The 395 and Owens Valley-Eastern Sierra Region

PM incoming.

 

looks like a match to me.

 

Maps...

Even though I'm always fiddling around with phone/tablet map apps... I'm a huge fan of paper maps. Especially since I always manage to hit the road without planning or downloading the route first.

So when I found myself mapless and out of cell service at Ballarat earlier this year, I bought a "friends of Jawbone" OHV trail map to the Panamint Valley at the little trading post there. The maps are $3 each.

It turned out to be a great map, so I just decided to start collecting this series for future trips. They aren't perfect of course, but here's why I like them:

1. Very clear which routes are legal for motorized travel, and how they connect.
2. Perfect scale (imo) for route planning and connecting the trails to make a fun day.
3. Land ownership / jurisdiction is very clear.
4. It's based on topo maps, not the clearest, but enough detail for basic orienteering.
5. Specific route info on the rear side such as seasonal closures, restrictions, and phone numbers for the ranger stations.
6. Shows fuel.

Downsides:
1. Not all routes are shown as trails, although it's hard to find noteworthy omissions.
2. Underlying topo layer is hard to see, but does include some info, including other roads, water, etc.
3. Very little info on attractions, e.g. settlements, canyons, etc...

Just thought I'd share this review and recommendation.



I'll post a photo from the map here if/when I remember.

Update: these maps are also effective as fly swatters!

 

I agree, these are great maps. I discovered - when we were in the Volcanic Tablelands - that they also have an app that allows you to use (all?) the maps without cell coverage. I was so excited that I put my camera down on my front bumper so I could look a bit more closely. That was just before I ran over the camera. Still, the maps are great. And hey, I got a new camera out of it!

Apps: iOS App Store, Android Google Play

 

A few years ago I did a backpacking trip with my wife. I use BackCountry Nav Pro for all my navigating. She uses paper maps. We had 8 days and planned to hit some remote areas where having a map was beyond important. It's not like we where hiking the JMT.

On day 4 she and I where at a lake and deciding where a certain col was located. We could see the ridge 2000' higher and there where a few options. I turned on my phone as she got out her beloved topo map of the area. Just as she laid the map out on a large flat rock a huge gust of wind came up. With that the map was airborne. It landed about 75 yards out in the lake.

We used my phone for the rest of the trip. lol

 

Map boards are clutch for that. I used to use a pocket-sized Rite In The Rain notepad with the map chopped to fit and glued in. Also did something similar on a bigger scale with two lightweight plastic clipboards (top cut off of one), a small drill bit, and some paracord to tie them together; locked in the maps with rubber bands. The latter held up for six weeks of fieldwork in eastern NV, western UT, and the area around Virginia Lakes.

 

I should note that that's long before we had phones and tablets capable of the task in field conditions, though.

 

For sure man. I grew up using paper maps and have 100's of them. I more then comfortable using them for advanced nav. When solo I also always make sure I have a paper map backup and compass in case my phone gets wet, dropped, lost, etc. That said, I prefer my phone because it really is idiot proof. With GPS I can pinpoint my exact location in seconds. Then use that to get a direct visual bearing on a target.

The funniest thing is I was so anti digital maps 15 years ago. Slowly but surely I've not only converted but have become an advocate of them. lol

 

Those maps are great for sure! And I also have quite a few of those particular ones, plus many, many more maps from other publishers.


FriendsofJawbone/CTUC has a really good selection of trail books, geology, astronomy and other goodies for sale at their website.

 

The paper maps are something I do like to have on hand.

 

Always. I've got a whole bunch in the knee pocket of my driver door. Still like to print out maps for fieldwork and take hand notes, too.

 

Just noticed a bunch of access to 395 is closed due to the Tamarack fire. 4, 88, 89, and parts of 395.

 

The jawbone maps are good for sure but in the Owens Valley my favorite maps are from https://www.sierramaps.com/price-list.html

 

I was hoping someone could help with route advice. I've spent a lot of time in the Mammoth area over my lifetime but now wanting to explore further out into the Sierras. Does anyone know any offroad routes that I could take north to avoid parts of 395? I'm going to be driving up to meet some family staying at Hot Creek and was hoping to leave a few days early and do some camping on the way up.

