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KE4AEK's avatar
KE4AEK
Explorer
Feb 07, 2014

NY to Yosemite, mid April

Have reservations at Yosemite Lodge for 26 April. Traveling from NY with 33' gas Winnebago VISTA towing a Wrangler. Looking at route options I80, I70, or I40. Current planning indicates 7 days to get there. How many extra days should I allow for potential weather problems? Interested in anyone's experience for these 3 routes.
  • No more than one extra day for weather IMO. Take the shortest route but don't plan on going 395 over Tioga into Yosemite. Need to come around to 99 in the Central Valley.
  • http://www.monobasinresearch.org/data/tiogapass.htm

    is an interesting website devoted to opening and closing dates of Tioga Pass since 1933. You will see the very wide discrepancy of open and close dates.
    jefe
  • With the lack of snow we're getting out here, you may be able to enter Yosemite from the east over Tioga Pass. It normally doesn't open until into May, but we're getting a very dry winter so it may open early if that keeps up.
  • KE4AEK wrote:
    Have reservations at Yosemite Lodge for 26 April. Traveling from NY with 33' gas Winnebago VISTA towing a Wrangler. Looking at route options I80, I70, or I40. Current planning indicates 7 days to get there. How many extra days should I allow for potential weather problems? Interested in anyone's experience for these 3 routes.
    I-40 from Knoxville to Flagstaff is pretty much a breeze. Late April SHOULD be OK but you never know with this winter - New Mex and Ariz. might be iffy. Depending on where in NYS you are, I'd take I-81 south from PA to Tennessee. I did that a bunch of years ago but it was an easy drive.
  • If there is possible bad weather, I would take I-40 as it has the least amount of mountains to climb, there is high elevation however as Arizona and New Mexico are High Desert areas. Once you get to California, I would take Hwy. 58 to Bakersfield, from there take Hwy. 99 North. From there you have two choices to go into Yosemite, either Hwy. 41 East or go farther North to Merced and take Hwy. 140 East. Bad weather, I would take 10 days or so. Have a Great Trip!

    Bob in Calif.