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Brian Ellis
14-Aug-2007, 17:54
I'm taking a short trip from Bend, Oregon to the Alabama Hills. I'd like to photograph a few other things that are more or less on the route between Bend and Alabama Hills (Lone Pine, California). Anyone have any suggestions? I know about Mono Lake, Bodie, and Stovepipe Wells and may end up doing one of them but I'd like to know of other things if possible. I've been to Alabama Hills but not coming from Bend so I don't know what else is on that route or no more than maybe two or three hours out of the way.

Vaughn
14-Aug-2007, 18:19
Buttermilk Hills out of Bishop -- or continuing up the same road to North and South Lakes.

Up the road towards Tioga Pass out of Lee Vining

White Mountains/Bristlecone pines

Lava Beds National Mounument (between Hwys 97 and 139)

Might find something at the end of the road out of Tom's Place on Hwy 395, just north of Bishop.

Have fun!

Vaughn

Robert A. Zeichner
14-Aug-2007, 20:15
Stovepipe Wells is quite a distance from the Alabama Hills as it is in the heart of Death Valley. If you are not up for that much of a ride off your course, you might check out Cerro Gordo or the town of Darwin.

Doug Dolde
14-Aug-2007, 20:28
You won't want to venture into Death Valley at this time of the year....115 or so lately. Even the Alabama Hills will be fairly hot and not nearly as photogenic as when there is snow on the Sierra. If it were me and I was in Bend this time of year I'd head for the Oregon and or Washington coast.

Jack Flesher
14-Aug-2007, 20:33
If it were me and I was in Bend this time of year I'd head for the Oregon and or Washington coast.


DITTO!

Brian Ellis
14-Aug-2007, 20:41
You won't want to venture into Death Valley at this time of the year....115 or so lately. Even the Alabama Hills will be fairly hot and not nearly as photogenic as when there is snow on the Sierra. If it were me and I was in Bend this time of year I'd head for the Oregon and or Washington coast.

Brian Ellis
14-Aug-2007, 20:46
Thanks for the suggestions (and warnings about Death Valley). I go to the Oregon coast three or four times a year, most recently last May, but not usually this time of year, too crowded in the summer.

Vaughn
14-Aug-2007, 21:11
Thanks for the suggestions (and warnings about Death Valley). I go to the Oregon coast three or four times a year, most recently last May, but not usually this time of year, too crowded in the summer.

Way too crowded! And that summertime north wind can blow you over! I was along the coast in early July -- rain all day (which was actually nice since I was not photographing), but still crowded!

On the road to Alabama Hills from Lone Pine, the road continues pretty high up into the Sierras -- never been up there, but it would be a place to escape the mid-day heat...photograph in the early morning hours then head up if it gets too hot, then photograph in the Hills again after the sun goes behind the Sierras. I love camping in the Alabama Hills! I hope you will be hitting the full moon!

The creek that runs along the south edge of the Alabama Hills (along the same road out of Lone Pine) is good for a refreshing dip. Earlier this summer, Bodie had the coldest temp in the nation and on the same day, Death Valley had the hottest temp in the nation -- one never knows!

Lava Beds NM will be a bit warm, too -- but if you are interested in a lava tube sort of shot, try Skull Cave (actually a lava tube) -- very large entrance, lots of light coming in, and might be photographically interesting (I got a great shot of the ceiling of the lava tube -- very abstract.) There is permanent ice at the bottom of Skull Cave, but no light down there!

Vaughn

John Kasaian
14-Aug-2007, 22:04
Don't forget mammoth, devils postpile, june lake loop, tuolumne meadows, tioga pass, thebhoover wilderness, tenaya lake, virginia lakes, lake tahoe, virginia city, sonora pass, mt whitney....heck, theres a lot of stuff worth seeing.

Hollis
14-Aug-2007, 22:35
Again, this might be a bit far but Pyramid lake is amazing - just get permission since it is on Native land.

Hollis

Jeffrey Sipress
15-Aug-2007, 09:38
Many good suggestions. The rust yard of equipment at the Eastern California Museum in Independence is fun. So is the Independence cemetary. Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery, too. And certainly don't forget the Laws Railroad Museum right behind Bishop.

