Mono Lake Area early November

[Gil Todd]

Planning a trip to the Mono Lake area first week in November. The weather report looks pretty good with no snow in sight. Any suggestions re where, other than the lake itself, to set up a camera? Looking for the usual things, trees, rocks, vistas, and old buildings or ruins. Thanks!

[Eric James]

Ask at the Mono Lake Committee Visitor's Center for directions to the Boy Scout Camp. Drive slowly and don't make the make the trip if it's icy.

This is from an early December visit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eajames/3546417035/in/set-72157618358183833/

[Shen45]

Turn right out of the Whoa Nellie car park then right onto the [?] I-395 -- go about 2 kms then turn left towards Jim Galli's [Tonoparh - Nevada] then turn left again and stop before you get to the water. That should take you to a nice cluster of Tuffa's to start with. Many areas around the lake will offer you great opportunities for photography.

A bit further along the road to Jim's there are some pines that have the lake in the background.

I can't comment on the weather conditions really, but over the Tioga pass if you go through Yosemite around Novemeber snow may be a problem.

Don't forget Bodie is only about 30 minutes from the lake in the other direction along the I-395. Allow at least half a day.

Steve

[Preston]

Gil,

Where are you coming from? LA? Bay Area? Other? If you are coming from the west (Bay Area) side of the range, a chance of light snow is expected over Tioga and Sonora Passes this Sunday and Monday, with better weather through Wednesday. In the long range forecast, another storm is expected later next week. Whether either of these will be enough to close the passes is a crap shoot, but you should be prepared. Carry chains. If those passes do close, you may be forced to go over Carson Pass (CA 88). This will add a couple of hours to your trip to the Mono Basin.

The Mono Lake Committee Visitor Center in Lee Vining is the best place to get info about spots around the lake. South Tufa could be a zoo, but you can escape the hordes by going over to Navy Beach, or take a dirt road, (a left turn off the South Tufa road) that has nice views of the lake. There are also possibilities at the, now long gone, Marina on the east side of the lake, just off 395.

Driving out 120 eastward toward Nevada, is very nice, as well. There is also th June Lake Loop, Lee Vining Canyon, and Lundy Canyon. As has been mentioned, Bodie is not far away.

Have a good time!

--P

[Sirius Glass]

Preston is right. The first significant snow will close the passes. Check http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi by the route numbers. You will be near Death Valley if Bodie [http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=509], the June Lake Loop and the various volcanoes are not enough for you.

Steve

[Drew Wiley]

If day hiking into the side canyons be aware that the weather can change very abruptly in the Fall. November is infamous for folks getting a few miles back in wearing T-shirts, shorts, and sneakers under bright blue skies and having them hike back out in falling snow. Every now and then someone twists an ankle or something like that, and they aren't found till the snow thaws the next summer; and I have been in Lundy Can and other canyons in Nov when I had to loan a jacket to someone unprepared. Otherwise, with reasonable common sense, it's a nice time to visit the Mono Lake area. Tioga Pass and Sonora Pass will be closed, so plan another route like Hwy 395.

[Sirius Glass]

If day hiking into the side canyons be aware that the weather can change very abruptly in the Fall.

I have had accumulated snowfall in that area in August. It is the Sierras, so plan accordingly.

[I would not use the caterer that the Donner Party used!]

Steve

[Preston]

Tioga Pass and Sonora Pass will be closed

Drew, not necessarily. At present, there are no plans for the winter closrue of the passes. Both Sonora and Tioga are currently open according to CalTrans and the NPS Yosemite sites. Of course, this could change, but the long range progs are calling for light to moderate precip and fairly high snow levels.

Caltrans (or NPS in Yosemite) will usually close the passes for the winter when there is a high volume snowfall and/or an ice buildup that can't be cleared, or won't be able to thaw.

Travel on 395 and over the Tahoe area passes should be pretty straightforward.

--P

[Vaughn]

Go there. Walk around and find your own viewpoint and produce something new instead of the same old pictures taken another day.

