Yosemite again!

[John Kasaian]

If you've been there recently you've probably notice all the dead trees from the draught/beetle infestation
Apparently the latest snow storm was too much for them.
Copied from the YNP website:

All roads closed due to heavy snow and fallen trees
Yosemite has received heavy snow, which has caused numerous trees to fall. As a result all roads are currently closed. Call 209/372-0200 (then 1, 1) to check current road status. People in Yosemite should stay indoors if possible to avoid falling trees.

[DavidFisk]

Was there last month with 100 trash bags thinking I'd help with clean up. I wasn't needed. Someone arranged a crew of volunteers the week before. Never saw the valley so clean. All that I picked up would fill a lunch bag.
Lots of trees were being cut down. Sad.

[John Kasaian]

Was there last month with 100 trash bags thinking I'd help with clean up. I wasn't needed. Someone arranged a crew of volunteers the week before. Never saw the valley so clean. All that I picked up would fill a lunch bag.
Lots of trees were being cut down. Sad.

By Summer, hopefully all the dangerous trees will down in the valley campgrounds and along the roads.

[tgtaylor]

97 Inches of new snow this week with more on the way!

https://www.nps.gov/yose/blogs/update-for-february-6-2019.htm

This is the weekend to go up if you're interested in photographing the snow covered valley - plenty of snow coming which will build-up on the valley floor.

Thomas

[Drew Wiley]

I'm not allowed to discuss the reason for so many falling trees, since anything related to common sense observation and basic education is off limits as somehow being controversial this day and age. But that's OK. What the hell do I know? I've only got a degree in field biology and had property most of my life in the woods close to Yosemite. But I could perhaps be allowed to mention that it might be difficult to get into Yosemite over the next several days due to not only tree issues, but just the sheer amount of falling snow. My nephew is way down beside Hwy 49 near Maiposa and had three feet of snow yesterday. And the road get higher before dropping down into El Portal. So even if they keep the road into Yos Valley somewhat open, there is plenty more snow on the way, and at best it would be a slow slog requiring chains. I have been in Yos Valley under such conditions, and it is wonderful to be trapped in there with almost no one else around. Just be prepared to be disappointed if you can't even get in for a few more days. Check immediate road conditions and the weather forecast before going. Tire chains and a warm sleeping bag will be mandatory. Snowshoes n gaiters n full Goretex are also a plus when lugging a big camera over powder snow.

[Two23]

We lost a lot of trees due to beetles in the west end of our state, and subsequent fire. As it turns out this seems to have been a good thing. In their original state our mountains were more of a savanna than a dense forest. The restored openess has allowed more browse & grass to grow, greatly benefiting all wildlife (with possible exception of woodpeckers.)


Kent in SD

[Willie]

Do they require tire chains if you have studded snow tires? Asking as the last time I went over Donner pass is was snowing and after 40 minutes in line the CHP guy saw my out of State plates from a mountain state and the good Studded Snow tires and said "good to go". Folks were driving about 20 mph - and the road did not have more then 2 inches of snow on it. Lousy if you have summer or even all season tires, but chains for that small amount? Anyhow, it was fine.

[Drew Wiley]

