High Sierra Topix

With the restrictions in Yosemite (120) this year, I would interested in hearing what alternate routes people are going to use, and why that specific route?
I know some folks who do not like to use 120, personally I like using 108 during the Fall (Sonora Pass).

I live near Elk Grove. I like 207 out of South lake Tahoe over the Kingsbury grade. A little north to Gardnerville, but drops me safely onto 395. I can also stop either to or from the trip at a casino for a buffet. We generally take it for southbound trips and stop at Jolly Kone in Bridgeport on the way down, and then hit an open buffet back in South Lake Tahoe on the way out. I love Jolly Kone.

Monitor pass is my other route i like, but it is higher and harder on the vehicle. I really didn't like 108.

The only "Restriction" I see is that you have to pay unless you have a season pass or senior pass. My reading of the latest regulations do not require a reserved day pass if you simply drive through and do not stop. It certainly is not a fast way, regardless of rules. Can get really clogged, 45 mph at best.

From Sacramento, I go up 50, then take Mormon Emigrant Road to 88, then Monitor Pass to 395. Or 50 to Luther Pass road, then cut over to Monitor Pass to 395. I once tried through South Lake Tahoe and down Kingsbury Grade, but I though it was really slow through Tahoe. I must have hit it at the wrong time. But cheap gas in Minden is a plus. I never get gas between Minden and Bishop - holy hell high prices!

Sonora Pass is also very nice too.

take the pioneer trail rd through tahoe. faster.

I've already been over to the Owens Valley once this year. I went through Bakersfield and Tehachapi. It's not very scenic, but it is smoother and faster.

It looks like Tioga Road/Hwy 120 will still be a viable option without a Yosemite day use reservation this summer. (hurray, it was hard enough getting an Inyo wilderness permit!)

from https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/covid19.htm :
Do I need a day-use reservation if I am just driving through the park?
You can drive through the park to reach a destination on the other side of the park without a reservation. The entrance station ranger will provide a time-stamped permit valid for the time needed to travel from entrance to entrance. You must drive the most direct route to exit the park; stopping is prohibited. Violating park regulations can result in a fine of up to $5,000 and/or six months in jail.

rlown wrote: ↑Sat Apr 10, 2021 1:18 pm take the pioneer trail rd

Shhhh, that's a local secret

I don't even remember how I learned it. Probably a wrong turn and voila, there it was.

My challenge is around logistics for a trip ending in Yosemite. I have a permit to hike the SHR southbound from Horse Creek (Hoover) to Tuolumne. Was going to leave my car in Tuolumne, get a ride to Twin Lakes, and walk back to my car. Maybe instead I should just find a place around Saddlebag Lake to park my car, and finish there.