Tioga Pass is Open! : Michael Frye Photography

Mammoth Peak reflected in snowmelt pond, near Tioga Pass, Yosemite NP, CA, USA

Mammoth Peak reflected in snowmelt pond, near Tioga Pass, Yosemite, from 1993

Tioga Pass opened today. I love photographing the Yosemite high country when there’s still snow on the peaks and ice covering the lakes, so this is a great time to go up there. However the forecast calls for snow on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in the higher elevations of Yosemite. The park service has been ultra-cautious about the Glacier Point Road this spring, closing it when there’s any chance of snow. They’ll probably be even more cautious with the Tioga Road, so I expect it will close again on Friday, and probably remain closed through the weekend. 🙁 I could be wrong, but if you have a chance to go up today or tomorrow, take it!

— Michael Frye

Michael Frye is a professional photographer specializing in landscapes and nature. He is the author or principal photographer of The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite, Yosemite Meditations, Yosemite Meditations for Women, Yosemite Meditations for Adventurers, and Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Great Masters. He has also written three eBooks: Light & Land: Landscapes in the Digital Darkroom, Exposure for Outdoor Photography, and Landscapes in Lightroom: The Essential Step-by-Step Guide. Michael has written numerous magazine articles on the art and technique of photography, and his images have been published in over thirty countries around the world. Michael has lived either in or near Yosemite National Park since 1983, currently residing just outside the park in Mariposa, California.

6 Comments

connie cassinetto on May 19, 2016 at 9:21 pm

Beautiful shot, as always!

Michael Frye on May 19, 2016 at 11:57 pm

Thank you Connie!
Reply

Doug on May 21, 2016 at 9:36 pm

Tioga Pass at this time is fun indeed. I’ve managed to be there once at this time of year, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Wish we could go this year, but it’s not to be.

Wonderful shot,

Doug

Michael Frye on May 22, 2016 at 4:13 am

Thanks Doug – glad you got to experience it one time!
Reply

Collette Ellsworth on May 22, 2016 at 10:51 pm

Been at the site . . . . beauty is as beauty does, to awaken our senses, glory to our Father, and so much more 🙂 ~~~ Yosemite – my FAVORITE place on earth ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~