The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

This time last year Tioga Pass was closed for the season due to a storm. We hit the high country in anticipation of the storm while the road was still open the day of closure. The wife wasn't too pleased with the idea when we finally got to Tuolumne Meadows, but the kids got to play in the snow before their hands went numb. On our ride we out saw plenty of 2WD spin outs and had difficulty, according to my better half, seeing the road. I reassured her that we were on the road, it was open area right between the trees. Of course the park service closed the road above Crane Flat near the Yosemite Institute long before we decided to head back down hill. It sure was nice not to encounter any oncoming traffic out of the area. I take that back, there was a truck hauling a horse trailer compromised when he tried to turn the rig around around. Luckily, park police where there to assist. How do you turn a trailer longer than the road is wide around anyhow? That was last year.

Yesterday, we were able to visit Tuolumne Meadows with nary a bit of snow on the ground or surrounding granite. The crowds were gone and I do believe that you could count all parked vehicles within the Meadow area on one hand. The river is still open in some areas but not by much. Areas of the river are already frozen to a foot thick with the edges of the ice near open water right around 2 inches thick. I wasn't ready to see if the ice would bear my weight nor test my skating abilities, but the kids did not hesitate to test the ice and their balance. Ah, to be youthful, college age and fearless. My primary concern was if the ice did brake the onset of hypothermia or least turning blue before I got back to the truck and change out of wet clothes. And it sure is nice to see the road on the drive out.

Man, that is REALLY scary. Hope we get some rain or snow in the high country soon and often.

Thought you might find this interesting: a list of opening/closure dates for Tioga Rd back to 1933. Hope we don't get a repeat of 1976!!
BR

http://www...h.org/data/tiogapass.htm

Thank's Betty for posting that interesting web site.
Claudia