mlgb

I did a 4-day trip recently that included a stayover in Yosemite. First, I spent the eve of July 5 in Mammoth (Motel 6 on Main) , driving up from LA with the mandatory stop in Bishop at the original Schat's Bakkery. Along 395 there's a rest station called Division Street that's very nice. I also like the McDonalds in Lone Pine, with a view of Mt. Whitney and clean restrooms.). It was interesting to see water in Owens Lake. I managed my gas by filling up in Bishop (at the Paiute Palace Gas Station) and then didn't need to gas up again until Fresno (Arco off of Central Avenue).

Before entering up Tioga Pass road, I stopped at the Mono Visitor Center & asked one of the rangers if the Soda Springs trail in Tuolumne Meadows was open. He incorrectly told me "No, the whole thing is under 5 feet of water and there are no services" . I could tell by the expression on the other ranger's face that this probably wasn't true. And it wasn't, the trail was fine, there are porta potties along the main road, and the Wildnerness Center where you get back country permits was open. There is still snow and ice on a lot of the lakes. There was plenty of parking up at the old stables. There aren't a lot of wildflowers in Tuolumne Meadows yet. I spent a few hours up in the meadows and saw a big fat yellow-bellied marmot!

I finished up in Tuolumne and arrived in the Valley at about 3:30pm I was able to get parking at Bridal Veil falls and walked up to the view point, lots of people and lots of water. It looks more like Yosemite Falls at the moment.

Then the fun began. Traffic moved okay until I got to the final mile before Camp Curry. They are putting in a new curb and the righthand lane is closed . So at 4pm, it took ONE HOUR to drive ONE MILE. Because two lanes merge into one, apparently one by one a single car from each lane, not coordinated the way it normally is when people know WTF they are doing. I heard someone on his phone telling a friend it took 6 hours to do what normally takes 2 hours (I assume that included trying to enter the park from the SF direction also). There was an article in the Modesto Bee that they were taking the entry fee ($30) and directing people around and through the Valley right back out of the park

http://www.modbee.com/opinion/opn-co...160640879.html

I booked at CC because I knew it would give me a parking space .It doesn't look like there is public parking anywhere other than past Camp Curry at the trailhead for the John Muir Trail. I checked in, and walked across the Happy Isles Fen and then to the Vernal Falls footbridge (I don't remember that part being so hard!) I didn't go up the steps at all since it was already getting dark. I would say it really isn't worthwhile since from the Footbridge you can't see much. When I got back down it was around 830 and there was a shuttle bus arriving so I didn't have to walk back to CC.
By the time I got to CC the cafeteria was closed (closes at 9pm) but the pizza place and generalstore are still open ( 10pm for the latter), the line for pizza was too long!. Shockingly, the wifi at the guest lounge building works! It didn't a year or so ago when I was last there. The tent cabin I had (713 I think) was close to the parking area, and one of the restroom blocks. Turns out only the main shower block is cleaned overnight. The ones that are closer to the cabins sit dirty overnight and into the next morning.

I left as early as I could manage the next morning, and managed to get to the Yosemite Falls tram stop about 7 am, so I snagged a parking spot right by the tram stop. I spent about an hour there, leaving about 8:30 am before it hit 80 degrees. .There are some flowers in the Valley, but it isn't spectacular.

I managed to enter Glacier Point Road about 9 am (note that if you are not there before 10 am they will probably divert you to the old Badger Pass area to take the shuttle). The meadows along Glacier Point Rd are beautiful, that is where all the wildflowers were blooming. Beautiful fields of shooting stars at the one that is blocked off from foot traffic, about half way up. There was a bear jam on the way up, I think. Some idiot divers s where actually getting out of their cars left in the middle of the lane, and walking across the road to look! I was at Washburn Point at about 10:30 am and Glacier Point at about 11:15 am. Both stops are worthwhile, the first for a view of Vernal/Nevada, and the second for Yosemite Falls. Since I usually visit in October, we haven't been able to see the Yosemite Falls view. I was down at Chinquapin restooms by around 1 pm, and the Wawona exit about 2pm, and Oakhurst in another hour (at the McDonalds for dinner). It was 109 degrees when I hit Fresno!

So if you have not yet figured if you want to go to Yosemite this summer or not..here is my suggestion.

Avoid the Valley entirely! Either go up to Glacier Point early in the morning, or go to Tuolumne Meadows, or both, but stay out of the parking lot that is Yosemite Valley!

gailscout

Thanks for the report. My son is going in 2 weeks from now but staying in Lee Vining. Do you think driving into the valley after 6 pm would be a better idea? Or perhaps really early - like 6 am?

mlgb

He won't have any problem getting in via Tioga Pass from Lee Vining. But how many days does he have ? Is he planning on touring inside the Valley?

If he has to enter the Valley in the afternoon, I think 6 pm is still too early. Probably after sunset which is about 8:30 pm is when it starts to clear...then he misses sunset. I didn't get to Camp Curry til about 5:30 or 6 and it was still horrific then.


There wasn't much traffic in the morning around 7am. By 9 am it was really starting to build as people wanted to get up tot Glacier Point.

It takes about an hour from LV to the park entry station, then maybe an hour from there to the Lembert Dome parking area, and then several more hours to get into the Valley. So even if he leaves LB at 5 am I think he might run into the bad traffic and it's really a drive you want to do during daylight with stops along the way. So I'd recommend just taking his time across Tioga Pass and Tuolumne, and depending on how much time he's spending overall, I might take a shot at going up to Glacier Point if they allow it. Is he going to spend a night inside Yosemite Valley? If so I wouldn't push to make it in the afternoon, just wait til it's dark (8:30). Especially if he can go up to Glacier Point instead.

gailscout

Thanks! I'll pass on your wonderful advice. He wants to show his gf, who lives in Switzerland, parts of Yosemite over the course of 2 days. He's been several times and was thinking they wouldn't do the Valley because of the crowds. He's arriving in San Francisco from NYC on Monday, but not starting his road trip until the follow week, so we may have more questions! But your advice has been terrific!!

mlgb

If they can bring a couple of bicycles and park on the west end of the Valley (not farther east than Cathedral Beach) when they reach Bridal Veil, they could avoid the worst of it in the afternoon. Try not to drive past the Swinging Bridge even if it means doubling back and parking by El Capitan.