Eastern Sierra day drives

[TPatt88]

Hi All~

The Mrs., our little guy and my mom were planning a last minute Yosemite trip for next week (Monday through Friday) but with the little Gov't shutdown bs happening right now a run to our beloved Yosemite might not happen. We are instead planning on an Eastern Sierra trip with destinations off the 395. Right now we are looking at the following:

-Monday drive from SB to Lone Pine and stay the night there.
-Tuesday / Weds go to Mammoth spending the night in a hotel there.
-Thurs is up in the air, either back down 395 to Lone Pine again or up and over Hwy 108 staying in a hotel back on the ocean side of the mountains.
-Friday drive home

I want to take Saturday as a clean up / relax day as I have to work Sunday. All of our lodging will be hotels / motels because we don't think the 3 month old is up for camping yet..... :noidea:

I have tons of Yosemite experience but have only gone past Lone Pine going north on the 395 once so it is mostly unknown territory for us.

What things do we HAVE TO SEE while up there and more importantly, what kind of dirt can I hit to find these things? :eyebrows:

I need to limit my offroading on this trip to nothing too scary as it's just my T4R no other cars to help out and I'm sure mom and baby and the Mrs. won't be that eager to have me get us lost/stuck/broken down in the mountains somewhere unknown haha.

I have seen lots about "Coyote Flat" east of Bishop and that looks cool, have done North and South Lake east of Bishop also and would do them again. Have poked around the Alabama Hills a few times and love stopping there (intend to this trip).

What light offroading can we do while in and around Mammoth that will let us see awesome things (to keep the occupants of the car not named Me interested)?

Open for all suggestions and input, THANKS AS ALWAYS GUYS!

Tim

 

[Semi-Hex]

Last I was there there, Devils Post pile was an uncontrolled National Monument which you might be able to get to, since there is no one there. Mono lake and area is really cool. I'm not sure how they actually close a park, they would have to hire about 200 people to patrol Death Valley for example, just to keep people out of the west side.

 

[Jeremy556]

Hi All~

The Mrs., our little guy and my mom were planning a last minute Yosemite trip for next week (Monday through Friday) but with the little Gov't shutdown bs happening right now a run to our beloved Yosemite might not happen.

Really, why? Not sure about there, but my back yard is a national monument, and the .gov slimdown just means that I don't have to show someone sitting in a booth my annual pass from 9am-6pm.

 

[TPatt88]

I'm not sure how they actually close a park, they would have to hire about 200 people to patrol Death Valley for example, just to keep people out of the west side.

Who knows but they're going to find a way. Apparently you can still drive through via Tioga but no stopping or "recreating" lol whatever that means. Over night visitors were given 48 hours to get out

 

[TPatt88]

Really, why? Not sure about there, but my back yard is a national monument, and the .gov slimdown just means that I don't have to show someone sitting in a booth my annual pass from 9am-6pm.

Lol maybe I'm just reading too into it but with Yosemite at least it sounds like they are going to keep people out.

Government shutdown closes Yosemite National Park | Video | abc30.com

 

[1000MPH]

Yosemite is like Disneyland anyway.
In Mammoth there's Deadmans' pass/San Joaquin/Minarets, Bald Mtn, June Lake, Lake Mary.

What about Kernville/Lake Isabella?
Jawbone
Bird Springs Pass
Chimney Peak Byway
Kennedy Meadows

 

[TPatt88]

Yosemite is like Disneyland anyway.
In Mammoth there's Deadmans' pass/San Joaquin/Minarets, Bald Mtn, June Lake, Lake Mary.

What about Kernville/Lake Isabella?
Jawbone
Bird Springs Pass
Chimney Peak Byway
Kennedy Meadows

Who doesn't like Disneyland? Haha.

Never been around lake Isabella are any of those the kind of thing we could do as a loop to and from the 395 or 14 connecting from one point on our route to another?

I have seen Kennedy Meadows in some google maps researching of late when I was looking up Bald Mtn in that area. The entire chain of mountains are just ridiculously awesome I could spend endless trips exploring it all!

 

[TomT]

Tagging this thread as a 395 run is definitely on my future to-do list.

 

[KVA]

Eastern Sierra

I am up there all the time (just about every weekend in the winter).

If you're gonna stay in Lone Pine, there is not much there in town (except for the busiest McDonald's ever) - you can walk it all in 10 minutes. I would suggest going up to the Whitney Portal (this is the main entrance to the highest peak in continental US @ 14,500ft). It's amazing to see how rapid things change with elevation - going from desert to pines in no time.

Lone Pine is super close to Independence, Big Pine and Bishop. Between Lone Pine and Independence is the former Japanese Internment camp - Manzanar. It's a national historic site so it will probably be closed but you can pull over on 395 just to look on the way to Bishop.

Bishop is the largest town in the area, hit up Schat's Bakery along with everyone else...they are a mainstay for all travels into/out of Bishop. Get gas at Von's...

In terms of sights, I would spend most my time in Mammoth as there are a ton of lakes and trails that are very close and easy to get to - doesn't take a lot to feel like you've gotten off the beaten path. Besides lakes you can see the namesake mountain - take a gondola ride to the top (11,050 ft). June lake and mono lake are very close from Mammoth as well.

