On Saturday afternoon, I'm taking the family as far as we can get up the jeep trail to the fire lookout on Shuteye Peak. It is ~8000 elevation, and you can see Mt. Whitney 80 miles to the south southeast.

It will be a car-camp trip, in fact, we're all 3 sleeping in the back of the Suburban. Now, if it can only make it over the rough rock-crawling section about 3 miles from the top. If it doesn't make it, we'll pull back and find a level spot and set up camp.

Maybe I'll get some sunset / full-moonrise pics to post. And if we get to the top, it'll be cool to see the lights down here in the central valley.

Sorry if this seems like a milktoast trip, but my wife is not a backpacker, and my girl is not quite 5. Just trying to get her out to enjoy a camping adventure -- so she'll be ready to backpack when the time comes.

Never need to "apologize" for any degree of outdoor activity! Look, the next BP trip I take with Froggie, I will be carrying the tent AND a set of those metal clip-on wrist type crutches (he has a titanium leg implant)just in case his legs go out (happens occasionally, unfortunately)SOOOO, needless to say, I will be WISHING I had a Suburban to take up up the hill...

B

I agree with Bee. That has a nice ring to it. At least you are getting out. Bring plenty of blankets as the temps have really fallen around here.I assume it is getting chilly in the Sierras.

Steve:
Enjoy the trip! My 2 youngest boys are 19 and 15. Seemed like they were 5 only a few short years ago. It goes by fast, so enjoy every camping trip.

Phil

I just got back from the Sierra and it was C-c-c-COLD!!! I hit the trail at 11:00am with a puff of wind and one cotton ball cloud, and 90 min later, there were 50MPH gusts on the ridge and the sky was 2/3 covered with gray/black clouds (I saw the biggest lenticular cloud that I have ever seen -- miles across)when my fingers turned blue, I decided to high tail it out of there at a full run. Back in the valley it was 73 degrees; on the ridge (9k) it was about 42 degrees. BRRRRRRR!!

B

Nice that you could get out Bee.The weather has changed for sure.I am hoping for a little variety when I take my young bride(34 years of marriage)to Yosemite Oct. 13-15.I am excited to get outdoors soon.

Hey, Rod, I will wave to you as I pass thru the park on the 15th!! (I will be heading to Whitney via 120 to 395)

The storm came down the mountain; I live about 10 min from the foothills and it is raining and lightening here.

B

Steve..... I know exactly where you are going, not because I've been there but here in the Bay area on digital TV 7-2 there is the life channel and the narrator used shuteye ridge as a destination. And yes, the last part of the road looked pretty difficult to navigate however, the views and isolation (off the beaten path) looking interesting.

Can't wait to hear about the trip.

paul

RATS!! Tioga Rd is closed; this is a bad sign for Tioga to be closed this early in the season (early for past history) I NEED for the weather to be clear the 15 Oct to 17 Oct -- it's probably my last chance to make it to the the Portal for the season (and I have this really cool hike planned

Rod, here is a fun table to look at -- it's a history of the opening and closing of Tioga Rd, for the season:

http://www.monobasinresearch.org/data/tiogapass.htm

Bee

Thanks Bee,
That is a VERY interesting table.I was kinda thinking about taking Tioga Pass into Yosemite if it were still open next week.I may not have that as an option.Last year when we arrived on Thursday it was sunny and warm then proceeded to snow the on and off the next 2 days.

Rod, Tioga will open and close temporarily before it actually closes for the season. I am hoping to just play it by ear and plan on using the pass (unless it's closed, or threatening to) The alternative is several hours longer, so if it's snowing, my trip will probably be off.

B

Funny my alternative is actually several hours shorter. I could take 99 to Fresno and then 41 to Fish Camp where I am staying. The drive up 395 through Mammoth and to the Tioga Pass would be much longer but a much prettier drive that I haven't taken in a long time.For me either way I win and it's all good.

It seems like there are a lot more options heading over the mountians from the South than their are from the North. My alternative if it is snowing is to take 80 to Reno and pick up 395 waaaay up there. The larger issue is: what conditions will exist on the mountain if the weather went bad, and what would my reward be for driving 10 hours each way in a span of three days....!

B

Well, I am finally back to my computer. We left Fresno yesterday about 3 PM, and got home about noon today. But it was a fun escape.

The 4WD road was ...a bit too rough for a Suburban. I took a Blazer over it 15 years ago, don't remember it being as bad. We turned around after I scared the girls out of their wits. They walked back to our camp site -- and beat me. You know a 4-year-old walking is slow. The Suburban was slower. That's how rough the road was.

