Category: Travel
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Tioga Pass Opening Saturday
A week later than the normal Memorial Day opening, Tioga Pass (Highway 120) is scheduled to open at 8am Saturday June 5th. With several feet of snow still in the high country no services or camp grounds will be available. Backcountry users are urged to use caution due to winter weather conditions that remain in…
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Merced Expected to Flood Yosemite Valley This Weekend
The National Weather Service is expecting the Merced River to crest above flood stage early Sunday morning. The flooding isn’t expected to be as bad as the 1997 floods which washed out roads in the park but visitors should use caution when hiking along the river and on the Mist Trail. Last year one person…
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Can’t Get Through Tioga? Take 108
The West Walker River as it passes through Leavitt Meadow along Highway 108. Photo by Loyd Schutte. If you’re driving up from L.A. or San Bernadino area on 395 and want to get to Yosemite you’re going to be in a for a shock as Tioga Pass and Highway 120 West into Yosemite will remain…
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Tioga Pass Plowed But Not Ready for Traffic (Yet)
Tioga Pass is plowed but it’s not ready for traffic yet. According to the National Park Service website crews completed plowing May 17th but the road won’t be ready for a few days yet. Crews will now go back through and widen the initial plow as well as patch potholes, fix ditches and road erosion…
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Slow for the Cones – Road Construction Returns in May
It seems like recently all you hear about in Yosemite is “road construction here” and “construction delay there”. Well you’re about to hear it again as road construction is set to begin on the Wawona Road in May. The project will encompass the entire 24.4 miles of the Wawona Road starting from the South Entrance…
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Don’t Bring Your Own Firewood to Yosemite
While not necessarily an invasive species, this photo shows the damage that bugs can do to trees in Yosemite. Photo by Letsgetridofny. @YosemiteScience posted a link to this interesting page I hadn’t seen before. Yosemite National Park Service officials are asking that you don’t bring your own firewood into the park. Why? Because it can…
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From the Mail Bag: No RVs!
A creatively decorated RV follows a tour bus on the way to Yosemite. Photo by Steve Rhodes. George asks: “I’m heading to Yosemite in mid-May and, in doing research, came across your blog. I’m hoping you might share your thoughts concerning the following. I’m a backpacker with a knee problem so my trip is compromised…
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Crews Scrambling to Pick Up Pieces Before Next Sierra Storm Hits
Sticky snow blankets the trees and Yosemite Falls bus stop along Northside Drive. Photo by Edie Howe-Byrne. Utility crews are scrambling to restore electricity and telephone services to thousands of customers throughout the Sierra after last weeks storm blanketed the Sierra and caused snow-laden trees to come crashing down atop power and phone lines. The…
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10 FEET of Snow Expected in Sierra
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the northern Sierra Nevada warning that up to 10 feet of new snow is possible at higher elevations. “Snow is possible above 7000 feet late today. The snow will increase in intensity and the snow level will lower to near 6000 feet by Monday…
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Bad Economy is Good News for Yosemite
A very crowded Yosemite National Park (2006). Photo by Dolan Halbrook. When money gets tight people tend to do things less expensive like camping, hiking and visiting parks and recreation areas close to home. That belief holds true as Yosemite boasted it’s second highest visitation rate since the park began. Yosemite National Park officials recorded…