Don't mention woodpeckers. They are pretty and I like to wake up to the sound of them talking or playfully squawking or whatever cute sound that they make, but they otherwise drove us crazy poking holes in everything soft. I have an old fence post here I brought back with woodpecker holes every two square inches. If someone built a cedar house at too low an elevation, the whole thing could end up that way. There was one house photographers loved as a subject because the "whole thing" (scuse my pun) was full of holes, until it outright collapsed. When I was younger I studied the earliest aerial survey photographs for an indication of how things were post-Indian but before all the brush grew back up. They had cleared the land for millennia using fire to keep the meadows open not only for sake of their own villages, but for the deer, elk, and antelope they needed as game. On the plains, once bison had a major role in that too. And much of the native grass and other plant life and was dependent upon soil aeration from the hooves of big herd herbivores. In the big park lands right around here, cattle are still allowed to roam in many portions via rancher agreements, and wisely so, because they not only keep the ecosystem healthy, but greatly contribute to fire prevention. But most of them are of the relatively benign black angus variety. There are certain hereford and brahma bulls I sure wouldn't want to run into. So those breeds aren't ordinarily encountered on public land around here. .... Otherwise, Willie, the snow driving rules vary. Donner Pass is essentially a highly maintained
freeway and major truck route, so is more groomed that most mountain roads in California. It closed several days on end just this past month due to snow. Along with nearly Hwy 50, it's the only road over the Sierra kept open in
Winter. Our snowfalls are just too deep, and the terrain just too steep and avalanche prone to keep other routes open. But there's obviously a concerted effort to keep them open at least to the ski resorts. But even then, the Highway Patrol often stops cars at the bottom of a grade and checks to make sure you are carrying not only chains in inclement conditions, but also sleeping bags. One could easily freeze to death stuck in a traffic jam on any number of those highways. Mere studded snow tires would be the exception, and not the rule; and even when they are allowed, only in conjunction with 4WD.

[Leszek Vogt]

Do they require tire chains if you have studded snow tires? Asking as the last time I went over Donner pass is was snowing and after 40 minutes in line the CHP guy saw my out of State plates from a mountain state and the good Studded Snow tires and said "good to go". Folks were driving about 20 mph - and the road did not have more then 2 inches of snow on it. Lousy if you have summer or even all season tires, but chains for that small amount? Anyhow, it was fine.

Don't think I can speak for all Calif folks, but as an "outsider" (I was that even when I lived there :>), the CHP reacts to the cross section of drivers and conditions. One morning I was leaving L. Tahoe and was informed that the road down to Sacramento was closed. Roughly, several trucks and cars spun out.....and didn't reopen for 12 hrs. Yes, snow (or its amount) can be misleading....when there is ice.

Once (I was on the way to Reno) and put chains on and was about to hit Donner. Less than block away, in the front of me, was a trucker that was crawling up the hill (slowly), but it became obvious to all onlookers that he/she had issues. The driving wheels were chained up on this rig, but the rear of the trailer wheels were sliding to the right. Caltrans immediately escorted this rig, allowing space and to back-up to the point where the chains could be installed. Again, it was more about ice and only about an inch of snow. As you well know, mountains create the weather.....and folks respond....in various ways.

Les

[Drew Wiley]

It's even more dangerous around here because snow or freezing rain is so rare. This week those conditions did occur in a few neighborhoods in adjacent hills. Unless people are themselves skiers who frequent the mountains, as some are, they have absolutely no idea of how to drive in that. While I still had my place in the mountains, which was just below the average winter snowline, if I wanted to go uphill with my camera and snowshoes, I'd always wait for the first round of skiers to head up first and essentially skid the road dry. But even in the afternoon there was a particular curve shaded all day long that stayed icy. Those young macho dudes with their way-jacked-up Toyota 4WD's figured they were equipped to zip around anywhere ... And off they go, landing sideways or upside down down on some snowbank. It got even more comical whenever some newly relocated Highway Patrolman from the burbs would try to rush to the scene, or else be chasing them, and do exactly the same thing at the same spot. Two cars off the road instead of one. By the end of the day, there were usually three or four.

[Two23]

I've been pretty happy with my Subeeboo Forester in winter. It has plenty of clearance and with Blizzak tires it seems to chew through anything reasonable. I do keep a pair of snow shovels and a hitch mounted winch + pulley in the back, just in case. Last weekend I was driving around Lake Poinsett, SD to photo ice fishermen. Ice was 22+ inches thick with about 8 inches of drifted snow. I had no problems getting around and drove over 10 miles on the lake. Everybody else had either a large 4WD pickup or tracked vehicles. So far, this is the only vehicle* I haven't been stuck in.:D Here I am parked on Lake Waubay, SD the week before. Not much snow there.


