Ive been itching to suggest you go to death valley last, Mentalcrisis.
David
Ive been itching to suggest you go to death valley last, Mentalcrisis.
David
If it's XC sking you're after, from Badger Pass you can access Glacier Point and overnight there, From Wawona or the South Gate you can snow camp in the Mariposa Grove. On the east side you can book a bunk at the Tioga Lodge and ski in---it would be a heck of a climb though! I'd only suggest these trips if you could be certain of a high pressure area. I wouldn't want to be up there in a blizzard!
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
Ski areas such as Heavenly, Squaw Valley and Mammoth have observation decks for non-skiers. With the right atmospherics and lens you can get some really great snowscapes for the cost of the tram ride. If your drive should take you through Lake Tahoe while 'rounding the Sierras it might be something to keep in mind(although skiing from the top of Sky Lift to the top of the tram with an 8x10 in one hand and a pack full of film holders is certainly a worthy undertaking!)
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
Hi John - a friend of mine made that ski trip up the Tioga road and back around Tenya
Lk etc in shorts - wanted a good tan and got more than his money's worth. But never
did learn his lesson. He'd climb with my nephew quite a bit. Next summer took off his
shirt while fishing Third Lk up in the Palisades for breakfast, before planning to climb
Temple Crag. Fishing was good, so he just keep hiking the perimeter of the lake. By the time he got back to camp, his back was so fried that he just had to lay on a flat slab the rest of the trip; and he sure did moan when he finally did have to put a pack back one and head downhill. What I used to hate on those sunny days in the snow
was a steep uphill with the ice axe and breathing so hard that the reflection off the
snow got the roof of my mouth sunburned. Maybe I needed a personal compendium
shade just like my lense had.
The RV park at Lee Vining closed on October 31. Likewise for the RV park up at Bridgeport. I had to camp at Lone Pine at the beginning of November.Originally Posted by Joseph Dickerson
al
Just a quick note on the higher elevation Sierra Passes--
Sonora (Hwy 108), Ebbets (Hwy 4), and Tioga (Hwy 120) are all closed for the winter.
--P
Preston-Columbia CA
"If you want nice fresh oats, you have to pay a fair price. If you can be satisfied with oats that have already been through the horse; that comes a little cheaper."
Probably already too late to go to the Bristlecones. At least two big snowstorms already and once closed they do not clear the road until spring. You might be able to get to the lower grove, but not further. Probably too much of a chancy drive to warrant the trip this time of year.
There is a lot to see and photograph in DV. Enjoy it.
Yes, 95 is your most direct and easiest entrance. Go all the way to Beatty, NV and over the pass down into the valley for a beautiful introduction to this great park.
Hey all
Heading to DV this friday. Going to arrive at Vegas around 11am, rent an SUV from enterprise, stock up on food and water at walmart, and then head to DV for a week. Figure I'll hit Dante's View first day and spend the night seeming I hear it's a great view. Then to Furnace Creek to pay, Bad water, head north to stovepipe and Mesquite Dunes, head further north to Ubehebe Crater and maybe to Eureka if I think we can make it. The roads look a bit sketchy that far north if the map is an accurate indication.
I'm going to bring two 50 sheet boxes of efke 100 and a 10 sheet box of Kodak Portra 160, damned color is expensive these days. Also taking my P&S as well. Hopefully I don't have any problems with the film/camera in my carryon bag. I'm going to be using a backpack and it's only 5 inches under the size limit for Continental Airlines so I'm crossing my fingers. I've looked up other peoples threads about film and Xrays and I don't think I'll have the film threw the xray more than 4 times on the entire trip so I should be ok.
Anyhow I'll be back on the 17th so hopefully I'll have some new DV photos to show you all in the Image section.
Thanks for all the help and happy New Year!
-Ray
Perfect timing, you might see some snow there. I got a note from the DV Natural History Association that there was some snow in Furnace Creek - A very rare occurrence. I was even tempted to go back for one night just to see the snow :-)
Enjoy your trip.
-Leon
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