John Kasaian
12-Aug-2006, 19:25
Just got back from the Tioga area. It was a quick 3 day trip with my family so it was more of a 'scouting' than shooting trip for me.
Saddlebag Lake and the Hoover Wilderness was superb as always, but very little snow. Trout, huge trout everywhere! Ellery, Lee Vining creek, Saddlebag---I wish I'd brought along my fly rod! The weather was warm and there was a lack of moisture in the air so no clouds :( We took some good hikes in the Hoover Wilderness and of course the obligatory pothole dome in Tuolmne Meadows.
The Whoa Nellie Deli has a summer concert series cooking----live jazz a trapeze and the very best gas station fare you'll likely encounter, with a knockout view of Mono Lake---just wonderful! I had the Buffalo meatloaf while Suzelle ordered the Lobster Taquitos, which we washed down with mango margaritas, yum!
We got up there late in the day and Saddlebag campground was full (as was Ellery and just about everywhere else) but we found a spot at Lower Lee Vining (fwiw campsite #11 is a real prize! We had #9 which was nice, but #11 was by far nicer) and an early morning hike revealed vacancys at nearby Cattle Guard campground. These campgrounds were much better kept than the one operated by Edison (the name of which I've erased from my gray matter along with many other unfortunate experiences)
Oh, Mosquitos were out in force. They laughed at anything less than 100% deet so be warned. It was interesting to see the bats feeding on them at dusk. We rooted for the bats, of course!
As for wildlife there were a bunch of marmots, as well as a solitary bear in Yosemite Valley. And of course trout, mosquitos and bats.
Saddlebag is under new ownership and the changes are very nice indeed! Still great food and the water taxi is now a pontoon boat (I asked the skipper what time the duty free shopping commenced and the reply was a big grin)
We had to come back through Yosemite Valley.
Uggggh!
Avoid this at all costs during Summer. Well almost at all costs, I didn't especially want to return home via Manteca so the avoidable suddenly became the unavoidable. The one positive note was that there wasn't a wait at Degnan's Loft during lunch (but they did screw up the order left the peppers off my pizza!)
Everywhere else in the Valley was gridlock!
Anyway, thats what I did and saw. Maybe it will be of some interest to anyone planning a trip to the area during the next few days.
Cheers!
Saddlebag Lake and the Hoover Wilderness was superb as always, but very little snow. Trout, huge trout everywhere! Ellery, Lee Vining creek, Saddlebag---I wish I'd brought along my fly rod! The weather was warm and there was a lack of moisture in the air so no clouds :( We took some good hikes in the Hoover Wilderness and of course the obligatory pothole dome in Tuolmne Meadows.
The Whoa Nellie Deli has a summer concert series cooking----live jazz a trapeze and the very best gas station fare you'll likely encounter, with a knockout view of Mono Lake---just wonderful! I had the Buffalo meatloaf while Suzelle ordered the Lobster Taquitos, which we washed down with mango margaritas, yum!
We got up there late in the day and Saddlebag campground was full (as was Ellery and just about everywhere else) but we found a spot at Lower Lee Vining (fwiw campsite #11 is a real prize! We had #9 which was nice, but #11 was by far nicer) and an early morning hike revealed vacancys at nearby Cattle Guard campground. These campgrounds were much better kept than the one operated by Edison (the name of which I've erased from my gray matter along with many other unfortunate experiences)
Oh, Mosquitos were out in force. They laughed at anything less than 100% deet so be warned. It was interesting to see the bats feeding on them at dusk. We rooted for the bats, of course!
As for wildlife there were a bunch of marmots, as well as a solitary bear in Yosemite Valley. And of course trout, mosquitos and bats.
Saddlebag is under new ownership and the changes are very nice indeed! Still great food and the water taxi is now a pontoon boat (I asked the skipper what time the duty free shopping commenced and the reply was a big grin)
We had to come back through Yosemite Valley.
Uggggh!
Avoid this at all costs during Summer. Well almost at all costs, I didn't especially want to return home via Manteca so the avoidable suddenly became the unavoidable. The one positive note was that there wasn't a wait at Degnan's Loft during lunch (but they did screw up the order left the peppers off my pizza!)
Everywhere else in the Valley was gridlock!
Anyway, thats what I did and saw. Maybe it will be of some interest to anyone planning a trip to the area during the next few days.
Cheers!