Dan's Outside

Seasonal Changes at Yosemite

Today’s Yosemite Blog entries include some news about changes that typically take place this time of year. For example…

A number of campgrounds outside the valley go into dormancy in the fall. Apparently Tuolumne Meadows campground is now closed. (This is the normal schedule, but I always wish they would keep in open another couple weeks.) Tamarack Flat and Porcupine Flat are still open on Tioga Pass Road, but on a first-come, first-served basis. (There are other campgrounds east of Tioga Pass that remain open a bit longer as well, but they are not inside the park.)

The Half Dome cables are scheduled to come down on October 17.

Things begin to quiet down in the Tuolumne area by mid-September, though the campground remains open a few weeks after that. There are far fewer visitors, though a steady stream of people continue to appreciate the beauty of oncoming fall conditions even after the Tuolumne campground closes – they come up for the day, camp at other campgrounds in and out of the park, or backpack.

Sometime around October 15 the Park Service no longer allows overnight parking along Tioga Pass Road. At about the same time Tioga Pass Resort shuts down for the switchover from summer to winter accommodations.

I and some of my friends try to schedule one last pack trip around this time of year, usually to Fletcher Lake. When conditions are right it is perhaps the most beautiful time of the year up there; on the other hand, when conditions are not right things can get interesting. Last year we cancelled this trip when the forecast called for 100mph winds over the crest. We’ve been (lightly) snowed on a few times, and we’ve also decided that day hiking made more sense than backpacking on occasion.
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October 2, 2006 - Posted by gdanmitchell | News