Scott Davis
15-Aug-2007, 09:50
The Manzanar relocation camp is worth a visit, even if you don't shoot much there. Also, take a wander up Lundy Canyon (just off 395, between Bodie and Lee Vining). It's a stunning alpine meadow. Beside Mono Lake, there is a large plateau formed by volcanic uplifts. On the edge of the plateau, there are some sizeable fissures worth exploring. Word of warning- if you're not paying attention, you'll walk right past them and not find them. If you're unlucky and not paying attention, you could fall in one, which could be very nasty, as some are more than 80 feet deep. In Bishop, stop by the Bureau of Land Management office and get the directions to find the petroglyphs. There are several locations within a short drive of town. No map for them exists and the BLM folks make you sign a release to get the directions, to protect the petroglyphs from vandalism.

Dan Schmidt
15-Aug-2007, 10:11
Tuolumne Meadows will be a really good bet this time of year. In the Sierras on the way to Alabama Hills, Convict Lake and and South Lake are good bets since things are pretty interesting right near the trail heads, I'm sure whitney portal has been mentioned.

ljb0904
15-Aug-2007, 11:39
Tioga pass, Sonora Pass, obsidian dome, the white mtns and the bristlecone pines, whitney portal, the volcanic tablelands (you can search for petroglyphs), the buttermilks, between mono lake and the tablelands area are some interesting rocks that stick up here and there that are really funky and interesting looking. You'll have to cruise the dirt roads to find them, south lake & north lakes.

Basically, pick a road and drive it, you can't go wrong! Have fun! I wish I were in Bend right now...

evan clarke
15-Aug-2007, 12:15
If all else fails, stop at Erick Schat’s Bakkerÿ in Bishop, conditions are always good there...EC

John Curran
15-Aug-2007, 12:48
On the road to Alabama Hills from Lone Pine, the road continues pretty high up into the Sierras -- never been up there, but it would be a place to escape the mid-day heat...photograph in the early morning hours then head up if it gets too hot, then photograph in the Hills again after the sun goes behind the Sierras. I love camping in the Alabama Hills! I hope you will be hitting the full moon!

The creek that runs along the south edge of the Alabama Hills (along the same road out of Lone Pine) is good for a refreshing dip.

The road goes up to Whitney Portal campground at about 8600'. The creek was quite cold 1st week of last October.

Have a great trip, watch out for bears.

John

Michael Gordon
15-Aug-2007, 13:09
If all else fails, stop at Erick Schat’s Bakkerÿ in Bishop, conditions are always good there

not on weekends! What a zoo! Their breads are awesome but not worth the epic weekend wait. Save the visit for a weekday.

There's a lifetime of light and photography in the Eastern Sierra. This thread helps get you to many shot-up locations, but you can also 'get lost' and stumble onto your own unique photo-finds.

Vaughn
15-Aug-2007, 13:10
The road goes up to Whitney Portal campground at about 8600'. The creek was quite cold 1st week of last October.
John

Cold but refreshing on a hot summer day! ;) And you might catch a nice trout!

Vaughn

Brian Ellis
15-Aug-2007, 13:53
Thanks again to everyone for the suggestions, it doesn't look like I'll suffer from lack of opportunities.

Harley Goldman
15-Aug-2007, 15:32
Definitely the bristlecones in the Whites, especially the Patriarch grove (upper grove). Suggest driving slow and letting some air out of your tires. That damn road cost me two flats so far. The road to the lower grove is paved, the upper grove is 13 miles of dirt road. Very doable in a car, but there are some sharp rocks.

Tioga pass into Tuolumne Meadows is nice too, plus the usual Bodie and Mono.

DavidFisk
15-Aug-2007, 16:36
Definitely consider Mammoth Lakes, especially the hike along the creek to Emerald Lake.

David Henderson
20-Sep-2007, 11:05
Ypu might find the quirky small town of Keeler, and the semi-industrialised lakes behind them that reflect the Sierras pretty well, worth a couple ot hours of your time. They lie east of Lone Pine.

Frank Petronio
20-Sep-2007, 11:11
I always liked that stretch of 395 north of everything else and just south of Oregon, sort of nothingness that can be quite photogenic.