Southern Yosemite Climbing Discussions
Southern Yosemite Categories => General Discussion => Topic started by: John on March 24, 2014, 07:00:49 pm
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Howdy all
Just wanted to share what we know about the roads so far. Mostly from two weekends ago but probably the same right now.
Beasore Rd is still really snowy before Cold Springs Summit but Central Camp Rd gate is open up there. How passable it is may be another story.
Fresno Dome is reachable but the roads are really muddy. 2WD and determination will easily get you there.
Minarets Rd is open to just past Squaw. Squaw has a fair amount of snow still on it though. The South Fork Trail Rd is pretty snowy still.
Grizzly Rd gate is open but we don't know how much of the road is dry. Obviously blocked by snow on the Beasore end since Cold Springs is so snowy still.
Gray Rd locked, road to the Beaks, Big Sleep, etc from Rock Creek was still locked.
That is all I got.
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Drove to Fresno Dome trailhead parking easily on Saturday Mar 22 with a Subaru that had highway tires. One little patch of snow at the base of Mule Train. That will change if the stormds come in over the next two weeks.
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Road to Mammoth Pools is wide open.
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Minarets had patchy snow in shady spots out to Jackass, but the snow will melt fast down low. e.g. easy to get to Chiquito right now.
The ridge however looked to have a fair bit of snow. Gates still closed.
here's a shot of Grey
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3735/13687888113_d2aab782ac.jpg)
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Almost time for the early trip to Balloon Dome. Mosquitos, gnats, poison oak and a miserable slog.
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Mosquitos, gnats, poison oak and a miserable slog.
You sound so enthusiastic!
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I thought perhaps you would find it appealing and tag along.
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that hike down and out of there is tough!!!, bob says it's only about a 1.5 hike, NO WAY!!!, but man it's surely beautiful down there :-)
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As the crow flies it is 1.5 miles from the car to the camp slab. The hiking route itself is about 2.5 miles. It's the 3000' elevation that kills you.
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The hike in and out aren't really so bad. The part I dislike the most is the worn out quads which are so sore after I get home that I hobble around like a cripple for a week. I guess I should do more training hikes.
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Whenever Sue and I are huffing on a hike we always bring up how much more miserable we would be on the BD hike out then we feel better. We need to get down there regardless. Are you planning a trip soon?
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No specific plans yet but Bob will no doubt want to go when the roads are open. I haven't heard about conditions since the last set of storms.
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I am 99% sure that particular road is good to go by this week. It was about two weeks from being clear 2.5 weeks ago and the snow isn't too bad from the last storm. We will try and confirm soon.
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Update for 4/14
Minarets open and clear to about a mile past McCreary Trailhead
South Fork Trail Rd clear
Grizzly from Minarets clear to Lost Eagle turnoff. LE road still a little snowy but otherwise passable.
Pekinpah open to Big Sleep/Open on Rock Creek end too but tree needs to be cut out.
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On Saturday the gate to Big Sleep at Rock Creek was still closed but it is possible to bypass the gate if you have 4wd by going up the Slide Creek 4wd trail which connects to Rock Creek. This trail has some high dirt beams and my lifted 4Runner bumped bottom on one. A chainsaw would fix the downed tree but of course there may be more farther along.
(http://danielmerrick.com/SOYO_photos/856.jpg)
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Dry weather and good temps were forecast last weekend, but Friday night we met with a lightning storm close to camp. Pleased and kind of amped by it, we set up to watch as if it were fireworks, but not 10, 20 minutes later, rain sent us for cover. The threat reared up again next day but didn't materialize. It was a little unnerving at times climbing high up a dome with threatening weather, but exciting and really beautiful out. Lots of big clouds would pass overhead and there would be no rain until the clouds moved on when under blue skies it would sprinkle. Great sunsets lately too.
One thing, if you come to the end of the road on Minarets toward the Balls as shown in Dan's photo, though awfully tempting to drive through because of wheel tracks showing someone made it all the way through, the snow there actually post-holes hip deep in places. Maybe it will be all clear in one or two weeks.
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Anybody calling the bluff on the weather this weekend? My calculations come out as 90% blind stupidity divided by 20% chance of snow for Sat AM multiplied by the coefficient of Sunday being nice equals a potential 9 out of 10 if this doesn't blow up in our face. No I don't do math so good.
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Mammoth Mountain is reporting 12-15" of snow so far and it is coming down hard here in June. Plus more tonight.
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Wow. That sounds like a lot of snow for late April.
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They are reporting a storm total of 28-40", kinda crazy!