I was looking at the Kennedy/Monache meadows area as I've never been through there but looks like once you get to the meadows you have to backtrack south to 395. I'd love to find a route that keeps going north instead. Doesn't have to be Kennedy/Monache area, just somewhere I could drive and camp as I head north.

Thanks for that tip. I've been wanting to get some more paper maps. I'm not exactly stupid when it comes to tech but I haven't had great luck yet trying to use apps for trails.

 

Yeah, Monache is in and out only, can't drive thru to the meadows beyond although I read that a route northward once existed. It's all wilderness now, maybe not a terrible thing given how many folks are exploring by vehicle these days myself included, but at the end of the day there aren't many thru routes or even loops for exploring the eastern/southern Sierras. North of Mammoth there are tons of connected trails though, so maybe that's an area to consider.

I noted a particularly flat and straight stretch of trail up in Monache that looked like it might have been an airstrip, turns out it was and there used to be strips in all three meadows up there. They've all been closed now as part establishing wilderness areas, although there's a newer strip in Monache, it was behind a locked gate and appeared to be Xed on my visit. But man, how cool would it be to be able to fly in to some of those places in a bush plane? Hope to explore the back country that way someday, maybe if I win the lottery and get bored of this truck lol.

I am headed north soon and plan to divert north off 395 over Mt Patterson from Bridgeport area, which so far is southeast of the fire and road closures, and if wind keeps blowing to the northeast, Patterson might provide some interesting apocalyptic views of it. But that could change before then and I will keep a damn close eye on the fires' progress, maybe just sticking to the 182/338 if in doubt. Too bad, I was hoping to get off the highways and pavement for more of the trip.


Thanks @turbodb for the map app advice, and @ETAV8R for the other map recommendations. Haven't seen that one yet.

Here's a photo example from a jawbone map for those who don't have them:



This is Inyo North showing the rats nest of trails north of Mammoth, hopefully enough resolution to convince you to buy the map but not enough to work in its place! This is the area I would explore in search of camping through routes, or else hop over to the Panamint side where more trails connect.

Edit: and now for the real question, how do you pronounce that place, is it mo-nash or mo-nachy?

 

I did not know:

Monache
(also Monachi)
Pronunciation /məʊˈnɑːtʃi/
NOUN

• The nearly extinct Western Numic language spoken by the Monache and the Owens Valley Paiute, especially the dialects spoken west of the Sierras by the Monache; = "Mono".

 

You could do Jawbone to Lake Isseballa. Then head back out to 395. From there head north to and get into Death Valley. Pick up 190 in Olancha and take it to Saline Valley Alternate Route. Then come out Steel Pass to Big Pig Pine. From Big Pine stay in the Valley along the river. It's all dirt until Bishop. Buy some stuff in Bishop then head out Warm Springs Rd. to Case Diablo Rd. Take that all the way up to Crowley and Benton Crossings Rd. Head West on Benton until you get to Whitmore Hotsprings RD. Take that northwest until you get back on 395 just north of Lookout Mountain.

That's just one of about 10 ways you can do what you want to do. lol

 

Monache has a rich aviation history and the following book has many stores about the air strip. Not only Bush planes went there. Beechcraft D-18s and Cessna 310s (definitely not a Bush plane) would visit.






As population has increased our access to public lands has decreased and the wilderness area which encompasses Monache is a good example.

 

Our access using vehicles has decreased. Our overall access has increased.

I'm a huge proponent of keeping existing trails open. I'm also a huge proponent of keeping true wilderness areas. The Domelands, just a little south of Monache, is a perfect example. Up until the Wilderness Act of 1964 you could drive into the Domelands. Once it became Wilderness that was stopped. I'm glad it was. It's a truly special area and if you hike into it you'll understand why it's great that there's not a million asshats with RTT's down there.

We've preserved enough and continuing to use the Wilderness Act as a subverted way to close existing trails is bullshit. Preserving what is already Wilderness is just as important though.

 

Great, now you've got me buying maps AND books?!?

Who am I kidding, even if I could afford a plane, I could never pack light enough to camp in one...

Check out the ultralight jack base I made this morning:



Tapped holes fit either the bottle jack or the hi lift. (And I pack 'em both!) Plus it was free, which is nice because I keep needing money to buy better leaf springs for some reason.