Eastern Sierra Map Listing Mountains

[gary892]

I have looked online but cannot find what I am looking for.

Does anyone know of a map of the Eastern Sierras listing the mountains from the vantage point of HWY 395?

I have been up and down HWY395 many times and while I can spot the major mountains like Mt. Whitney and Mt. Williamson, I would like to know what the names and locations are of all the other mountains in the Eastern Sierra Range.

I have several maps of the Eastern Sierra and I can find several mountains but I am not 100% sure I am looking at what my map says.

And yes, I do know how to read a map.

Thanks

Gary

[ROL]

AAA has an Eastern Sierra Map, from which you can ballpark. Topos of the Parks, like the ubiquitous Tom Harrison maps, should get you as close as you need to be from the road. There is also the Inyo National Forest map, which can be quite useful. As for viewpoint maps, you might try stopping in at the various NF visitor center centers in Lone Pine and Bishop.

It can be quite confusing to the uninitiated from any distance. When I was fifteen, a friend and I climbed Mt. Williamson one stormy spring weekend only to discover when we finally topped out that the summit register was that for nearby Trojan Peak! On his first trip south of Mammoth along 395 with Edward Weston, Ansel Adams apparently misidentified every prominent peak as Mt. Whitney, until eventually arriving at Lone Pine.


Mt. Whitney, Alabama Hills
http:///www.rangeoflightphotography.com/albums/Eastern-Sierra/Mount%20Whitney%2C%20Alabama%20Hill.jpg

Left to Right: Langley? (far left, crest), Lone Pine Peak (left center, frontmost), Whitney (right center, crest), Russell (right, highest appearing on crest).

[Drew Wiley]

There are certainly a lot of peaks along that skyline. A few are unmistakable like the Minarets, Morrison, Humphreys, Whitney (except for AA). Barnbaum got infuriated with me when I pointed out that AA's famous Manzanar "Mt Willamson" shot was actually just an unnamed point on a rise to a peak fully 2000 ft lower than the real Willamson 7 miles to the north (how did AA misplace that huge thing?) I've never seen anything in print that visually pointed them out in sequence. Best view of at least the southern group of peaks is from up in the White Mtns on the opposite side of the Owens Valley. As I recall, one turnout up prior to the first bristlecone grove has a diorama labeling major summits. The
Palisade chain is one of the more intricate sets of summits, and the greatest grouping of
fourteeners.

[Bill Burk]

You may enjoy this roadside geology linked off Owens Valley wikipedia...

http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ca/pdf/bakersfield/geology.Par.56332.File.dat/ovm07_guidebook.pdf

[domaz]

You could download the DRG file (Topographical map). Those maps have all that information. Try going here: http://atlas.ca.gov/ click Download then use the Imagery Search tool, when you find what you want click the "DRG" check box and download all the ones you want. It's best to zoom in as far as possible first.

[tgtaylor]

California Road & Recreation Altas is an excellent general map that shows all the peaks, the typography and the paved roads inluding some of the unpaved and hiking trails as well. I bought mine at the Stanford University Bookstore in 2000 for $22.95 + tax. If it's still in print, which is most likely, it's probably more now. You should be able to find it at any bookstore that has a travel section and probably at an REI.

Thomas

[Paul Bujak]

California Road & Recreation Altas is an excellent general map that shows all the peaks, the typography and the paved roads inluding some of the unpaved and hiking trails as well. I bought mine at the Stanford University Bookstore in 2000 for $22.95 + tax. If it's still in print, which is most likely, it's probably more now. You should be able to find it at any bookstore that has a travel section and probably at an REI.

Thomas

Amazon has it for $16.47. Also for Colorado and Washington.

Paul

[ROL]

On his first trip south of Mammoth along 395 with Edward Weston, Ansel Adams apparently misidentified every prominent peak as Mt. Whitney, until eventually arriving at Lone Pine.

Come to think of it, it may have been the Newhalls, rather than Weston. Anyone who knows for sure, please feel free to correct me. I think the story is in Letters, 1916 -1984, a book I highly recommend to those interested, and which I am too lazy to open up at the moment.

[ROL]

There are certainly a lot of peaks along that skyline. A few are unmistakable like the Minarets, Morrison, Humphreys, Whitney (except for AA). Barnbaum got infuriated with me when I pointed out that AA's famous Manzanar "Mt Willamson" shot was actually just an unnamed point on a rise to a peak fully 2000 ft lower than the real Willamson 7 miles to the north (how did AA misplace that huge thing?) I've never seen anything in print that visually pointed them out in sequence. Best view of at least the southern group of peaks is from up in the White Mtns on the opposite side of the Owens Valley. As I recall, one turnout up prior to the first bristlecone grove has a diorama labeling major summits. The
Palisade chain is one of the more intricate sets of summits, and the greatest grouping of
fourteeners.

AA misplaced, misnamed, and was, at least in his later years and books, notoriously inaccurate in his memories of shooting locations ('Early Morning, Merced River', in Examples, The Making of 40 Photographs, for one). The White Mountains have some amazing view points, some of the entire crest, but then the identifying profiles are quite a bit different from 10,000 feet than from down on 395.

Another worthy stop along 395, which might result in better information still of the type you require, is the Eastern California Museum in Independence, directions posted in town. It is comprehensive, even including original photographs by Norman Clyde and other east side pioneers.

[Bill Burk]

Second ROL's suggestion to stop by a visitor center or ranger station.

I'd swear there was a book that had inked profiles lines naming the mountains from the point of view of the highway 395. I just can't find it anywhere either.

[William Whitaker]

I've thought that if I could design an app for the iPhone, it would be one that correlates information from the onboard camera, GPS and web-based topographical data to name the peaks on the visual horizon. Once in the app, you'd take a photo of the horizon, the magic would happen and known peaks would be labeled. I'm not smart enough to carry it off myself, but someone out there is. Ben, you listening?

[gary892]

I'd swear there was a book that had inked profiles lines naming the mountains from the point of view of the highway 395. I just can't find it anywhere either.

I thought I had seen a map with the inked lines also and could not remember where which what prompted my question.
Thanks to everyone for their reply's. This is turning into an interesting topic.

Gary

[John Kasaian]

FAA Sectionals come in handy. San Francisco, Las Vegas and Los Angeles will cover the works. Airmen have to carry current Sectionals so the out of date Sectionals get tossed if not retained for planning. A call to a local flying school or FBO might land you some copies. 395 is clearly marked as are major peaks.