record amount of snow we had this year, I expected a July opening. When we got there the amount of snow was literally gone. Had nothing to do with clearing the road, that was done in May.
Trust me there was no avalanche issues at all, Olmsted Point which is where they have the biggest issues had no snow to be seen anywhere, where as other years I have seen at least some.
Phil has it nailed in his post.
Steve
Grzldvt
Veteran-poster
Veteran-poster
 
Posts: 374
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 10:18 pm
Location: Coarsegold, CA


Return to Yosemite Hiking & Backpacking

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 33 guests

cron