Trip to Yosemite, best places to go ??

I just want to say thank you to everyone who has posted replies with so much helpful info. It's all greatly appreciated. If it hadn't been for you guys, I would have been flying blind going into the park and no doubt would have been disappointed to find the conditions at the park. Ultimately I will be going to the park this weekend. I've spoken to quite a few people about the air quality, etc., at the park and given that there are health warnings the health warnings are not severe enough to post any real threat to visitors as they say if I am there not overexerting myself for prolonged periods of time, meaning if you're out hiking don't stay out too long and everything should be fine. Oy So I am stuck with either eating the cost and not going or just go ahead and go and explore the park to see what is there so the next time I go I'll have a better idea as to where to go. The lady I spoke with at the sierra forestry service as well as at the Yosemite visitor center said that the air quality has improved greatly as to what it was two days ago and they continue to expect the conditions to improve to varying degrees but will still persist through the weekend and that the higher elevations should be okay. At any rate, I'll be heading up there this weekend without my son though unfortunately. I t will give me a better idea as to what to expect and where to go on my next visit. Again, thank you very much for all the replies.

Angie, I live near Yosemite and you must understand that the smoke from all the fires is killing any photographic chances you plan on having this weekend. Although it is getting better, it still completely sucks in the high Sierra. Here is a link to some web cams. I think Yosemite is on the top.

http://sierrafire.cr.u​sgs.gov/swfrs/Pages/We​bCam.html


edit: after reading replies, I see you already have this info.

Regarding the fires: more thunderstorms are expected tomorrow, although hopefully not as much lightning.

I have actually been thinking about driving into the park to get a nice sunset shot from the smoke.

Have you considered simply moving your trip to the Eastern Sierras? I'm going up there in a couple of weeks.... not sure if the smoke is bad on that side, but it's also a great place with scenery just as nice as that of Yosemite.

madhatter04 wrote in post #5798922
Have you considered simply moving your trip to the Eastern Sierras? I'm going up there in a couple of weeks.... not sure if the smoke is bad on that side, but it's also a great place with scenery just as nice as that of Yosemite.

It is just as bad.

Yeah, I know, Squashed, that the likelihood of photographic opps are pretty much screwed but not entirely. Of course I would love to go to the park when conditions are much better but unfortunately they downright refuse to postpone the first night's stay despite the health risks and warnings that I was unaware of and was not told about when I made the reservation that are going out so either I eat 220 bucks or make the 4 hour or so drive up there and at least explore the park a bit and get my money's worth. It's BS to fork out that money and have nothing to show for it, if not photographs, at least I would have an idea as to what the park has to offer, etc., the next time I go. I thought of the same thing as tenoverthenose suggested and if there are any photo opps for me a sunrise or sunset shot with the smoke. Also the lady I spoke with said the higher elevations of Yosemite may be good and less affected by the smoke such as Tioga Pass which is at an elevation of almost 10,000 feet as a great majority of the smoke is settling in the canyons. may produce some interesting sunset and sunrise shots but I won't know that not until I go. Also may produce some interesting shots of any forest trees early morning in areas where the smoke is not too heavy and allows any faint sun rays to come through so it gives the effect of fog or heavy mist through the trees with faint sun rays coming through on a few trees or on the ground, etc. but in reality instead of fog or heavy mist, it's the smoke from the fires. So there are still photographic opps there, you just got to find them and be more creative and also hopefully the higher elevations the conditions will be much better. Don't get me wrong, I would love to have much much better conditions but I'm just not so willing to literally give someone 220 bucks and just walk away from it. If I come back with no photographs, that's fine. At least the next time I go, I'll know where to go, know what to expect from the park, etc. That's what happened with Sequioa. Spur of the moment road trip, headed out to Sequoia, had no clue where to go, got some shots, and still enjoyed it. But the next time I went, I knew the park and was much easier to navigate. That's the way I will be looking at this trip and the unfortunate circumstances that surround it.

I agree. If I spent $220, you'd better believe I'd be up there forcing myself to take great pics and have fun!

If you do head to the Tioga Pass, you're in for a treat! The whole highway is amazingly beautiful with some exceptional hike-in lakes!

The forecast for this weekend is looking so much better today. Winds are"supposed" to shift and help blow the smoke away. So there is a light at the end of the tunnel afterall(fingers crossed)

My boss is there as we speak and he has called to tell us that the smoke is incredibly thick. He is SO disppointed.

