Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Landscape Photography Locations => Topic started by: davewolfs on May 13, 2009, 11:12:11 am
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Hello everyone,
I might be flying into San Francisco around mid June and want to take this time to visit the Eastern Sierra. I will probably have around 4-6 solid days of time to be spent there. I've heard that both the up country and surrounding Bishop area can be great. I really don't know much about this area so I appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks,
Dave
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Mid June might be a little early for the really high trails, which might still have snow on them. Whether that's a problem or not will depend on how dry the winter was and how hot the spring was - it's been *pretty* dry and *pretty* hot, so you might be OK at the high elevations, but then again you might not. Hopefully you can find some local source of information before you go. My recommendations below assume that snow won't still be a problem. It's also not clear which roads across the Sierras will be open yet in mid June. Hopefully highway 120 through Yosemite will be, but it's not guaranteed. There's always highway 80 through Lake Tahoe, which is always open except during snowstorms, but that's much farther to the north.
My favorite eastern Sierras trail is the one that leaves from South Lake (a particularly lovely spot in itself, even if you don't hike) and goes to Bishop Pass; it's about a 12-mile round trip. If that's too long, going shorter distances is fine too (there's some lakes I forget the name of along the way). It's west out of Bishop.
Mount Whitney (highest mountain in the continental US) is an excellent hike if you can manage about 20 miles and 4000-5000 ft of elevation gain (I can't, but my spouse has done it). Moderately crowded, however, compared with most of the other trails in the east Sierras, most of which are pretty empty of people.
Another great day hike is out of the settlement of Glacier Lodge, along the Big Pine Creek road. There are two branches out of there - the south branch is a good day hike (something like 10 miles round trip) that goes to the base of the Palisades, which have little glaciers (as big as they get in the Sierras), though it's a but dull until near the end. The north branch is doable as a multi-day hike with camping, and I've heard it's great too, though I haven't personally done it. (I don't camp.)
The trail out of the end of the Rock Creek road is another fine one - the trail forks partway along, and the north branch is the best (sorry, I forget the names of the trails, since it's been a long time since I was there).
There are various long multi-day hikes that wind through the high plateau, too, but I haven't been there. My recommendations here are strictly the day hikes.
It's *definitely* worth spending a day to do the long drive up into the White Mountains (on the opposite side of the Owens Valley from the Sierras), to see the bristlecone pines and the gorgeous view of the east wall of the Sierras across the valley. (Do it on a clear day - though in June *all* days are likely to be clear.)
Mono Lake is also in the general vicinity, as is the ghost town of Bodie. Both very interesting places for photography.
If you can, try to find somewhere to stay at some elevation (not at Bishop or elsewhere in the valley), so the high altitude up in the mountains doesn't slow you down too much (or even give you altitude sickness). There are a number of tiny places with cabins and such up along the various roads that head into the mountains (Glacier Lodge, Parcher's Camp, Convict Lake, etc.).
Excellent places to eat include Double Eagle Resort at June Lake, the Chart House in Mammoth, and the Mobil gas station in Lee Vining (yes, the Mobil gas station - it has a great restaurant attached). Those are all a ways north of the best hiking areas, though; if you're more down in the Bishop area, I don't have any particular recommendations.
And don't forget to stop at the Mountain Light gallery in Bishop, which was Galen Rowell's headquarters and always has great photographs on exhibit.
Lisa
P.S. Sorry about the long, rambling "brain dump". And it's been several years since I've been to that area, so conceivably some of the information (about restaurants and such) might be out of date.
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Lisa has set out your travel options, but getting TO the eastern Sierra from San Francisco bay area will be a LONG day's travel.
A note on Mount Whitney: you will need a wilderness permit, and access is limited by quota. I'm pretty sure you can't just "walk in" to get one but see below.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/mtwhitney.shtml (http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/mtwhitney.shtml)
I believe (but am not certain) that a wilderness pass is otherwise only required if you are camping overnight. So day hiking in places like South Lake/Bishop Pass or out of Glacier Lodge should be fine without a permit.
A couple of other places to visit.
The ghost town of Bodie (north of Mono Lake/Lee Vining) is a fascinating look at California's gold rush days. It is now preserved as a state historic park.
