Yosemite advice

[Kevin Rooney]

Funny, I'm also going to Yosemite in October. I'll be there from 10/6 to 10/14.

What are the higher elevations like in October? Are the cables on Half Dome usually down by then? Should I bring crampons and an axe if want to get up something like Mt. Dana around that time?

In my limited experience of Yosemite, snow in October is not unusual. Here's a link to Caltrans that will
give you some idea of when the passes close. The one you're interested in is Tioga Pass - it's the eastern gateway to the park (from Lee Vining and US395) is is rather high - nearly 10K. Don't know why they didn't update this year's opening but in any case - you can get an idea over the past few years when it closes. Keep in mind that those dates don't mark the FIRST snowfall - simply when it becomes too hazardous to plow the road. If you've ever driven up from Lee Vining to the park, you'll know what I mean.

As for whether you need crampons and an axe? Well, I probably would, especially if I had the room. I know I'm headed up Whitney in about a week (early Sept) and I'll be packing some 6-pointers as there's ice now every morning on some of the shaded sections - usually melts by afternoon, then re-freezes at night. Hard to believe when it's over 100F in the valleys, but ... those are tall hills.