twocoasttb

Ah, now there's an idea... I'll consider that too.

1jacktripper

The "light climbing" comment was made with full sarcasm (damn it, where is that emoticon for sarcasm?). Any climbing on top of a 200-mile ride is excessive, in my opinion.

Ygduf

And this has 8k over the first 90 miles. It just has a lot of downhill after the 100mile turn.

Regardless, it's not the Deathride in climbing, but I don't think it counts as climbing-light. And since that is a totally subjective judgment, I can't be wrong.

Ygduf

victory!

Ygduf

I've plastic-wrapped and bootied my shoes. I don't think it will ever be too hot for that, and I don't want to deal with it if it starts to rain.

I'm wearing my long-fingered cool weather gloves. I'm bringing dishwashing gloves, and will put them on at the first sign of moisture. No Santa Rosa hands for me, thanks.

I'm planning on wearing the full-leg warmers for the duration. If the warmest temp we see is 70ish, I'm fine with those for the whole day.

I'm hoping to get away with base layer, jersey, arm/leg warmers for the warmer parts of the day. I'll have the rain jacket in the camelback for cold/wet.

I got a little bento-box for my gel flasks and figured out how to set the garmin for 20-minute chimes.

I think I'm as prepared, gear-wise, as is humanly possible.

DanteB

I just talked to an Inyo County deputy sheriff and he informed me they’re calling for over 2 feet of snow tonight on Tioga Pass which will close it. You might check for road closures before you head this way.

rumbutter

I bet that means Sonora (SR108) will be closed too . Dagnabit.

rumbutter

June Lake webcam

https://webcam.june-lake.com/

twocoasttb

I think we're gonna go the long way round on route 50. Route 50 maxes out at 7,377 feet. If the forecasts are correct (snow down to 8000) it should be ok. Long, but ok.

Ygduf

Yuck. Route 50 would add hours to the drive.

https://www.yosemitegold.com/ipages/roadconditions.html

I'll be checking that with interest in the morning...

spingineer

Yuck is right. Well, you did volunteer to drive.

Ygduf

I can drive 10-12-14 hours. What I don't want to do is have to register morning-of, in the cold!

uspspro

Don't forget to check Ebbett's too (HWY 4)... Just FYI

gpelpel

Why Ebbett's? If Tioga and Sonora passes are closed, I would recommend highway 50 to Meyers then either 89 to Woodfords and up Monitor Pass if it's open, or following 50 past South Lake Tahoe to 207 and 395.

If other passes are closed, Ebbett will be as well. It's a narrow road and no fun in inclement weather.

silentben

Once I got stuck in Reno when a snow storm came in. After one nearly disastrous failed attempt to drive back via highway 207 to 50 I decided I'd had enough of snowy mountain passes. So I came home via US-95 to Vegas and then I-15. Talk about a detour

uspspro

Just saying to check if it's closed on the Caltrans site. It's still shorter than going up to 50.

I think you are right though. If both of the other passes are closed, than it would probably be too.

Plus, I thought it was shorter than it actually is... It only shaves 23 miles off of using 50 (for me at least). I withdraw that suggestion.

mellum76

All you guys are crazyawesomeinsane for committing to this. Be safe out there this weekend.

Beaker

Good luck, everyone. Hope there's some fun involved somewhere along the way.

DanteB

Here's the lastest from the NWS:
Issued by The National Weather Service
Reno, NV
4:29 am PDT, Fri., Jun. 5, 2009
... LIGHT SNOWFALL IN THE HIGH SIERRA TODAY...
A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE SIERRA THIS MORNING AND INTO THE WESTERN GREAT BASIN BY THIS EVENING. SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP TO 7500 TO 8000 FEET FROM THE TAHOE BASIN NORTH AND 8000 TO 8500 FEET IN MONO COUNTY BY LATE MORNING. BRIEF BURSTS OF HEAVIER PRECIPITATION COULD DROP TO SNOW LEVELS BELOW 7000 FEET... ALTHOUGH NO ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED.
SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS BY THIS AFTERNOON COULD REACH SEVERAL INCHES ABOVE 8000 FEET... MAINLY ON NON-PAVEMENT SURFACES GIVEN THE WARMTH OF ROAD SURFACES WHICH WILL QUICKLY MELT ANY ROAD ACCUMULATIONS.
MOTORISTS TRAVELING OVER THE HIGHEST PASSES TODAY SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR BRIEF PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW WHICH COULD BRIEFLY CREATE SLICK DRIVING CONDITIONS.

It's 45 in Bishop right now with cloud cover, no/or light wind and it is cold. What happened to the warm weather?

DanteB

It's 34 at June Lake right now. More from NWS in the June Lake area: Saturday: Scattered snow showers before 11am, then scattered rain showers. Some thunder is also possible. Snow level 8000 feet rising to 9000 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47. West wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

twocoasttb

balmy!

DanteB

According to Caltrans it looks like all the roads are open. To find out if Tioga is open you need to call YOSEMITE NAT'L PARK ROAD INFORMATION CALL 209-372-0200.

BlastRadius

Hats off to you guys. 200 miles in expected bad weather is hardcore.

DanteB

Who said we were going to do 200 in bad weather? We're coming up here to talk about the bad weather and have a big party. I'm just the pointman, you know forward observer, just letting them know if they need to bring an ice chest to keep the beer cold. This was all code so the significant others would think we were riding. Now I've had to break the code, thanks.

DanteB

Lastest observation. When I first looked outside this morning there was cloud cover and the sun was trying to peek through it. I could see the mountain tops, covered with snow just west of Bishop. I just stepped out and the sun is hitting the ground here in Bishop, patchy, and the mountains to the west are no longer visible. They're completely cloud covered with some nasty looking clouds.