The June Lake loop between Mammoth Lakes and Lee Vining is a pretty drive and area to photograph.
In addition to the eateries Lisa has suggested, the Imperial Gourmet Chinese restaurant in Bishop has been surprisingly good in the past (I heard it recently relocated in town and don't have current information). And Erick Schat's Bakkery in Bishop has been an eastern Sierra staple for years - I always stop there to bring home their shepherder bread.
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Lisa has set out your travel options, but getting TO the eastern Sierra from San Francisco bay area will be a LONG day's travel.
A note on Mount Whitney: you will need a wilderness permit, and access is limited by quota. I'm pretty sure you can't just "walk in" to get one but see below.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/mtwhitney.shtml (http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/mtwhitney.shtml)
I believe (but am not certain) that a wilderness pass is otherwise only required if you are camping overnight. So day hiking in places like South Lake/Bishop Pass or out of Glacier Lodge should be fine without a permit.
A couple of other places to visit.
The ghost town of Bodie (north of Mono Lake/Lee Vining) is a fascinating look at California's gold rush days. It is now preserved as a state historic park.
The June Lake loop between Mammoth Lakes and Lee Vining is a pretty drive and area to photograph.
In addition to the eateries Lisa has suggested, the Imperial Gourmet Chinese restaurant in Bishop has been surprisingly good in the past (I heard it recently relocated in town and don't have current information). And Erick Schat's Bakkery in Bishop has been an eastern Sierra staple for years - I always stop there to bring home their shepherder bread.
I'll 2nd your idea.Bodie is a great place to see.Also not far South is Mono Lake and June Lake Loop.
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I might be flying into San Francisco around mid June and want to take this time to visit the Eastern Sierra. I will probably have around 4-6 solid days of time to be spent there. I've heard that both the up country and surrounding Bishop area can be great. I really don't know much about this area so I appreciate any suggestions.
In addition to the other great ideas here, I'd consider the eight-mile RT hike from Mosquito Flat (about 10K') through Gem Lakes. Little alpine lake after little alpine lake, all different under dramatic cliffs. Scenic all the way along, and with any luck not too soggy. I'm sad that when I'm up there next weekend the route will almost certainly be snowed in, but June is quite possible.
Hardly mountainous but worth mentioning, the Eureka Dunes, part of Death Valley National Park, is actually most easily accessed starting heading east from Big Pine, the last time I was there the road was paved most of the way, and unpaved but 50mph wide and well-graded up to the mile or two before the dunes themselves. High-clearance probably helpful for the last mile or two, 4wd won't be. Just past the dunes there's some sand, but if you know not to stop in it, you shouldn't have too much trouble going around to the far end of the dunes.
I've done a ton (weeks and weeks) of work at Mono Lake, if you have any interest in that area I can give you the run down on that.
Still, with all the amazing stuff the Sierra themselves offer, I doubt you'll get that far.
--Joe
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I've done a ton (weeks and weeks) of work at Mono Lake, if you have any interest in that area I can give you the run down on that.
Not to highjack the thread, but I'm pretty familiar with the classic area around the South Tufa and Navy Beach. I'd love to hear any suggestions for other locations to shoot around Mono Lake.
Best,
Paul
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Not to highjack the thread, but I'm pretty familiar with the classic area around the South Tufa and Navy Beach. I'd love to hear any suggestions for other locations to shoot around Mono Lake.
Sure. The sections you've been in are rich, if you've been there you've probably taken the short 4wd road that cuts off from the Navy Beach road to the right where the NB road goes left, that'll take you out towards an area called Castle Tufa as well as some other nifty formations stuff in the short hike along the way.
Similarly, if you head west on (Test Station Road?) towards the South Tufa back towards Lee Vining another mile or so there's another grouping of Tufa I mean to explore with an eye towards post-sunset twilight wedge images.
I'm sure you've also seen what's referred to as the "Old Marina" area, which is just north along 395 from the visitor center. That can be a nice place to work sunrise.
