Soyo Over The Holidays

[John]

Anyone going? We are now relived of our holiday duties and free!

Central Camp Rd is open to the ridge. Beasore is open. Most of Minarets is open. 70 degrees in some elevations (probably a teensy bit cold at night). Suddenly our plans to go far away are sounding....far away.

[daniel banquo merrick]

It's tempting. There are unfinished jobs that I would like to take care of. The two lines on the left of big sleep need to be made right. Also a line Bob and I started in QT needs one or two more bolts and we left a loose bolt that needs to be replaced with a 1/2". The loose bolt protects the crux and is the first bolt off the deck. Really need to replace it before somebody tries to use it.

The road up to QT might not be doable but I would think one could get the BS.

[John]

Dan
Actually it looks to be the other way around, BS is behind locked gates (Pekinpah Rd) and QT is in theory reachable from Central Camp Road but we haven't tried it yet.

[daniel banquo merrick]

I was thinking of coming in from Rock Creek. Go up Minarets Road and turn up 7S02 at Rock Creek to BS. I don't recall a gate there but I may be wrong and of course I have no idea how much snow there is. I don't go where I need chains.

I need a map with all the gates. The National Forest map shows gates but I have the feeling it doesn't show them all. I only see four gates. The Central Camp Road (8S42) at Beasore Road, Central Camp Road (8S42) at Bass Lake, Minarets Road (4S81) past the Mammoth Pool turn off and Grizzly Road (6S01) at Minarets Road befor Mammoth Pool.

QT only gets morning sun and seems like it would be a very chilly place in winter. You a Susan were up there in December 2012?

[John]

The Rock Creek Rd has a locked gate and Pekinpah Rd at the other end of that road out of North Fork (actually South Fork) is also locked. Central Camp Rd through Central Camp itself is probably your best bet.

[John]

Update:
Beasore Rd is pretty darned snowy but passable with a 4wd up to Upper Chiquito CG, after that you are cutting new trail in the snow. Chilkoot is possible but not sure about Central Camp off of Beasore yet. Internet reception excellent if you are into that kinda thing.

[daniel banquo merrick]

The high at Minarets was 49 yesterday. Only 34 at Graveyard Meadow. Pretty much convinced me not to go rock climbing.

[John]

It's in the 60's around Minarets in some places. You need to do more "denial clicking" with the weather sites.

[daniel banquo merrick]

John-

That's funny but so true. Yes, it is human to seek validation for what we wish to be true. Non-objective thinking comes naturally to us humans.

[jeff]

It's a rare sunny day that is not climbable for me.

Had trouble a couple of weeks ago when we had a very cold streak,  below 0 here in June,  talking folks into going climbing.  I think NOAA was saying -20 with wind chill for Bishop.  Talked Flanders into going to the Gorge, ya Doug.  Shorts and tshirts in the sun baby.  It did get cold fast when that sun dipped below the rim though.

[susan]

That is awesome, Jeff.

We were climbing in Yosemite a little on our way home from our vacation and noticed it must have been 35+ degrees difference during the days in the southern shady half of the Valley vs the sunny side.