Kent in SD

*Once drove a K2500 truck
into a snowfilled cut 7 feet
deep. Had to climb through the
window to get out!

[John Kasaian]

Lots of warnings on highway conditions in the mountains this weekend.
Great for photography if you're already in the valley but a dicey trip if you're just heading up.
If 140 stays open, that's how I'd go.

[Drew Wiley]

Try a 22 or 30 foot deep cut. That is just "normal" (average) for certain of our mountain passes getting opened up. In the backcountry the drifts have been known to get over 200 ft deep. An entire WWII military aircraft disappeared into one of our glaciers until it finally thawed out many decades later. I'm having a bit of an argument with a pal at the moment. He wants to take his Subaru Forester to Wyoming this summer; but I'd prefer to take my Toyota 4WD truck. It's not as if I'm worried about high clearance issues on the anticipated route, but the fact he doesn't want to carry a true spare tire versus a temporary spare. On some of those long washboard/gravel roads, a temp probably wouldn't last ten minutes. And without cell reception in the area, and the nearest tow truck hours away, it just seems risky.

[Two23]

I have a true spare, tire kit, air pump, and a roof rack to put a 2nd spare if I was going deep into rough country.

I was once two hours south of Bismarck North Dakota hunting deer, and got a flat. Changed it out and started heading to a town for a proper inside repair. Got another flat! Man was that a pain in the ass.


Kent in SD

[Two23]

Try a 22 or 30 foot deep cut. That is just "normal" (average) for certain of our mountain passes getting opened up. In the backcountry the drifts have been known to get over 200 ft deep. He wants to take his Subaru Forester to Wyoming this summer; but I'd prefer to take my Toyota 4WD truck. It's not as if I'm worried about high clearance issues on the anticipated route, but the fact he doesn't want to carry a true spare tire versus a temporary spare..


There are deep cuts where I live, of course, and I stay away from them unless I have snowshoes. As for the Subaru, I've owned a variety of 4WD vehicles over the years including large Chevy 3/4 ton trucks and Toyota SUVs. What I like about the Forester is it's pretty rugged, goes through trails like a mini-Jeep, plenty of inside storage area, and gets a consistent 25 mpg. Not only economical for me (I often drive >400 miles on weekends,) but I don't have to worry about finding gas stations in the middle of nowhere. The Forester is the best vehicle I've owned for what I like to do. As for winter, I think the main difference between us is you can get in your Tacoma and go visit it anytime you want. I simply open my door.............;) If I didn't love winter, I'd be living somewhere else. Maybe back in Kansas. (A very under rated state, BTW.)


Kent in SD

[Drew Wiley]

Oh, I'd love to take a long drive further east than the Rockies and see the high plains some day, but will have a hard enough time this year just coming up with the gas money for the numerous trips already lined up. So gotta slow down drymounting for awhile, because museum board is so expensive. Fortunately, I have a substantial reserve of film in the freezer, so that's no issue. The truck's been recently reworked and should be reliable a few more years. And I always backpack or camp to save money, but would do that anyway just to be outdoors away from the usual nuisances.

[tonyowen]

Do they require tire chains if you have studded snow tires?
When I lived in Ontario studded tires were banned because of damage to the road surface.
In France, it is illegal to go into the mountain areas in winter WITHOUT chains. There are road signs stating (in French) that chains are mandatory from that point on. When we skied in the French Alps we always had chains and they were a PITT to put on (for the snow) and take off for the lower altitudes.
Hit an unexpected snow storm while driving through Durango in April/May 1979. Car did not have snow tires or chains - but experience of Ontario winter driving prevailed.
regards

Tony

[John Kasaian]

In CA, if you've got 4wd and tires rated for snow, that's good 90% of the time although carrying chains are still required.
Studs are frowned on if not illegal in CA.
I carried chains in my 4wd year round because weather in the mountains is as unpredictable as a baby's bottom.

