Sonora Pass is...

[tgtaylor]

OPEN!

Thomas

[Drew Wiley]

That's amazing, given the 200% snowpack. But they usually try to get the high road passes open by Memorial Day, so this isn't far behind. Still, one would be warranted driving carefully in the morning through the steep high portions due to the probability of meltwater re-freezing on the roadway at night.

[tgtaylor]

It was a surprise to me too, Drew. Tioga road plowing is progressing faster than expected also. As of yesterday the park said that they had one lane plowed through but was having the usual difficulties at Olmstead Point. So it looks like at this point that we will have full access to some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet by mid June, if not earlier.

Thomas

[Drew Wiley]

It was that corner just above Olmstead, with all that slick slab above, where a Park snowplow operator trying to open the road prematurely on another heavy snow year was killed by an avalanche. I grew up near Kaiser Pass, where snow could be over twenty feet deep on the sides of the plow cut on these kinds of years.

[John Kasaian]

I need to get up there!

[karl french]

Ebbetts Pass is open as well. Looking forward to getting up there.

[tgtaylor]

Well they "opened" Tioga Road yesterday but you can only caravan through it: https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/news/yosemite-national-park-announces-limited-access-on-tioga-road-beginning-on-friday-june-21-2019.htm

I was planning on photographing Mt. Hoffman from Tioga Lake so I'll have to wait until later this summer. There's probably too much snow on the eastern edge of the lake right now to get a good shot anyway.

Thomas

[Drew Wiley]

A whole month later than usual, and still with issues. A lot of snow indeed.

[tgtaylor]

Tioga Pass will open to unrestricted travel on Monday: https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article232038987.html

Thomas

[karl french]

Yup, heading up Monday.