On the north side of the lake, I haven't had much luck at Old County Park (except in winter), but if you continue along Cemetery Road to the east, after you pass the cemetery (which can be photogenically bleak in winter) it'll go past "Black Point". There's a 4WD road up on top of the point which I have't taken, but just after passing the big lump that is Black Point, there's a road that curls around back towards the lake that's very passable in a standard vehicle, from the end of that road it's about a 10-15 minute walk down to the lake, I've worked that area near sunset a number of times, and really enjoy it. No tall tufa but a lot of smaller features in water for reflections. What you see down there varies a lot with lake level.
Going around the East side of the lake is very tempting but is best done in groups of two or more
vehicles and at least one winch, many Mono Basin veterans I know have gotten stuck there, and as I often work alone, so I can't give you nearly as much advice in that area.
Heading north from the lake towards Conway Summit there's a dirt road or two turnout into an area called Rattlesnake Gulch (which earns it's name), but has some very nice views across the lake towards the Mono-Inyo Craters with interesting fore/middleground opps.
In October, some of the dirt roads back into the Sierra from that area will get you into areas of aspen. Lundy Canyon (near the NW corner of the lake, take a paved road behind the resort and then a dirt one beyond that) has a pair of nice beaver ponds (I like mid-morning there, doesn't get much early light) and aspen, and one can hike further back into the Sierra. The right week or two there can be terrific. South of the lake I've also worked Walker Canyon, Parker Canyon and Bohler Canyon but I'd have to look at a map to remember which was which off-hand, the June Lake Loop will also get some nice aspen particularly towards the back.
May-June that area of foothills near the north part of the June Lake loop wil, at least some years, get bright yellow with arrowroot balsamleaf, it's possible that's already going (or even past going), I see a note on the MLC committee website that they saw first flowers at lake level as early as mid-April, which I think is a little earlier than usual.
(PS: Don't forget to shoot some with an eye toward cropping to a 4x5 aspect ratio, even if you're shooting a 3x2 aspect ratio camera like I am. The MLC annual calendar gets a ton of submissions but needs images in that ratio, and, I'm told, the last few years a little short on spring/summer shots.)
--Joe
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Sure.
Joe, thanks for your detailed Mono Lake information. I may be in the area in August (June Lake) and would like to take another run to photograph the tufa at sunrise or sunset. You've opened up some interesting additional possibilities for me.
Paul
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So what would be a good base of operations to spend a week hiking/photographing the Eastern Sierra? I'm considering a possible trip in July, and would probably want to stay in in one place or maybe split my time in two places (wife doesn't like trips where we're moving to a different hotel every night). We're fit day-hikers, not really looking to do any overnight backpacking or camping on this trip.
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So what would be a good base of operations to spend a week hiking/photographing the Eastern Sierra? I'm considering a possible trip in July...
This really depends on how much infrastructure you want and where you want to hike/photograph. The 3 major places at which I would consider basing are (from south to north):
Lone Pine (Mt. Whitney, Alabama Hills)
Bishop (North Lake, South Lake, Lake Sabrina, Big Pine Creek, Bristlecone Pines in White Mtns, etc)
Mammoth (Mammoth Lakes, Devil's Postpile, June Lake loop; Tioga Pass road (should be open), Mono lake, etc to the north).
All 3 have multiple lodging options, places to eat, gas stations, etc. Mammoth is probably the most developed since it is a major ski resort area. Lone Pine is the smallest of the 3 towns. Depending on where I want to go, Lone Pine and Bishop are my 2 preferences.
Paul
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Paul has reasonable suggestions on where to stay. Mammoth, being a ski area in winter, has nicer hotels and restaurants, and is also at a somewhat higher altitude so you can get adjusted to the altitude better. It's farther north than most of the best hiking options, though, so would require more driving.
Lisa
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Thanks for the info. I may look into the possibility of splitting our stay over the three locations mentioned. We could do two nights in Mammoth, and three each in Biship and Lone Pine. Does that sound like too much ground to cover in a week? (actually 8 days). I realize we won't be able to see and do everything in one week, but since it's our first visit to the area I want to get a pretty good overview without spreading our time too thinly.
Is serious 4-wheel drive capability necessary around there? Or should any small to mid-size SUV with decent ground clearance be adequate for getting to trailheads?
