One of the reasons we chose to get a reservation and drive through Yosemite this week was because we wanted to see the work in progress. There's a lot of work, and a lot of progress.
First of all, there is a big emphasis on parking areas. It looks like most of areas where you could once park along the road are being completely eliminated with curbs. This is true around Sunrise Trailhead, Tenaya Lake, Murphy Creek, Pywiack Dome, and Cathedral Lakes Trailhead. They were working in the area around Pothole Dome, so we assume the same will be true there, as well. In fact, they've taken out a lot of the bear boxes that used to line the road at Cathedral Lakes Trailhead.
It makes for a much more pleasant drive, and certainly a safer one (the situation along Tenaya Lake was always way too sketchy for our taste) but it does make one wonder. How they heck are all those people going to hike out of those trailheads if they can't part their car there?
It may be that expanded shuttle service will do the trick along the Tioga Road, but that's a much bigger project than the shuttle in Yosemite Valley, which we love. Either that, or get there at the crack of dawn for a chance at one of the few parking spaces available.
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