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Mother nature sure faked us out. Or did we not get as much snow as predicted? I'm trying to checkout webcams. Looks sunny but NOAA predicts 20% more chance of rain/snow until Sunday 11 a.m.
http://www.nps.gov/common/commonspot/customcf/webcamE (http://www.nps.gov/common/commonspot/customcf/webcam/dsp_webcam_image.cfm?webCam=56868082F6D1C0684BC473898C0DA86D43DCA76688E0CBA181E01393AB489E4CD0F8DF978AD48B1EDE98044A9F91849E845BB41C4E13DF83DD4CBF9B&refreshRate=300&title=6A878686A09B8D7E5FD87DA38214B83F0093A466C0EEEDA785EF238FB80B805DCB&width=640&height=480&altText=689B9185EC898A6C48933B958214FD4B5380BD7A9EACCDAD9CEF3695B402&description=6A9A9D81EC9F866D1CC228868110A9660691A87B9EBCCDEE84A71D8DAA479D41D7BBC8939C8CDB0BC3D3030D83DE809E944EF9554513C1C69D43AE8EF94DB28F820A9E8399F9B087B090DBB6D998899D178F95BC9BD2AD9080AAA2AC6798EF8F525EF76CFCD8DBD09FBB0D49CEF1D9EE99ABB4995787BF95B3E121AB14E35C9685DB8E56450491AEAD2AB2841414030640966AF0A385BF97A8BCA1FAA788BF998E5252B37F819A1EF39E886BBB4EF759D7AAB7BDC74E408A8B55E89EF94F955F6944A82C839B7E44ED9D5E937AD91DA7DDC7ADE94ED640CE9B40DBB9A7)
Surly the pass will open again soon with NOAA predicting 90 degree temps by next weekend!
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Thinking of next weekend. Which roads to Big Sleep are open?
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We went to Big Sleep recently on Peckinpah out of North Fork. Some friends mozied down a road nearby that I think goes to the Whiskey camp area. The previous weekend we ran into that same log jam in your photo trying to get to Big Sleep from Minarets. I bet that's clear by now but haven't heard to be sure.
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The FS just updated their road condition chart.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sierra/home/?cid=stelprdb5399344 (http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sierra/home/?cid=stelprdb5399344)
Some roads are officially closed but are otherwise currently open. The gates are all supposed to be unlocked on May 1st.
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The road page was updated again. Gates should be unlocked.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sierra/home/?cid=stelprdb5399344 (http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sierra/home/?cid=stelprdb5399344)
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Minarets Rd is clear all the way to the Balls. That's all I got.
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morning, fresno dome is wide open, no snow on the road, perfect temps!!!, the season has started :-), happy climbing mike a.
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Perrrrfect temps for sure. Did you work on your projects, Mike?
Oh yeah, the gates are all unlocked too!!! Woohoo!
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morning, sure did, and started on 4 new ones, matt said he was going to meet amy and i for the first time up there sat, but he was a no show, his gang are working on new stuff, but as always it's top secret stuff can not trust anyone they may go up there and rip off his new stuff lol :-), the one route we did, golden eye arete is really fun stuff, if you get some time you should chech it out, i think you will like it, happy open season and climbing mike a.
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Cool Mike. If I don't make it up there before, I will be at Fresno Dome May 23rd-25th. I would love to check out your new route. Can you post or send me the topo. Also email or inbox me locations of your new routes because I plan on taking gear for FAs in case something catches my eye. Don't want to take yours.
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I would also like to see more about what you are up to Mike. You too DaveyTree when you are done.
I have some current topos for both of you if you are interested, I could use some feedback and test drivers. Email me if you are interested.
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Cold and very windy in The Soyo tonight with a surprising chance of cell phone reception. Gorgeous day it was today in spite of the high winds.
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Sweet, cell reception in SOYO!
Very windy here in June Lake yesterday...calm this morning.
I want copies of all your routes that I will probably never get a chance to climb. Pictures too.
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It was cold and windy last night. All the puddles were frozen this morning. Cell and 4g reception also. I think we were connected to Mammoth. Must be a cell tower on Mammoth Mountain which we had a line of sight to.
Blew a tire on the 4runner this morning which caused me to decide to head home early. It's fun changing a tire with a toy jack and a miniature lug wrench.
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Sooo cold in the winds.
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Was fighting to hang on in spite of the winds trying to barn door me.
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Man, The wind on Saturday was Brutal in Yosemite.
Put on everything I had with me, and still Froze.
One teammate was borderline Hypothermic at a belay.
BRRR
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Good Baffin training