The smoke in this whole valley is incredibly thick. They are asking everyone to stay indoors and cancel all outside activities until next Monday.

Bummer.

We (On the Eastern side) are supposed to be getting Southeast winds which in turn should blow our smoke to the Yosemite side or Western side of the Sierra's. Im sorry to you all on the western side for that !!

Here are some links for anyone that is watching this thread and thinking about heading up to Yosemite during the fires. I've read some of the reports here on the air quality issues. I talked with quite a few national weather service reps both for San Joaquin Valley as well as for Yosemite regarding the air quality in the area. I read here that health advisories had gone out for everyone to stay in doors and no outside activities until Monday. If this was the case, of course I would not go. So I decided to call the National Park Service both for San Joaquin and Yosemite to talk to some officials before I made the decision of seriously eating the 200 bucks if that was the case that everyone is to stay indoors until Monday. I would much rather get the info from the horse's mouth so to speak rather than taking it from third parties.

The areas most affected by the smoke is in the San Joaquin Valley. Yosemite is higher in elevation but still being affected. They have issued the same report that anyone hiking within the park is to avoid prolonged exertion or strenuous activities:
"OFFICIALS ARE URGING RESIDENTS TO LIMIT THEIR EXPOSURE IN AREAS
WHERE THEY CAN SEE OR SMELL SMOKE..."

"RESIDENTS ARE ADVISED TO USE CAUTION. PEOPLE WITH HEART OR LUNG
DISEASE SHOULD FOLLOW ADVICE FROM THEIR DOCTORS FOR DEALING WITH
EPISODES OF UNHEALTHY AIR QUALITY. ADDITIONALLY...OLDER ADULTS
AND CHILDREN SHOULD AVOID PROLONGED EXPOSURE...STRENUOUS
ACTIVITIES OR HEAVY EXERTION."

Full the full report from the NPS on the air qualities issues within San Joaquin and Yosemite
http://www.wrh.noaa.go​v …e=Air+Stagnatio​n+Advisory

Red Flag Warning for the potential of thunderstorms in the High Sierra
http://www.wrh.noaa.go​v …ductType=Red+Fl​ag+Warning

National Weather Service Forecast Office

http://www.wrh.noaa.go​v …528&textField2=​-119.59722

I also spoke with a Ranger within Yosemite National Park. He has reported that conditions have improved quite a bit as to what they were 2 days ago and there is a chance of thunderstorms over the next few days so there is a light at the end of the tunnel and visitors within the park are still encouraged to go out and have fun but do not overexert yourself for prolonged periods of time. The lady at the visitors center within YNP also stated that the conditions have improved from a few days ago and they are allowing people to explore the park but asking hikers to not overdo it and to avoid staying out for long periods of time, especially in areas where you can see or smell smoke. She also stated that San Joaquin Valley which sits well below Yosemite has been hit the hardest and the air quality advisories are more severe for this region than it is in YNP.

For more detailed info about Yosemite and the current conditions or questions regarding the park

http://www.nps.gov/yos​e/

I just wanted to post this because there's been so many differing reports regarding the current conditions at YNP and it may be helpful for anyone visiting the park this weekend or what have you to find out what is going on from them. In the links I provided, you can read about the daily reports on air quality within the park and San Joaquin, red flag warnings regarding thunderstorms, instructions on areas to stay away from or what activities to limit, etc. Anyway, I hope this helps anyone that is following this thread to be able to get as much info regarding the conditions and enabling them to make a well informed decision on whether or not it is worth the trip out there this weekend. Unfortunately in my case, I am a bit stuck because they refuse to cancel or postpone the first night's stay so I can either go to the park and explore it and look for any photo opps I can find or eat the 200 or so bucks. BUT if the conditions were that bad, of course I would not go. But it does look like the conditions have improved quite a bit and are expected to continue to improve.

Cali,
Here is a link to a webcam in the Tioga Pass. It looks alright to me...:
http://tenaya.ucsd.edu​/tioga/

madhatter04 wrote in post #5805058
Cali,
Here is a link to a webcam in the Tioga Pass. It looks alright to me...:
http://tenaya.ucsd.edu​/tioga/

There are apparently 5 web cams in Yosemite, here is a link to all five;

http://www.nps.gov …tosmultimedia/w​ebcams.htm

Wayne

Angie, if and when you get to Yosemite don't forget to take a day trip up to Tuolumne Meadows up in the High Sierra. There is more to Yosemite than just the valley.