So True! -- but it is still nice to have some hints on where to park the car before walking about...;)

Lee Vining Canyon along the creek is great...don't know if there is much color left. The campgrounds might be closed, but still nice to walk about. Driving around the backroads would fun. So it will depend on how far you want to range from Mono Lake. It is 125 miles down to Lone Pine and the Alabama Hills, but somewhat similar rocks can be found in the Buttermilk Hills only half the distance -- just west of Bishop.

Have a great trip and I hope the weather cooperates!

Vaughn

[dsphotog]

The whole area is magical....
The south shore of Mono Lk. in the Navy beach area, you'll find small formations called "Sand castles" eroded sandstone.
North of Lee Vining at the Bodie junction, Virginia Creek Settlement has superb lasagne & pizza, and a motel.
Bodie is a must see.
To the south is Devil's Postpile.

Bring lotsa film!

[Preston]

Just to whet your appetite, Gil...

Lee Vining Creek at the Aspen Campground.
http://www.gildedmoon.com/galleries/sierra-north/images/374-1Wweb.jpg

As David said, the whole area is magical! Take lots of film!

[Drew Wiley]

'"Alabama Hills" style rocks can also be found just above Mono Lk on the way to
Conway Summit, though to get close you've got to take dirt roads, and also along the
paved road past Benton. With Regard to the open pass ambiguity which Preston mentioned, one can get conflicting information from the Park Service versus Cal Trans,
since these agencies are basically in a rivalry for who should control and maintain
Hwy 120. I've been to the top of Tioga when it was reported open but was in fact
closed at the top. Generally, the first snow after the 1st of Nov is the customary date
for closing the pass and most Forest Service roads as well. But all the side roads leading to Lundy Can, Mammoth, Convict Lake, McGee Creek, Rock Cr, etc, and probably Virginia Lks will be open unless there is a big snowfall.

[Jim Galli]

Here's (http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/EasternSierraWorkshopOct2006/PerVolquartzWSsierras.html) a page of things done with Per Volquartz in 2006. Across Tioga Road from the Lee Vining Ranger station is Log Cabin Mine Rd. Drop 37° 56.692'N 119° 8.916'W into Google Earth to fly to some lovely buildings not quite 100 years old that was the summer home of L. C. Brand, the water co. tycoon of Glendale Ca. There is a lovely large log house and seperate 3 bedroom structure built by Italian stone masons from local granite. It is still private property, so respect it as such if you explore up there. The aspen forests that you weave through on the old mine road are superb and park like.

[Gil Todd]

Wow, what a helpful group! Thanks for all of the suggestions. I have made many trips to Mono and Inyo County from central California and am somewhat familiar with weather concerns. Having said that, I do want to thank all of you who provided suggestions for having a safe trip. This time I decided to concentrate on the Mono Lake area which I usually drive past on the way to Bishop. I like to drive or walk around trying to avoid the areas that I believe to be "over exposed." I do like to take photographs from a little different point of view. Will be using black & white film only.

Again thanks

[Vaughn]

A yellow filter will render any remaining Fall colors faithfully -- very nice tool to have. When using B&W and a yellow filter, the yellow leaves seem to me to have the same feel and impact as their yellow color does when using color film (and just our eyes.)

One of these days I will wander over to the fissure area of Mono Lake -- just haven't made it there yet. have a great trip!

Vaughn

[John Hennessy]

Gil,

All my favorite places have been mentioned (e.g., Navy Beach, Lundy Creek), but one obvious and one less visited are the Forest Service Visitors' Center and the Mono County park on the northwest side of the lake. The FS Visitors' Center is interesting in itself (though it closes 11/30), but the main interest of the likes of us is the sheltered, level, high ground on its lake side. It has good views of Paoha and Negrit Islands. They are good subjects when there is some weather to make it more interesting and the Visitors' Center blocks the wind and rain or whatever weather lured you there. The County park is sort of the left-over, mediocre views compared to the some of the better known places, but may yield something interesting There is a nice board walk too. Also, there is a dirt or sand road all the way from South Tufa to the County Park; rain or snow may make it a challenge though.

You didn't ask about food, but some of the best is in the gas station on the south side of 120 after turning west off 395. Its a seasonal place though.

Good luck and bad weather (or good if you prefer.)

