YOSEMITE (Day 7 - part 1)

We drove to the lakeshore where a layer of snow rested upon the sand. A VERY cold wind blew in off the lake!

We headed south, a bit concerned about our plans of going up into Yosemite.

Leaving Nevada and entering California

The cute town of Bridgeport

Approaching Mono Lake

We stopped briefly at the Mono Lake visitor center to get an updated report on weather conditions. According to a ranger, many of the passes were closed, but the one we needed (Tioga Pass, State Route 120) was still open... although just barely. He told of slippery roads, super slow speeds and the potential need for 4-wheel drive... and that we had to leave immediately if we had any chance of getting through. We debated finding something else to do instead, but in the end we decided to give it a try.

A quick view of Mono Lake

Fortunately the road turned out to be fine. There were some heavy snow flurries at the peak of the road (around 9,940 feet), but for the rest it was ok (excluding the bitter cold). And by the time we reached the far side of the park, the weather was mostly dry with just some light bouts of rain.

Map of the park, showing the long Tioga Pass road (Click for a larger view)

Normally, one would stop for all the spectacular views, but the cold and snow kept us driving straight through.

Several deer stroll across the road.

Tioga Pass park entrance station

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