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DianaT
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Tioga Pass in December?
We needed to head back south from our visit with my mother-in-law in Grass Valley. We always prefer to drive home via 395 and intended to stay a
night in Bishop---a happy place for us.
But we could not believe it---December and Tioga Pass was open? There was no choice---the chance to cross over Tioga Pass in December could not be
ignored. We grabbed a quick lunch at the deli in Mono Market in Lee Vining and off we went and glad we did.
I have seen Ellery Lake so many times in the past, but never totally frozen.
And then there was Tioga Lake frozen with snow dabs on top
And some great icy areas
It was a beautiful drive but we wasted too much time taking so many pictures that are now in the recycle bucket---it was such a bright day. So at the
other end of the park, we decided to race up to Glacier Point. Neither one of us could remember how far it was up there, but the light was going!
Good for the Subraru taking all those ice covered curves so well.
We arrived about 15 minutes too late to catch the best light, so we passed everyone headed down the overlook as we raced and tripped our way up to
capture the last of the dying light.
Well, next time we will get there sooner. 
There seems to always be a very good reason to return to these places.
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BornFisher
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WOW!!! That is stunning. Just beautiful, thanks for the ride!
"When you catch a fish, you open the door of happiness."
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captkw
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Mood: new dog/missing the old 1
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395
makes me relize that all we are"dust in the wind" K&T
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Cypress
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Daina T. Thanks. Lived right off 395 south of John Day, OR for a few years. Not much snow in north ID.
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mcfez
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Lee Vining.....used to have the BEST bakery in this world!
Have you folks done the Juno Loop? It's a few miles past Lee Vining. very cool.
Shocking to see Tioga Pass opened at this time of the year. We were just at Bodie a few weeks ago....Bridgeport showed very little snow.
Bishop....wow factor ice fishing there BTW.
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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DianaT
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Thanks for the comments!
Dust in the Wind ---great song, glad you thought about it!
McFez----I used to take my boys camping in the June Lake area year after year. We never grew tired of that area. And if we drive the loop from the
south end, I still gasp OH every time when we reach Oh Ridge. :-)
Yes, we were very surprised to see the pass as open. The only one closed was the Sonora Pass. The owner of the Mono Grocery Store in Lee Vining told
us that after the early snow, Tioga was closed, and then it was closed again when California had the big winds. So we just could not pass up going
that direction.
[Edited on 12-18-2011 by DianaT]
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Bajafun777
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Great photos and they also show it was COLD, VERY COLD,LOL. Take Care & Trave Safe------"No Hurry, No Worry,Just FUN" bajafun777
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wessongroup
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Thanks "T" for your travel and your sharing of your love of taking pictures .... Love the area too... we grew up camping in the area just below South
Lake ... on summer vacations with the family ... in an old canvas tent ... way back in the late 40's ... and as we got older my father started taking
us over Bishop Pass and then on down to the John Muir tail ... we would then find a place to set up camp.. .for a couple weeks.. in the back
county... the packers would drop off our heavy stuff...
And getting there used to be have the fun... for 5 kids going to the "real" mountains... and seeing the "country" where most of our "movie starts"
filmed .. was like going to the movies ... but, being in them..
Can remember my dad having to slow down for the water coming across 395 from Owen's Lake over flow in the spring ... and glad to see some water
showing in Mono ... a good sign for the area ... 
Waiting for the next trip report.... and pictures ... thanks for all the work..
[Edited on 12-18-2011 by wessongroup]
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DianaT
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Thanks!
Bajafun, it was cold, which I like better than hot!
Wessongroup---thanks for sharing your memories. Our last backpacking trip a number of years ago was from Florence Lake on the West side of the
Sierra over to North Lake----not that far from South Lake. We wanted to cross the Sierras on foot at least once before we quit backpacking. It was
beautiful, but I sure was happy to see that my son had left us a car at North Lake as he promised.
And when open, I highly recommend Yosemite in the off season----I would not go anywhere near the valley during the summer as it is a ZOO.
[Edited on 12-19-2011 by DianaT]
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wessongroup
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Diana, small world ... my dad took us kids from Florence back over Bishop pass and down to South Lake once.. our mom left us off and drove all the way
around to South Lake to pick us up, after being two weeks.. in the back county
Mom loved it... all the kids were gone and along with my Dad ... she got two weeks vacation away from the house and when she got South Lake my Dad had
gotten her a cabin at Parchers Camp.. which was LIKE unheard of in our family ... staying in a "CABIN" ... and not camping out ... in a tent !!! ...
Thank YOU for the memories ... had forgotten all about those wonderful trips in the sierra's ... for me it was in the mid 50's, if we saw one person
in a week it was cause to ask them to have a seat and cook up some tea or coffee and talk ... have always loved the outdoors... ALL of it...
Keep'em coming ...
[Edited on 12-18-2011 by wessongroup]
[Edited on 12-18-2011 by wessongroup]
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Ateo
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Fricking beautiful pictures. Thanks.
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by ateo
Fricking beautiful pictures. Thanks. |
Muchas Gracias, ateo--
Wessongroup, one of my fondest memories of that backpacking trip was camping at Marie Lake---a real lunar landscape place and so beautiful. When it
was time to try and hang the bear bag, there was a real problem, the fir trees were only about 3 feet tall. 
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BajaDanD
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Done a lot of hiking in and around Yosemite. Driving over Tioga pass is one of my all time favorite drives. Love the June lake loop too.
Love the picture of Half Dome from Glacier Point. I lived in Yosemite in 78 for almost a year. went there almost every year sence, until about five
years ago. I sure miss it. Some where I have pictures of glacier point taken from the top of HalfDome. Thanks for the pics.
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaDanD
Done a lot of hiking in and around Yosemite. Driving over Tioga pass is one of my all time favorite drives. Love the June lake loop too.
Love the picture of Half Dome from Glacier Point. I lived in Yosemite in 78 for almost a year. went there almost every year sence, until about five
years ago. I sure miss it. Some where I have pictures of glacier point taken from the top of HalfDome. Thanks for the pics. |
I would love to see the photos from the top of Half Dome! Those have to be really special. Amazing place.
John Muir said that Hetch Hetchy before it was ruined was even more beautiful than Yosemite. Difficult to imagine a place more beautiful than
Yosemite.
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BajaDanD
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Ive been trying to plan a trip to Yosemite to hike Half dome again. Ive been on top 5-6 times. last year I had a trip planned and campsites reserved
in the Valley but it all fell through and I lost my deposit. Ill try to dig up pictures and scan them to my computer. One year we drove up to Glacier
point for a total lunar eclipse.
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaDanD
One year we drove up to Glacier point for a total lunar eclipse. |
That had to be REALLY special.
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goldhuntress
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Beautiful photos! It look like your having a wonderful road trip
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vgabndo
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Then there's Grover Beach! Goldhuntress. I spent two years in State Park housing on the north end of the lagoons at Oceano, in 58-59! Limitless
(almost) Pismos.
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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goldhuntress
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| Quote: | Originally posted by vgabndo
Then there's Grover Beach! Goldhuntress. I spent two years in State Park housing on the north end of the lagoons at Oceano, in 58-59! Limitless
(almost) Pismos. |
Wow, how cool is that! I know exactly where you lived. I wish I could have seen it then, didn't move to the area until 1981. I love it here, I'm very
fortunate. Not many Pismos now though.
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wilderone
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Ansel Adams would be proud!
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