Anything else to know about visiting this area in the summer (weather considerations, wildflower spots, etc) would be welcome.
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Thanks for the info. I may look into the possibility of splitting our stay over the three locations mentioned. We could do two nights in Mammoth, and three each in Biship and Lone Pine. Does that sound like too much ground to cover in a week? (actually 8 days). I realize we won't be able to see and do everything in one week, but since it's our first visit to the area I want to get a pretty good overview without spreading our time too thinly.
Is serious 4-wheel drive capability necessary around there? Or should any small to mid-size SUV with decent ground clearance be adequate for getting to trailheads?
Anything else to know about visiting this area in the summer (weather considerations, wildflower spots, etc) would be welcome.
4WD is always welcome, but not needed for most of the places you'll visit. A high-clearance vehicle is useful. For the most part these roads are either paved or graded dirt (you'll run into washboarding and loose sand).
Weather in July is generally very hot on the Owens Valley floor but cools off as you climb up into the mountains. There is always the chance of summer storms so rain gear is necessary. Sunblock and bug repellent will probably be used more than Gortex.
One note on drinking water - carry your own bottled or tap water when you hike. Don't drink lake or stream water without filtering or otherwise purifying it.
This just IMO, but I would spend less time in Lone Pine (Mt Whitney is the major attraction here but you need a wilderness permit to go past lower Boy Scout lake) and perhaps spend more time in Bishop, which is a hub to a number of areas.
Here's a few general eastern Sierra resources:
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findwe...rchType=WEATHER (http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=bishop+ca&searchType=WEATHER)
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/index.shtml (http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/index.shtml)
http://www.thesierraweb.com/index.cfm (http://www.thesierraweb.com/index.cfm)
http://www.395.com/ (http://www.395.com/)
Best,
Paul
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Hello everyone,
I might be flying into San Francisco around mid June and want to take this time to visit the Eastern Sierra. I will probably have around 4-6 solid days of time to be spent there. I've heard that both the up country and surrounding Bishop area can be great. I really don't know much about this area so I appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks,
Dave
hey-
i'm envious! OK, here's what I know-
for mid June hit mono lake and then McGee creek for great wildflowers. Hot creek might also have something. The Bishop area along chaulk bluff road and five bridges has some great locations. There isn't much in the Buttermilks. Probably too late for Division creek- there are great Lupine fields usually in May. The Alabama hills by Lone Pine have some cool arches, and with snow on the peaks can make for some great pics.
Marie
Bring lots of film.
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In addition to the other great ideas here, I'd consider the eight-mile RT hike from Mosquito Flat (about 10K') through Gem Lakes. Little alpine lake after little alpine lake, all different under dramatic cliffs. Scenic all the way along, and with any luck not too soggy. I'm sad that when I'm up there next weekend the route will almost certainly be snowed in, but June is quite possible.
Hardly mountainous but worth mentioning, the Eureka Dunes, part of Death Valley National Park, is actually most easily accessed starting heading east from Big Pine, the last time I was there the road was paved most of the way, and unpaved but 50mph wide and well-graded up to the mile or two before the dunes themselves. High-clearance probably helpful for the last mile or two, 4wd won't be. Just past the dunes there's some sand, but if you know not to stop in it, you shouldn't have too much trouble going around to the far end of the dunes.
I've done a ton (weeks and weeks) of work at Mono Lake, if you have any interest in that area I can give you the run down on that.
Still, with all the amazing stuff the Sierra themselves offer, I doubt you'll get that far.
--Joe
Thanks for the tips. There just seems like so much. I have around 5-6 days available to do this, so any recommendations on a day to day itinerary BTW, what road do you take to get to the Eureka dunes, is there a short cut on some sort of unmarked road?