All-in-all, Mammoth is only another 45 minutes from Bishop max.

Have fun! While in Mammoth, you might even see some bears...

 

[TPatt88]

I am up there all the time (just about every weekend in the winter).

If you're gonna stay in Lone Pine, there is not much there in town (except for the busiest McDonald's ever) - you can walk it all in 10 minutes. I would suggest going up to the Whitney Portal (this is the main entrance to the highest peak in continental US @ 14,500ft). It's amazing to see how rapid things change with elevation - going from desert to pines in no time.

Lone Pine is super close to Independence, Big Pine and Bishop. Between Lone Pine and Independence is the former Japanese Internment camp - Manzanar. It's a national historic site so it will probably be closed but you can pull over on 395 just to look on the way to Bishop.

Bishop is the largest town in the area, hit up Schat's Bakery along with everyone else...they are a mainstay for all travels into/out of Bishop. Get gas at Von's...

In terms of sights, I would spend most my time in Mammoth as there are a ton of lakes and trails that are very close and easy to get to - doesn't take a lot to feel like you've gotten off the beaten path. Besides lakes you can see the namesake mountain - take a gondola ride to the top (11,050 ft). June lake and mono lake are very close from Mammoth as well.

All-in-all, Mammoth is only another 45 minutes from Bishop max.

Have fun! While in Mammoth, you might even see some bears...

Thanks a lot for the tips! We've done Manzanar twice it is very interesting but like you said will probably be closed.

How far out of town is the turnaround for Whitney Portal? Ive never made it that far up that road as we always play around at Alabama Hills then tend to head out. Does it provide great views of Whitney?

And I know about the busyness of that McD's it's crazy busy!

Thanks,
Tim

 

[KVA]

You're not going to see MT. Whitney from the portal...it's 11 miles away up and around the mountains - you'll get abetter view of Whitney from McDonald's.

It is about a 30 minute drive from Lone Pine...just drive into town and make a left in the center of town on Whitney Portal (it's a lighted intersection - one of the few). You can hike from t he portal to Lone Pine lake without a pass - it's about a 1-2 hour walk depending on how fast you're going. All up the annoying parking lot switchbacks...

Personally, I would hit up Mammoth. Stay there and venture out...lot's to see and all within close distance.

 

[KVA]

Whitney

Here's Mt. Whitney - the view from McDonald's without going to McDonald's.

Forgot to mention that if you stop at McDonald's and you bring your skateboard, you can leverage the skate park just outside the parking lot. BTW - Mammoth has a skate park too! Just thought I would throw that in there...lol

Ohhh...don't forget to go to Mammoth Brewery and sample some brews and try a burger @ Burgers across from the Village.

 

[LightRanger]

There's a Mammoth to June OHV road that may be worth looking into. I haven't driven it through, but I slept on it at Deadman's a couple of months ago before backpacking out of North Lake the next morning. The section I could see was just a dirt road. Nothing difficult about it. Maybe Google around and see if it's worth hitting, or maybe somebody here has driven it through.

Great views and little roads off the Mammoth scenic loop.

Also, Google "green church hot springs"... a bunch of natural springs that people have piped into concrete tubs on BLM land over the Long Valley Caldera. Not too far off the highway and easy dirt roads. Clothing is sometimes optional, but you can usually tell from far enough away.

 

[KVA]

There's a Mammoth to June OHV road that may be worth looking into.

Great views and little roads off the Mammoth scenic loop.

Also, Google "green church hot springs"... a bunch of natural springs

Good points!

Also visit the main Mammoth visitor site for lots of info.

 

[TPatt88]

You guys are so helpful thanks again! I'm definitely going to look into that ohv road from mammoth to June and love me some microbrews aka Mammoth Brew here I come!!!

 

[1000MPH]

I went past Whitney last month.
The beer is better in Kernville vs. Mammoth but it's hard to beat Mammoth for scenery.
Don't forget to reset your MPG indicator on the way back from Mammoth so you can post pics of your 4runner getting 60mpgs.

 

[Quatre Coureur]

Wheelers Ridge outside Bishop. One of the prettiest trails ever IMHO...

 

[TPatt88]

Will do on the 60 mpg's! Hopefully losing the little plastic air routing pieces below the front bumper + BFG AT's + weighed down with traveling stuff won't hold me back!

And for my money, it's all about Figueroa Mountain Brew Co. right now (40 minutes away from me in Buellton, CA). Simply the best going!

Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.

 

[TPatt88]

Just had Guide To Northern California Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails: Charles A. Wells: 9780966497656: Amazon.com: Books arrive in the mail a few minutes ago so I should feel pretty inspired by the time I've looked through this book. I have his companion Guide to SoCal edition and it is awesome.

 

[DannyLlama]

Enjoy your trip OP.
I would NOT recommend camping with a 3MO. Went camping with a 1 year old and that was challenging enough.

I like this thread and have been thinking of starting a Camping/Wheeling where to go thread.

What you guys think?