The camp site was ideal. Last campers had even left plenty of fire wood. We left more. Enjoyed a great campfire last night.


Charlee brought along two special friends:


The girls were happy to be inside the car, with the heater running...


I left my shoes out, expecting to step into them this morning.


Half an hour later, packed and ready to go. It was a nice spot.


We skipped breakfast in camp. Drove two hours into Oakhurst (only about 25 miles) for a civilized breakfast.

Added highlights: Traumatic bedtime issue -- Charlee could NOT "go" without a toilet. She held it until the restaurant!

Also, deer hunters were just over the hill from our camp. We met 4 vehicles on our way out.

Bee, your plans to head over Tioga reminds me of a trip two years ago. Yosemite reports that the road is closed, "and crews are working on it". That phrase means they expect to open the road some time that day.

I didn't realize that, and headed south through Bakersfield to get to Mammoth. An hour south, I called road conditions, and Tioga was OPEN! I should have headed through Yosemite. It would have been open before I got there.

It turned a 4-hour trip into a 7-hour trip.

Thank you for the report and pictures -- I love to look at other people's pictures (even tho I don't allow mine to bee taken if it can be avoided ) Your daughter is ADORABLE (I love to babysit girls that age; I think it must be something about "like minds") What a surprise to find a shoeful of snow?!

BTW, I usually bring a stuffed animal on my trips, too, so he (Taz) can stand it for the Summmit Shot

Re: Tioga...Oh, gosh, I can remember the "I think its open" "No its NOT!!" arguments.. I really REALLY need nice weather on the 15th-17th, my stress relief is depending on it.

B

Looks like a great trip Steve. That camp fire with hot dogs roasting looks awesome.Fresh snow cover is pretty. How did those shoes feel ?...LOL

Reminds me of all the hikes Molly and Mike have taken me on - we used to sleep in the back of my Suburban. I would get up around 11 pm and get ready, they would sleep until morning. Molly would read or watch a movie while got some fishing in. 20+ hours later I would come staggering of the trail to an air mattress in the back. Good times.

Now I have the truck and camper.

Glad you had a good time Steve!!

Here are pictures from the Yosemite Bp trip that I "missed" this weekend. These were all taken in the Beehive/Lake Vernon area

WOW!!! Spectacular shots Bee. Thanks you made my day. I am suffering from shortimers disease. I have a week to wait before going to Yosemite to celebrate Anniversary #34. It is our annual anniversary trek to Yosemite. It has become our tradition. Kind of nice because we spent our honeymoon in Yosemite so it has become really special for us. We are roughing it at the Tenaya Lodge.My wife thinks staying at a 4 star Hotel is roughing it nowdays. I dragged her tent camping for over 20 years before giving her other options.

Nice pics, Bee. Thanks. Where'd that chickin come from??

Rod, enjoy the Tenaya Lodge. Nice digs.

I've been there, but only for a snack -- it is a nice starting point for some mountain biking runs. If you don't mind driving some dirt roads, take a side trip to Nelder Grove -- some giant redwoods outside the park.

Interesting note about viagara. Seems like it would be well worth a try, since the cold extremities are partly a result of your body's blood vessel constriction mechanism. A vasodilator might counteract that. Danged expensive medication, though. Is it still a buck per pill no matter the concentration?

Edit: All the discussion re. viagara moved to the "Cold weather and circulation" thread.

(oh cant you tell that I am avoiding work...!) the pink chicken's name is CHICK-ON and he came from Las Vegas, of course! He is the mascot of my friend billy (short for billygoat) Billy is like me -- does not like his picture taken -- so whenever he does a Summit or new lake, Chick-on stands in as proof that he was there (Chick-on also signs registers, too) Billy is a great hiker who makes fast food of class III and IV scrambles (he says I suck at it, but don't believe him...too much)

Hi Rod,

I just got back from a couple of days in Yosemite. My hiking buddy was ill, so I ended up going up the HH Switchbacks up to BEE hive meadow (its 8 mi one way with about 3,000ft climb, so it was still a good workout)I know that this report will be irrelevant by tomorrow, but I have to say that the weather was just spectacular -- in the low-mid 70's, with a chilly 33-37 at night. I saw a rattle snake (pictures to come) and a huge trail of feathers up into a tree that belonged to some VERY unfortunate bird-of-prey (happened overnight, because the pile of feathers was not there yesterday morning. Anyhow, I am driving myself nuts following the weather, but I hope that you have a wonderful trip, yourself.

Bee

What are the HH Switchbacks?

Sorry -- Hetch Hetchy switchbacks! They start after the junction of the trail that goes to Wapama Falls (a couple~ of miles after the Dam Tunnel)

B