THanks,
Dave
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All the suggestions made in the thread are excellent. If you are coming from San Francisco (and Tioga is open) it will take approximately 7hrs to get to Mammoth. Going south on US395 from Mono Lake you are another two hours from Bishop, so that is a long haul from the Bay Area. I agree that the hike from Mosquito Flat has some great scenery and is relatively easy because the road goes up to about 9500 ft. It is a pretty gentle walk up to the Gem Lakes, which is nice if you are not acclimated. Attached is a picture of my daughter hiking on the trail towards Gem Lakes accessible from Mosquito Flat. Personally, one of my favorite areas in the Sierra is around Mammoth, which I believe is part of the Ansel Adams Wilderness. Going toward Devils Postpile out of Mammoth, you descend from Minaret Summit and when you get to the bottom (by car if you leave early, by shuttle if you don't) is the Agnew Meadows trailhead and pack station. A relatively short hike (2-3 hours) out of Agnew Meadow will take you to Shadow Lake, and another hour further will bring you to Lake Ediza. This is in the heart of the Minarets and absolutely spectacular-well worth the walk. If you are into hiking a longer distance, Thousand Island Lake is about 10 miles from the Agnew Meadow trail head and is also amazing. Continuing down the road will take you to Reds Meadow and Devils Postpile. Each of the cities going down US 395 has roads that lead up the eastern scarp. Onion Valley west from Independence is beautiful with quick access to the high country. Sorry for the rambling response, but talking about it makes me want to go hiking! Have fun and enjoy.
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All the suggestions made in the thread are excellent. If you are coming from San Francisco (and Tioga is open) it will take approximately 7hrs to get to Mammoth. Going south on US395 from Mono Lake you are another two hours from Bishop, so that is a long haul from the Bay Area. I agree that the hike from Mosquito Flat has some great scenery and is relatively easy because the road goes up to about 9500 ft. It is a pretty gentle walk up to the Gem Lakes, which is nice if you are not acclimated. Attached is a picture of my daughter hiking on the trail towards Gem Lakes accessible from Mosquito Flat. Personally, one of my favorite areas in the Sierra is around Mammoth, which I believe is part of the Ansel Adams Wilderness. Going toward Devils Postpile out of Mammoth, you descend from Minaret Summit and when you get to the bottom (by car if you leave early, by shuttle if you don't) is the Agnew Meadows trailhead and pack station. A relatively short hike (2-3 hours) out of Agnew Meadow will take you to Shadow Lake, and another hour further will bring you to Lake Ediza. This is in the heart of the Minarets and absolutely spectacular-well worth the walk. If you are into hiking a longer distance, Thousand Island Lake is about 10 miles from the Agnew Meadow trail head and is also amazing. Continuing down the road will take you to Reds Meadow and Devils Postpile. Each of the cities going down US 395 has roads that lead up the eastern scarp. Onion Valley west from Independence is beautiful with quick access to the high country. Sorry for the rambling response, but talking about it makes me want to go hiking! Have fun and enjoy.
Highly recommended. Heading up to the Ansel Adams Wilderness for 5 days at the end of June and spent 3 days at Minaret Lake last fall.
Mono Lake is a must-see.
Besides Whitney and the Alabama Hills(Used as a backdrop for many westerns), another excellent camping/hiking area just out of Lone Pine is Horseshoe Meadows. The car campground is at 10,000', so it puts you in easy striking distance to some good high elevation hiking. The Cottonwood Lakes are in the Golden Trout Wilderness and on the the southern trail to Whitney.
If in Lone Pine, stop by Jake's Saloon. Always a cast of characters.
Bring cloths for any possible weather condition, they can change instantly at any time. It'll be pretty hot down at 395, with snow at the higher elevations. Death Valley will probably be hitting the 100s by then.
Pick up a current copy of "California Road & Recreation Atlas" by Benchmark Maps. Good detailed road and trail maps, including type of road. It's very easy to get stuck once you leave the pavement. It also describes camping spots and what facilities are available.
Have fun. Don't forget car chargers. I usually bring a solar charger as well.
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Just wanted to say thanks to everybody who has contributed to this thread, lots of great information and recommendations here. We've settled on 3 nights each in Mammoth Lakes and Bishop, and two nights in Lone Pine. Got some hiking/trail guide books coming from Amazon and will start to put together some more specific plans based on the info posted here as well as the books.
We'll probably spend one day in the Yosemite High Country when we're staying in Mammoth Lakes, any specific can't-miss recommendations for that area?