[gary892]

I have just been in the Lee Vining area today, Thursday, October 28. At 7:00 a.m it was 22 degrees F. The weather forecast is for 60% chance of Snow on Saturday with high winds.
I managed to visit Mono lake at sunrise and sunset on different days. As the sun went down the crowds were building at the south Tufa site.

I shoot 4x5 and at least 5 people stood behind or beside me with their digital cameras and banged off several shots. I could hear the camera, that is how close they were to me. I even had to ask one person, who stood in front of my lens, to move.

I have been to Mono Lake many times as the light is always different. But I don't remember the crowds being this bad at this time of year.

Anyway, it is a wonderful area and you should explore it for yourself.

Dress warm, have lots of water and food, and be prepared if an emergency should it happen.

I believe the Whoa - Neli Deli closes on November 1 so you will miss their great food.

Gary

[Don7x17]

Road closures - history
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/seasonal.htm
Note that over half of the years, Tioga does not close until after the middle of November, and sometimes as late as December 11 (and sometimes by mid-Oct).


Current Tioga Pass road conditions http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
Call 209/372-0200 (press 1 then 1) for the most up-to-date conditions

Unfortunately the webcam at Tioga Pass has been out of service for the past 8 months. http://www.nps.gov/yose/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm


Try Benton Springs for old buildings and rusty things -- nearly to Hiway 6, east of Mono Lake. Note that this section of 120 is closed in winter after the first snow, but you can detour south on 395 to Bishop then north on 6.

[Don7x17]

...and Bishop has the old Southern Pacific Narrow guage museum in Laws....

And the Bristlecones in the Whites always call, if not already snowed in.

[Drew Wiley]

I've never had a problem with people bothering me on the lake shore, though John Sexton once wandered over to get a momentary break from his workshop students.
Just pick a path one way or the other, avoid the numerous mucky wet areas, and
there will be plenty to photograph. It's a big lake. But avoid primitive roads in pumice
dust, which can be nearly impassible to even 4WD. This area warrants a lifetime of
photo trips, so it's almost redundant to recommend this specific spot or that. There
are interesting things to see everywhere, and I personally makes those decisions on
the spot depending on specific weather and lighting conditions. The days can be warm
and the night crisp, unless an actual storm moves in. The road north of the lake leads
over to Hawthorne and Walker Lake, which is an interesting area in its own right.

[Merg Ross]

Perhaps already mentioned, but be sure to see the photography exhibit at the Visitor Center. These prints are from the original, "At Mono Lake" exhibit of 1983. They were intended to be on permanent display, and I assume that is the case.

Also, I recommend a copy of the original catalog for this exhibition, which can be found used for under $10. Do a search for, "At Mono Lake/Stephen Johnson."

Here is a link to the exhibit at the Visitor Center.

http://www.sjphoto.com/aml-usfs-exhibit.html

Enjoy your trip, the area is very special!

[Gil Todd]

Thanks again to ever one for your suggestions and comments. Take off tomorrow. Weather still looks good. I will post an image or two from the trip if I get something that I consider presentable.

Gil Todd

[SocalAstro]

We were there this past weekend and the electronic highway signs indicated that HWY120 was closed; this was confirmed by other photographers at Mono Lake that it was indeed closed 5 miles into it from HWY395.

The weather was mild, 32F was the overnight low on Saturday 10/30. A small storm had passed thorugh the area on Friday nigh where it rained a little at Mono. We go snow in the white mountains on Friday night (1"-1.5").

This appears to be a mild winter so far but its still early I suppose.

Enjoy your trip.

-Leon



Thanks again to ever one for your suggestions and comments. Take off tomorrow. Weather still looks good. I will post an image or two from the trip if I get something that I consider presentable.

Gil Todd

[Drew Wiley]

Even if 120 is closed at the top, at the Tioga Pass entrance, there can still be good
opportunites on the section of the road that is open. You can access Tioga Tarns,
Tioga Mdw, Ellery Lk, maybe Saddlebag Lk area - just depends on amount of snow
and walking conditions. Good views of Mt Dana on the way up.

[Richard Raymond]

Given the warm weather coming in I expect that the Tioga will be open by Wednesday. All the other roads in the park are open so I think this weekend looks good. I may head up to see if there are any snow scenes across the flats.
Ric