"Wheeler's Anonymous"

Oops

 

Is a permit required for staying at Laurel Lakes overnight? Was reading through the Inyo forest service website and it was saying you need to "apply for a permit" at least 6 months in advance for any overnight trips within the forest, but I'm wondering if that really only applies to the fee-based campgrounds that require reservations. Or if it's just as simple as picking up a permit in person sort of like the Forest Adventure pass is out here?

 

If anyone wants to hit Drinkwater Flats and Rowher over the weekend message me!

 

If we were staying in town I'd be up for it, but we gotta do MJT together again one day soon

 

Yes! Going to take my new friend Debbie out this weekend to do some local trails. MJT would be awsome!

 

I think Drinkwater/Rowher is a better option for a first-time passenger, haha.

 

Finally got around to taking my truck in for an alignment and they left a voicemail with me an hour later saying to call them back asap; thought for sure they were going to tell me that I fucked up my spindle. Nope, everything is fine but I apparently "need a new air filter and oil change". I just changed my oil 1k miles ago and I have an AEM pro dry filter

 

Down day in Japan. Finally caught up on this thread but not looking forward to tackling SoCal Thread Squatters

Looks like my rear kings showed up at work yesterday.

 

You should of messaged me. I only got enough for me and I'm not in Tokyo anymore.

 

Try the cosplay stores with the girls wearing sexy robot uniforms Not that I know anything about them....

 

Trail to Laurel Lakes is impassable after the 2nd switchback and 2nd campground...too much snow. Camped at the last campground though, got poured and snowed on all night.

Headed to Mammoth now to hopefully find some camp sites that don't require reservations for tonight



Edit: looks like we're headed to Owens River Hot Creek Rd for today...17 miles of trail and I can try my luck at fishing there.

 

Oh and the wind driving up the 14 to the 395 was insane...truck was struggling against it the whole way. Got 210 miles to a full tank all highway, lol. My Quickfists got stripped out of their bolt mounts (the washers snapped and caused the bolts to slip through the rubber) and sent my axe flying off the truck while going 70 down the freeway. That was fun.

 

Had fun exploring Death Valley with @jlvhrse and @blackhawke88

 

Camp site #2, ended up just wandering the trails up above Mammoth until we found a nice secluded area with a great view.



Now for the 6 hour trip home...

 

Nice!!

I’ve found taking the 58 to the 15, cutting out adelanto is longer but saves some time with all the lights and traffic through that area

 

OMFG

I am so jealous!

 

On the way up we left from Santa Clarita, had to stop by my dad's place to grab his bear canisters (fucking things are $100+ each at REI...they're just thick, hard to open plastic jugs, I really don't get it). Ended up taking San Francisquito Canyon road all the way out to Lake Elizabeth to the 138, then to the 14 --> 395. Was a really nice drive.

Coming home we did the 395 --> 14 --> 5 South.....not so nice of a drive, lol.

Anyhow, some more photos...













(this one is just for you RTT haters)

 

Bummed we didn't get to make it all the way up to the actual Laurel Lakes, but might try again later this summer when the snow clears some more. The morning we left there were a few small groups headed up there, including a T4R group. Not sure if they made it all the way or not. We heeded the warning of some Jeep guys that were coming down when we got there and said it was impassable, didn't want to push our luck being that we were there solo.

 

yeah we got snowed on at the 2nd campground that first night. Well, rain then snow...second day was warmer but went from sunny --> rain --> sun off and on, weather out there in the Sierras is unpredictable to say the least. Similar experience last year on Whitney too, minus getting snowed on but that was late August.

 

Awesome!! I can't wait to get back into the Sierras. Looks like they had a good winter up there.