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Thanks for the tips. There just seems like so much. I have around 5-6 days available to do this, so any recommendations on a day to day itinerary BTW, what road do you take to get to the Eureka dunes, is there a short cut on some sort of unmarked road?
Dang, I'm not near my map. From the town of Big Pine I *believe* you start on the road East (168?) that starts towards the Bristlecones, then there's a branch right (?) that may or may not be marked. Think it's about an hour and a half, some paved, some very good condition dirt roads, something like that.
Wish I could be more precise.
--Joe
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We'll probably spend one day in the Yosemite High Country when we're staying in Mammoth Lakes, any specific can't-miss recommendations for that area?
My favorite area there is the trail to Upper Cathedral Lake and Lower Cathedral Lake. The best route is to go to Upper, then overland it over the granite ridge separating the two (which has a great view of Lower), then descend to Lower, then walk around Lower to its outflow to see the view down from there.
The view in two directions from the ridge separating the lakes, one looking down to Lower Cathedral Lake and one looking up at Cathedral Peak:
Lower Cathedral Lake (http://www.stanford.edu/~melkor/lisa_pictures/large_jpg/California/Yosemite5.html)
Cathedral Peak (http://www.stanford.edu/~melkor/lisa_pictures/large_jpg/California/Yosemite14.html)
(These are old film photos from back before I knew how to properly work my camera, so don't read too much into the image quality, please!)
I'm not sure what the snow conditions would be in mid June, however. The trail might still be covered in pretty deep snow. (It was the last time I tried it in June a few years ago.) Most of the trails in the high country might still be under snow, or under water (from the melting snow). You'll have to see what the conditions are when you get there. Even if you can only stay around the road, it's still quite scenic.
Also don't miss Olmstead Point, which has a parking lot along the road (highway 120), with a great view of Half Dome from a different direction (and much higher up) than from in the Valley. Marmots tend to congregate there, too.
Lisa
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Pick up a current copy of "California Road & Recreation Atlas" by Benchmark Maps. Good detailed road and trail maps, including type of road. It's very easy to get stuck once you leave the pavement. It also describes camping spots and what facilities are available.
A good "overview" is the Auto Club's Explore map series, which have area maps for the eastern Sierra, Death Valley, etc.
A few non-landscape/non-nature/non-hiking suggestions.
In Lone Pine there is a movie museum:
http://www.lonepinefilmhistorymuseum.org/museum.htm (http://www.lonepinefilmhistorymuseum.org/museum.htm)
A map of Movie Road in the Alabama Hills:
http://www.lonepinefilmhistorymuseum.org/m...ur_brochure.pdf (http://www.lonepinefilmhistorymuseum.org/movie_road_tour_brochure.pdf)
There's also a visitor center just south of Lone Pine. I always stop there to talk with the ranger staff about current conditions when I come up from L.A.
There is a small museum in Independence (about 15 miles north of Lone Pine) which gives a good historical overview of the Owens Valley:
http://www.inyocounty.us/ecmuseum/ (http://www.inyocounty.us/ecmuseum/)
CalTech has a radio telescope array outside of Big Pine (off the road east to the White Mountains):
http://www.ovro.caltech.edu/ (http://www.ovro.caltech.edu/)
As mentioned earlier, Galen and Barbara Rowell's Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop:
http://www.mountainlight.com/ (http://www.mountainlight.com/)
Just north of Lee Vining there is a visitor center overlooking Mono Lake
Paul
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I'm not sure what the snow conditions would be in mid June, however. The trail might still be covered in pretty deep snow. (It was the last time I tried it in June a few years ago.) Most of the trails in the high country might still be under snow, or under water (from the melting snow). You'll have to see what the conditions are when you get there. Even if you can only stay around the road, it's still quite scenic.
Lisa,
Nice images, looks like a beautiful place. Thanks for the suggestion. Although I'm piggybacking Dave's thread I'll actually be visiting in mid-July, so hopefully snow won't be an issue.
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Thanks much, Jeff.
A suggestion for hiking in any of the meadow or lake areas high in the Sierras in June or even part of July: wear footwear that's good on soggy ground (from the snowmelt), and maybe even prepare to wade through some water in some places.
Lisa