Current Conditions

[susan]

Hi DJ!
Thanks for posting up! I was curious to hear about conditions on both inroads and areas you went to. It's a problem I have whenever going there.... want to see it all, all at once.

Very good advice on the chains and chainsaw front.

I too wish I could see the photos you posted.  In case it helps tho maybe you've tried it? http://southernyosemiteclimbing.com/SMF/index.php?topic=26.0

[Dave]

Susu -

10-20 on the pic above? Infrequent flyers wanna know.

[dj]

Thanks munge, Susan, Dave!    Ok, the pix should be ok now as I edited the above post.  Switched to flickr from dropbox, and if that doesn't work I'll read the instructions Dave posted.

[John]

Thanks for the update DJ. Wow, it looks like summer.

Why the heck did they lock the Minarets gate this late in the year? Kinda cruel.

Did Grizzly Rd look sketchy too?

[dj]

Yeah, I was bummed about that gate being locked (on Minarets Rd).    Grizzly is probably reasonable if you're able to make it down the hill to Jones store to start with.    At the point where Beasore and Grizzly split, both roads had plenty of tracks and even some exposed asphalt.   Anyways, 4WD and high clearance would be a must, for now at least.   In two weeks at this rate of melt who knows.

[John]

When the gate on Minarets was still unlocked about two weeks ago we went as far as we could. The heavier snow and ice on the road started a little past Arch Rock and we turned around. It was maybe 3-6" deep and passable but it tends to get deeper the farther down you go from there and it was icy too.

At that point our willingness to break through was at a low level due to being poorly equipped for snow. We also got really stuck around there last spring which sucked.

I imagine the snow would be a little lower by now but the gate is the new problem.

[John]

Oh yeah, where did you end up climbing after your recon?

[dj]

Hi John,

Sounds like your trip last spring was quite an adventure.     Did you write up a trip report for it somewhere?   Sounds like one of those trips which is best to look back upon.

My climbing is relegated to gyms these days.   I was aiming to do a short scenic backpack trip to the San Joaquin gorge between Balloon and Piyau domes, but a late start and gate closure threw off the schedule.     I visited once and it's just a beautiful canyon!  If conditions persist then I'll try again in a few weeks, though I'd much prefer 10 feet of snow blanketing the area.

[susan]

Nice shots DJ.

Dave, the photo I posted is from just outside Yosemite Valley - Parkline.

[John]

DJ-
Sounds like you were planning on going down the South Fork Trail?

No trip report so far about our getting stuck in the snow, we get stuck embarrassingly often. Usually right after my wife calls me a wuss for not wanting to push on down the road "a little bit farther".

[mungeclimber]

Buahaha

[dj]

Ok, that's too funny your wife calls you a wuss      

Maybe I should've used the South Fork trail (I'll have to look that up).   I was planning to go down the French trail (using "trail" term very loosely here) from the Squaw Dome trail head.  There's a sandy/gravelly spur just to the north of the trail that heads halfway down, at which point the real trail can be picked up and makes for an easy route to an area just above what I think you would call Cat Wall.   

But now the Badger Pass web cam is showing some annoying white stuff covering the ground so looks like access to the area will have to wait.    Sigh.

[John]

Normally I get bummed out when I see snow but this year I gotta say I'm a little bit relieved.

The South Fork trail actually crosses the French trail and is a little bit further south than Piyau Dome. Really purdy.

[mungeclimber]

how much of that snow was existing?  How much fresh new?

[YETI]

Man that looks grim.

Wonder how bad this year will be in the tinder box?