Tioga Rd plowing update

[Phil]

I'll go ahead and post any updates here at the top of the thread, so here's that latest pasted right from YNP's site.

Updated May 6, 2016
Mono County and National Park Service road plowing crews have met just east of Tenaya Lake. However, park staff still has a lot of work to do before the road can open, including clearing fallen trees and rocks, removing hazard trees, plowing side roads, and plowing the full width of the Tioga Road. There is still no estimated opening date.

[AlmostThere]

Except for the 8 to 18 inches of snow California is supposed to get above 8000 feet this week.

[Phil]

Really? That might change things a little. Just reporting on what I read, Ma'am. From the photo they had of the operations up by White Wolf, it looked like the base at what, about 7500?, was maybe 2-4 feet. As you said in another post, more than likely open by Memorial Day. I guess we'll see.

[AlmostThere]

NOAA has a Facebook feed. They are generally smarter than me about California weather.... It's pretty gloomy out, and cold, here at 500 feet, so I can imagine...

[Phil]

Snow or no snow, we're not into being eaten alive, so there's no big hurry on our end. Besides, we're shooting for the entire TRT/Desolation this summer, and if there's still time before the kids ships out at the end of August, one last trip over Red Peak or somewhere thereabouts.

We're at about 600 feet here at home, and we're supposed to get about an 1" of rain in drips and spurts through next week.

[AlmostThere]

I'm supposed to be on the Diving Board this Saturday. We may yet end up on Moraine Dome as a less bush whacky alternate...

[Phil]

Half Dome?

We're going to try to get up to Bunnell to see what it looks like for ourselves. If you make it to Moraine, and you hear two guys below arguing about something stupid, throw rocks at us, because we undoubtedly deserve it.

[AlmostThere]

The Diving Board isn't on the dome. Check any map... It's next to it. You're thinking of the Visor.

[Phil]

It's been almost 25 years since I was up there, and it was never something I cared much about after that. I always though it was called the Diving Board. I see that now, and I get the whole bush whacky part of what you're saying. If I'm in that area, which isn't too often anymore, the map is stowed away because I'm done and I want a pizza.

Learn something new every day. Thanks.

[AlmostThere]

Google up Ansel Adams, the Monolith, and that's where I will be. There's a patch of flat ground at the top of the Diving Board where he stood up his tripod. It's the most remote place in the valley.

[Phil]

I've never seen that photo before. Very unique and cool perspective on the face. That's where people should be clamoring to go. You definitely have a great knowledge of the park's finer subtleties. I'm envious and constantly in awe of it.

[Phil]

Is it feasible/legal to camp on that flat area you're talking about? You may or may not want to give route info publicly, but where do you depart the trail for that? Above Liberty Cap maybe?

[AlmostThere]

There are some places to camp up there. The limit is 4 people. We use the big campsite with the fire ring at the bottom of the Snake Dike route for that.

There are multiple routes, all of them hard either due to steep or brush or both. I do the least steep route, from the fork in the trail in LYV over the ridge, on a use trail past Lost Lake, which all the climbers use to get to the Snake Dike. There is a route that has only one short section of class 3, I call it the hiking route, but it's hard to describe to people. Folks get lost and create more ducks and use trails - the canyon is lousy with them. It's easiest just to show people how to get there.

[Phil]

Thank you, AT. I've spent quite a bit of time in the Valley, a lot more rushing to get out of it to places beyond, and apparently not enough appreciating the areas immediately surrounding it. I guess that's something to rethink. Sure looks that way.

[mebgardner]

Did the 8 - 18" of snow materialize?