Avalanche!

Avalanche!. Olmsted Point. , The Tioga Road, one of the few roads that crosses the Sierra Nevada, reaches the highest point of any at Tioga Pass (9,945ft, 3km). It provides a gateway to the park, wilderness, and high country. The long winters and rigorous road-opening procedures invite respect for the character of this place and perhaps a greater appreciation for the pleasure and privilege of being here. , Winter snow buried the Tioga Road six to nine months each year, and drifts can reach 30 feet in depth (9.14 m). Road crew begin plowing in April. This can take up to three months depending upon snow depth, trees and rocks in the snow pack, and 26 potential avalanche zones. Notice the smoothness of the dome across the road to you left. Slabs of ice and snow on glacially polished granite make plowing this area especially hazardous. Rather than plow the precariously perched class, crews speed charcoal to accelerate melting and sometimes blast the unstable ice and snow.