The 395 and Owens Valley-Eastern Sierra Region

Monitor Pass

 

Watson Lake with zero tourists

 

Going to be playing around this area here at the end of the month for a few days.

 

Soon. Really want to do a DV->395->Yosemite (or vice-versa) trip later this year.

 

The way it’s looking, that might not happen

 

I haven’t been following the region much.

What’s the natural disaster this time?

 

Snow. Lots of it and lots of road damage.

 

From the NPS:

Great news! Tioga Road (continuation of Highway 120 through the park) will open to vehicles on Saturday, July 22, at 8 am. While vault and portable toilets will be available, there will be no water, no store or food service, and no fuel. Be sure to bring all the food and water you need. The Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness Center will be open (8 am to 5 pm) and a general information desk near the visitor center will be open from 9 am to 5 pm.

Tioga Road has some damage, so watch for one-lane sections, with delays up to 15 minutes just east of Olmsted Point.

There is no estimate when Tamarack Flat or Porcupine Flat Campgrounds will open. Other campgrounds on Tioga Road will not open this year.

It's still snowy up there! Meadows and some trails are flooded. Snow is persisting in some shady areas as low as 8,000 feet, with extensive, deep snow coverage by 9,000 feet. Stay on trails to protect growing plants and plan for wet feet. Marked trails may be hard or impossible to follow; hikers should have GPS, as well as map and compass (and know how to use them).

 

Hrm. To change my weekend plans or not...

 

I'm gonna let the masses have opening day.

 

Yeah. I was thinking more of a drive down to Mono and through Yosemite on my way home on Sunday, but that's probably going to be less than ideal on second thought.

 

Ended up camping much closer to 395 than planned due to the road to our original destination being sketchier than anticipated (definitely in "I'm not doing this without a second vehicle" territory - there was enough snow and ice that people had built a snowboard course, complete with lips and rails, off the side of the trail about 500 yards from where we turned around), so we decided to risk the crowds and take the long way home yesterday. I want to say we had to wait about 20 minutes to get in the Tioga Pass entrance around 1PM, but it wasn't too busy otherwise. The only spot that I saw off 120 where the parking was totally full was Lembert Dome, which was a bummer, but also not that big of a deal since having the pup with us prevented us from doing any hiking, anyway. It was beautiful up there, though.

 

been on the road a couple hours. 0639. April 26. coffee stop. just off 395.

i don't get tired of looking at scenery while making coffee..nor seeing the mess at the tailgate

 

Looking forward to getting my first taste of the Sierras for the year when the wife, dog and I head up in a little over a week. I can't believe it's the first time I've had time to make it up there this year Can't wait to do a little fishing and just be in the outdoors!

 

You're in luck. The fishing has been really good this year.

 

My neighbor has a place up by Twin Lakes in Bridgeport, he's tearing it up on the lakes and the creeks.

 

Glad to hear it! I'll probably end up fishing both Hot Creek and the Owens, which are typically my stomping grounds when up there. Also beginning to think I could use some refresher help from a guide. Maybe refresher is wrong, more like some help getting brought up to speed with some of the new techniques - like euro nymphing. I grew up fishing in these areas with my grandfather but never really had any sort of formal education and really only get up there once or twice a year nowadays.

I've been seeing some absolute LUNKERS coming out of Twin Lakes Resort recently!

 

Isn't the state record brown trout out of Twin Lakes?

edit: Yup. 26lbs 8oz, out of Upper Twin Lake in 1987. That's a monster.

 

Two weeks ago, 7.43#