Tuolumne climbing.

Has anyone climbed in the Tuolumne area since the road opened? Curious on how much snow can be expected on the approaches. Was looking to climb cathedral and Mathes crest specifically. Thanks!

Daxman wrote:

Has anyone climbed in the Tuolumne area since the road opened? Curious on how much snow can be expected on the approaches. Was looking to climb cathedral and Mathes crest specifically. Thanks!

The road on the east side is only open up to Ellery Lake. Rt 120 in YNP is still closed.

I also suspect the issue will not so much be snow on the approaches, but rather flooding.

I was shut down from two different alpine objectives last weekend  because of impassable creeks swollen with snow melt. 

C Brooks, can I ask which alpine objectives  you were shut down from last weekend?

Only beta for the westside - Bubbs Creek in Kings Canyon was impassable, and a creek on the way to Farewell Gap in Mineral King (I was going to climb Florence) was impassable 

My friend got a call from recreation.gov informing him that Tioga Pass would be closed through July 6. I see a lot of reports that it will be closed indefinitely. I think that call wasn't promising an opening date, so much as it was guaranteeing the road will be closed through July 6 and possibly beyond.

C Brooks wrote:

Only beta for the westside - Bubbs Creek in Kings Canyon was impassable, and a creek on the way to Farewell Gap in Mineral King (I was going to climb Florence) was impassable 

Not surprising.  I hiked to the Needles lookout this past weekend with the youngins' and saw lots of snow still sticking on Florence's south side.  All that snow + heat = rivers where streams used to be.  River access in many more accessible places (like along Hwy. 190 heading into the Needles) is completely closed due to high water.  

Looking to possibly get up to Mount Dana and do Third Pillar next week. Anyone have beta as far as what the snow looks like going up there? Marc801 said that Tioga Road is open to Ellery Lake. Can anyone else confirm that?

Kyle Goupil wrote:

Looking to possibly get up to Mount Dana and do Third Pillar next week. Anyone have beta as far as what the snow looks like going up there? Marc801 said that Tioga Road is open to Ellery Lake. Can anyone else confirm that?

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Tioga-Pass-open-lower-gate-Highway-120-snow-11230467.php

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=2973253&tn=140

You can check on current road conditions by calling (209)372-0200 (press 1 then 1).

Tioga Road (Hwy 120 through the park) opens on Thursday, June 29 at 8 am

Alert 1 , Severity ,closure ,,Tioga Road (Hwy 120 through the park) opens on Thursday, June 29 at 8 amThe Tioga Road (Highway 120 through the park) is closed due to snow. The road will open on June 29 at 8 am, conditions permitting.

i just rode from tioga pass to olmsted oab today.  lots of wet approaches (snow and/or water).  lots of wet rocks...

Kyle Goupil wrote:

Looking to possibly get up to Mount Dana and do Third Pillar next week. Anyone have beta as far as what the snow looks like going up there? Marc801 said that Tioga Road is open to Ellery Lake. Can anyone else confirm that?

Also see thread over on the Taco

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=2989023&msg=2989413#msg2989413

(disclosure: I was the progenitor of that thread. Apparently we are thinking the same thing, though now that the road is open I am reconsidering)

Anyone check out the meadows today?? Think it's climbable up there??

There is still a lot of snow on the approaches to the higher elevation climbs ( Dana, Matthes).  Domes off 120 look ok

Anyone been up near Cathedral?  Supposed to go backpacking around there about 10 days from now and it where it doesn't appear to be buried in snow it's running with water.

Meadows update....

Most of the domes look good. Tons of snowmelt pools and ridiculous mosquitos. Cathedral range still has a lot of snow, descent of Cathedral looks snowy.  Tenaya peak still has big snow patches.

Climbed Cathedral this past weekend. Approach is fine, still definitely a lot of snow up to the base, but it is all fairly easy to hike over. The descent off the ridge; however, is down a sketchy 100' snow slope to the climber's trail. Expect the approach/descent to take longer than usual. Everything else was good, rock was great!

Stately Pleasure and DAFF were completely dry. Fairview had that mini 'glacier' at the base of the Regular Route but looked otherwise completely dry. Similarly with regards to dryness for Pywiack, Lembert, Pothole, Mariuolumne (north gully and general descent full of snow though, be careful), etc. As Brian said, don't go anywhere near Tenaya Peak shoulder until those snow slabs come off. For me the mosquitoes were only bad in the Meadows themselves. 

Above about 9500' there is still lots and lots of snow in the trees, but granite slabs are clear. May Lake, for example, still has 2' of snow on it and is still frozen!

Climbed Zee Tree on Pywiack Dome yesterday. Approach and decent were completely dry. Great day on the rock.