Sonora Pass

[~mikey b]

from the Bridgeport Avalanche Center…


❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

4.21.23 - The season is winding down here at the Bridgeport Avalanche Center...

-Our last forecast will be this Saturday the 22nd.
-The BWRA will close to motorized use Sunday, April 30th, in accordance with BWRA management plan.
-CalTrans will begin clearing HWY 108, be mindful of their heavy equipment and park respectfully in order for them to continue clearing the road.

A special thanks to all those who have helped support the Bridgeport Avalanche Center by volunteering their time, submitting an observation or a financial donation.

[~mikey b]

on the east side from Hwy 395 crews are now approximately five miles away from the Mono/Tuolumne County Line on State Route 108 (Sonora Pass). The highway is cleared to Postmile 5, which is roughly a half-mile east of the Leavitt Creek Vista Point

from the west side of 108 they are not yet to Eagle Meadows - I heard Cascade Creek

[~mikey b]

108 open to Eagle Meadow Rd on the west side

[wordbird]

108 open to Eagle Meadow Rd on the west side

Do they have partial openings on the east side? I apologize if the question was asked already, I scanned first 3 pages of the thread and couldn't find an answer.

[~mikey b]

read more recent posts

[wordbird]

read more recent posts

Looks like up to Leavitt is possible? Would you say it's going to happen by May 15th in this really deep year?

[~mikey b]

Sonora, CA — The Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors discussed whether to spend up to about $70,000 to bring in extra snow plows to assist Caltrans and ensure that Highway 108 Sonora Pass is open by Memorial Day weekend.

In the end, it was denied by the board out of concerns that it would take several weeks just to get contracts in place and acquire needed permits, and by that point, it will already be nearing Memorial Day. District Three Supervisor Anaiah Kirk was the lone vote in favor of proceeding forward.

Caltrans has maintained that it is still hoping to have the pass open by Memorial Day weekend. However, Kirk says it took one month to plow seven miles and reach Eagle Meadows (accomplished yesterday). He says there are still 13 miles to reach Kennedy Meadows, and another 12 to the pass. He fears the math doesn’t add up (Memorial Day opening) and is concerned it could be late June or July when the full pass is cleared. There are also uncertainties about what types of challenges crews will find when they reach higher elevations.

Kirk’s request to hire supplemental crews came after meeting with local business owners who rely on the uptick in traffic along the Highway 108 corridor.

Kirk says he will work toward long-term solutions with the State of California, adding, “I am going to continue to advocate that our economic summer starts on Memorial Day weekend. It is not acceptable to not have (annual state required) opening dates for that pass.”

The supplemental contract would have required a 4/5 vote of the board.

[CS]

Government is so dumb.

thanks for the update Mike

[~mikey b]

108 open to Kennedy Meadows on the west side

[LongShortLong]

Government is so dumb.

thanks for the update Mike

How so? Dumb for going against Mother Nature, or not going fast enough against Mother Nature? Dumb because they balance the needs of the community instead of doing what you want? Do you even know what you want? Do most of your fellow citizens agree?

Imma guess those businesses in a rural county will generally favor lower taxes (and less government services). So in their view it's dumb that Caltrans is wasting tax money clearing snow that's gonna melt anyway. Good on the county for carefully managing money. Those businesses oughta grab their bootstraps, and assess themselves to clear the road. Including an environmental impact study before altering Mother Nature. Probably worth it this year with 120 opening late and Tuolumne Meadows too.

Thanks Mike for road status update

[LongShortLong]

Adding Highway 4 status. Since I looked, and it has some corn options.

Caltrans District 10 says it's open to Wolf Creek on the east. Plows are at Kinney Reservoir, which is very near Ebbetts Pass. From the west side, plows are at Cape Horn which is barely past Lake Alpine. FWIW, the lodge at Lake Alpine was buried a month ago.

[~mikey b]

thanks for the update

[emcee]

looks like crews reached the top of sonora from the east about a week ago

some great pass clearing porn on the snowbrains insta recently:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs_hVRFrmrY/?hl=en

[TahoeBC]

Last Friday

[PB]

Perfect.

[munkyman]

What PB said, perfection! Looks like paradise up there right now, thanks.

[rod9301]

So does this mean the road is open to the summit?

Sent from my moto g 5G using Tapatalk

[TahoeBC]

So does this mean the road is open to the summit?

Sent from my moto g 5G using Tapatalk

If you ride a bike past the closed gate it is, I think there completely done with both sides, probably waiting for the weather to clear before opening it, and least the east side to the summit requires no maintenance from what I could tell.

I’d go back up in a heartbeat but they have been getting hammered by thunderstorms and on the early side, and it doesn’t seem things will change soon



Yesterday they might have even gotten some new snow, screenshot o from the radar yesterday

[CS]

Last Friday

Solid.

Velvet carpet up there.

[~mikey b]

Sonora Pass should be open by Monday or Tuesday - possibly sooner if conditions allow

Ebbetts Pass opened today

[~mikey b]

open

[45hill]

Eastside to yosemite the next warm day. Stoked. Have fun skiing Mike.

[~mikey b]

I’m up in Shasta…


weather looks iffy for a few days

[YaBoyBlue]

Suncup city up on Ebbetts today, but soft enough to be fun

[~mikey b]

I heard Leavitt Peak was good today

look for young Owen and crew on Tuesday