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Topic: Tioga Pass Road (Read 2 times) previous topic - next topic
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Tioga Pass Road
Yahoo Message Number: 117862
Has anyone with a 30' LD driven Tioga Road (120) in Yosemite NP from West to East? I have very little experience on mountain roads and we are planning a trip out West next summer.

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks, Clara Ellis
Re: Tioga Pass Road
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 117865
Quote
"Has anyone with a 30' LD driven Tioga Road (120) in Yosemite NP from West to East?"

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks, Clara Ellis
Clara
 Sure have, both ways, down and up. It's a long but not all that steep  a grade (except to the preception of 1st timers). Done it maybe a dozen times over the years, with and without a toad and even once or twice in a Volkswagen van. You will probably want to use 2nd gear east bound down the hill and perhaps on the upgrade as well, depending on how good a run you can get at it.

Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Jiggs 2004 30'IB + '08 CRV
Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Cedar
2004 30'IB (Island Bed)
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery
Live for the day!
Re: Tioga Pass Road
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 117873
Dependent on time of year of your visit, make sure the pass is open.  Suni

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Re: Tioga Pass Road
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 117875
"Clara"  wrote: Has anyone with a 30' LD driven Tioga Road (120) in Yosemite NP from West to East? I have very little experience on mountain roads and we are planning a trip out West next summer.
--- Clara, I drive a 24', but have traveled 120 both ways many times. The "downgrade" (west to east) that Steve mentioned is roughly from the Tioga Pass entrance station kiosk down to the junction of 120 and 395; the elevation drop is about 3200' in about 11 miles, and I seocnd Steve's suggestion of gearing down to descend!
 Take the road slowly; it is a bit narrow and curvy in several places, and depending on the time of day you travel the road, the "dappled light" can be a bit disconcerting. (Well, it is for me; YMMV.) Use the pullouts to allow faster traffic to pass when it's safe.  Since you'll be traveling west to east, you'll be able to pull of at the several scenic parking areas without having to cross the road!  It is usually very congested around Tuolumne Meadows, with traffic doing nutty stuff and people running all over the place, so be cautious.
 Be sure to use the NPS website as the starting point (and, really, the main guide) to planning your Yosemite trip, including the opening dates of the pass:
 http://www.nps.gov/yose    (The "Plan Your Visit" link is a great place to start!)

Understand that Yosemite in all seasons is *very crowded*, and, during the summers, it's SLAMMED with people and traffic! If you plan to try for a campsite in the valley, you will have to be online and/or on the phone the nanosecond that reservations open up seven months in advance; check the NPS website for the link to Recreation.gov  For FCFS campsites, it's very dicey, and you just have to be in the right place at the right time, circling like a buzzard waiting for a campsite to empty! ;-) There are a few small Inyo national forest campgrounds (no water, no hookups) on the east side of 120 heading down to Lee Vining, but in the summer, these, too, are usually packed.
 If you're coming over 140 into the park, get gas in Mariposa, and "top up" at the Mobil station on the east side of 120 at the junction of 120 and 395; understand that gas prices in Lee Vining (and Bridgeport or almost anywhere along 395 north until you get into Nevada) are set to *gouge* travelers! The Mobil station may be a little better than Lee Vining proper, but no guarantees, particularly in the summer.
 I suggest avoiding weekends; weekdays in the summer in Yosemite are bad enough for crowds and traffic, but weekends take it to a new level.
 Others will likely offer suggestions, too! Yosemite is one of the prettiest places on the planet; enjoy your visit!

Joan
2003 TK has a new home