Update: Plows open Hwy 108 up to Kennedy Meadows after huge snowpack. How much more to go?
Snowplows have cleared Highway 108 as far as Kennedy Meadows, delighting business owners who feared it might be closed into July.
The huge snowpack still blocks the final stretch over Sonora Pass into Mono County. It could open by mid-June, a spokesman for the California Department of Transportation said Tuesday.
The Kennedy Meadows Resort and Pack Station welcomed the news with a Facebook post. Its lodging, restaurant and other attractions will start up Friday, one day before trout season.
“We want to thank the local Caltrans crews for doing the best they could and getting the road open,” the post said.
“Whoo hoo!!” one fan replied. “Looking forward to my Sunday night prime rib dinner!!”
Snow closes the highway every winter from a few miles east of Pinecrest to a few miles west of Bridgeport. It reopens by midspring in most years, providing access between Tuolumne and Mono counties.
As of early May, the plows still were 13 miles west of Kennedy Meadows. That prompted a news release from the resort and two other attractions.
They urged Caltrans to bring on more of its employees and private contractors for the task. The agency responded that it was working as quickly and safely as possible.
It’s not just about moving snow. Workers also contend with mudslides, fallen trees and boulders that tumbled onto the pavement. The Facebook page for Caltrans District 10 shows an employee taking a jackhammer to one of the big rocks.
Those conditions remain as crews clear the final eight miles over Sonora Pass, even with some of the snow melting. It could open the week of June 12 if all goes well, said an email from Rick Brewer, a public information officer for the Stockton-based district.
“There is a TON of snow, trees, debris and potential slides on the higher elevations as they approach Sonora Pass from both sides (our District 9 partners are working the eastern side),” Brewer said.
The latest progress on the west side won praise also from Camp Jack Hazard, about five miles west of Kennedy Meadows. It has served Stanislaus County children since the early 1920s. A Facebook post said volunteers will spend the next two weekends preparing the camp for summer visitors.
“We can’t thank the Caltrans team enough for all the hard work moving this unbelievable amount of snow,” the post said.
Pinecrest Lake Resort had joined in the early May plea for faster plowing. It already was accessible, but the management said guests like to take side trips to upper elevations.
This week’s opening also provides access to numerous campgrounds in the Stanislaus National Forest.
Highway 108 is one of three state routes in the region that close each winter. Highway 4 remains shut at the east end of Lake Alpine. The Highway 120 closure is at Crane Flat in Yosemite National Park. Its most direct connection to Yosemite Valley is closed due to collapsed pavement.