[Drew Wiley]

Last night's specific news per Hwy 80 over Donner this weekend : mandatory real chains required for all vehicles. No exceptions. That could change if conditions improve, but for the moment is the set of rules. And under ordinary
conditions below the average winter snowline, snow tires are indeed illegal. But they probably wouldn't ticket someone headed that direction with skis on a rack atop the vehicle.

[John Kasaian]

They are collecting donations for Aramark employees who lost everything when the employee housing (in tents) was destroyed by the snow.
150 employees with no place to sleep.
They were put up temporarily at the Ahwannee/Majestic but were displaced when paid guests re entered the valley. I heard that now they are camped somewhere around the utilities cantonment where it's warm.
https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article225993955.html

[Drew Wiley]

Just this moment the national news mentioned that 120 people had to be rescued from Kings Canyon due to sudden snow road closures trapping them. They didn't elaborate, but often relate such things prematurely anyway, being unfamiliar with the local geography. Meanwhile, a private plane crashed in the snow on Mt Diablo last night. More snow due tonite. Heavy cold rain here all day.

[John Kasaian]

The old man who dispensed wisdom to his tribe passed away so they had to get a new guy.
That autumn the Indians asked the new guy what they should do to prepare for Winter. The new guy remembered what the old man said every Autumn and told the Indians
"Cut firewood" so off they went.
The new guy had second thoughts so he called the newspaper and asked
"Is it going to be a cold Winter?"
He was told
"It's going to be a really cold Winter"

The Indians returned and asked the new guy "What should we do next?"

The new guy answered "Cut more wood. It's going to be a really cold Winter"
So they left again. Chain saws gassed and fresh bar oil.

The new guy, worried since the tribe depended on him logged on to the Weather Channel and asked
"Is it going to be a really really cold Winter?"

"It's going to be a really really really cold Winter," they told him.

When the Indians returned he told them
"Cut more wood! It's going to be a really really really cold Winter!"

So off they went after resharpening their chainsaws

Once again the new guy was worried, so he called the National Weather Service and asked the meteorologist
"Is this going to be a really really really cold Winter?

The meteorologist said This is going to be the coldest Winter ever."

"Wow!" The new guy asked him "How do you know?"

"Because the Indians have been cutting an unbelievably huge amount of firewood!" The meteorologist replied.

[Willie]

I know studded snow tires are illegal in many States but when you drive there from Out of State you are OK. Once winter hits here we have a lot of roads that are packed snow/ice until warm weather finally clears them. Am a few miles from pavement and the tires make a big difference on both gravel and paved roads. Have used Blizzaks, X-ice and some other brands. Best - and what we have settled on for the vehicles are Nokian from Finland. Either the Nordman or the Hakkapeliitta depending on the vehicle. An extra set of rims so we just change out with the seasons. Compared to all season tires the Winter specific are much better. Biggest benefit is being able to keep away from the crazy drivers who think they don't have to slow down - especially the first few winter storms.
The cost of a second set of tires and wheels is a lot less than body work on the vehicles. We can still get stuck, but the safety factor in marginal conditions is good to have.
Chains are still in the truck but seldom used these days. When it gets that deep we usually stay put and wait for the plows to hit the roads. Putting chains on is not too much fun. Worse than that is putting them on a 12 wheel tractor. They sure do make a difference and once on - not removed until the ice is gone. Putting them all 12 tires takes time but is the best solution when it is really nasty out.
My Uncle showed me a quick solution for getting out when it is icy. He has a rolled up carpet in the back of his pickup. No traction? He puts it unrolled against the wheels (generally have to shovel a bit first) and when he hits the gas it catches and the traction it provides works like magic. A lot faster than having to hook up a winch and it works on sand and mud as well.
Good luck to one and all with winter driving - especially in areas where you don't see it often.

[Jerry Bodine]

And then there's this:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/motors/4306417/is-this-50000-land-rover-with-16-tank-track-wheels-the-ultimate-off-roader/

My Land Rover Series IIa (108" short wheel base) did pretty good with all four chained up.