January 2008 Archives

Highway 395, 25.2 miles north of Lee Vining and 112 miles south of Reno, Nevada

Photo Gallery

Services and Accommodations

Restaurants and Eateries:  Bridgeport Inn; Burger Barn; Pops Galley; Rhino’s Bar and Grill;

Public Internet Use Facilities:

Museums and Point of Interest:

Events and Festivities: April 26: Opening Day for the General Trout Season); June 21: Bridgeport Trout Tournament (Chamber); July 3-4: I.P.R.A Rodeo; 4^th of July Turkey Shoot; October 12: Annual Bridgeport Reservoir-East Walker River Catch and Release Fly Fishing Tournament; November 15: General Trout Season Closes

Summer Recreation: Biking, Birding, Camping, Fishing, Golfing, Hang Gliding, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Mountaineering, Photography, Rock Climbing

Winter Recreation:

Sporting Goods Stores: Ken’s Sporting Goods

Fly Shops: The Angler’s Edge,

Nearby Fishing:

Nearby Camping:

Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce  P.O. Box 541, Bridgeport, CA 93517  760-932-7500

Community Parks:

Tours and Side-Trips: Bodie State Historic Park (ghost town) (760) 647-6445

Weather: 

Fast Click for Relevant Articles on the Area:

Recreational Contacts: Virginia Lakes Pack Outfit (760) 937-0326

Government Contacts:

            Bureau of Land Management (Bishop Office) 787 Main Street, Suite P, Bishop, CA 93514

            Department of Fish and Game:  Season dates, licenses, restrictions, fish stocking

To provide corrections or offer suggestions, email David Archer

Companion Web Sites

Fishing Tips 101 (A compilation of “Mastering the Basics Series”)

Glacier to Yellowstone (A complete guide to fishing and camping in Montana)

Bass and Trout Fishing Digest (Dave’s fishing adventures in Northern California and Oregon)

Highway 395, 25.2 miles north of Lee Vining and 112 miles south of Reno, Nevada

Photo Gallery

Services and Accommodations

Restaurants and Eateries:  Bridgeport Inn; Burger Barn; Pops Galley; Rhino’s Bar and Grill;

Public Internet Use Facilities:

Museums and Point of Interest:

Events and Festivities: April 26: Opening Day for the General Trout Season); June 21: Bridgeport Trout Tournament (Chamber); July 3-4: I.P.R.A Rodeo; 4^th of July Turkey Shoot; October 12: Annual Bridgeport Reservoir-East Walker River Catch and Release Fly Fishing Tournament; November 15: General Trout Season Closes

Summer Recreation: Biking, Birding, Camping, Fishing, Golfing, Hang Gliding, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Mountaineering, Photography, Rock Climbing

Winter Recreation:

Sporting Goods Stores: Ken’s Sporting Goods

Fly Shops: The Angler’s Edge,

Nearby Fishing:

Nearby Camping:

Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Links: http://www.bridgeportcalifornia.com/  P.O. Box 541, Bridgeport, CA 93517  760-932-7500

Community Parks:

Tours and Side-Trips: Bodie State Historic Park (ghost town) (760) 647-6445

Weather: http://mammothweather.com

Fast Click for Relevant Articles on the Area:

Recreational Contacts: Virginia Lakes Pack Outfit (760) 937-0326

Government Contacts:

            Bureau of Land Management (Bishop Office) 787 Main Street, Suite P, Bishop, CA 93514

            Department of Fish and Game: (www.dfg.ca.gov/fishing) Season dates, licenses, restrictions, fish stocking

Highway 395, 16.3 miles north of June Lake and 25.2 miles south of Bridgeport

Photo Gallery

Services and Accommodations

Restaurants and Eateries:

Public Internet Use Facilities:

Museums and Point of Interest: Old School House Museum (760) 647-6461; Mono County Museum (760) 932-5281;

Events and Festivities: April 26: Opening Day for the General Trout Season); November 15: General Trout Season Closes

Summer Recreation: Birdwatching, Camping, Hiking, Fishing, Kayaking on Mono Lake, Photography

Winter Recreation: Downhill skiing in June Lake and Mammoth; cross country skiing

Sporting Goods: Bell's Sporting Goods (760) 647-6406

Nearby Fishing: Home: Lee Vining: Fishing (See also Highway 120 Fishing)   Fishing Tips

Nearby Camping: Home: Lee Vining: Camping (See also Highway 120 Camping)

Lee Vining Chamber of Commerce:  http://www.leevining.com/ (760) 647-6629

Visitor Links:  Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center, Highway 395 a half mile north of Lee Vining, (760) 873-2408, www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/vc/mono

Community Parks:

Tours and Side-Trips:  Bodie Ghost Town; Mono Craters; Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve;Yosemite National Park, 

Weather

RV Related:

Recreational Contacts: Mono Lake Boat Tour (760) 937-1934

Government Contacts:

            Bureau of Land Management (Bishop Office) 787 Main Street, Suite P, Bishop, CA 93514

            Department of Fish and Game: (www.dfg.ca.gov/fishing) Season dates, licenses, restrictions, fish stocking

            Inyo National Forest: books, maps and wilderness passes and permits: Mt. Whitney Ranger Station (760) 873-2500; White Mountain Ranger Station (760) 873-2500; Mammoth Ranger Station (760) 924-5500  www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo

Lee Vining Expansion Notes in Alphabetical Order

Bodie Ghost Town

Bodie State Historic Park is a genuine California gold-mining ghost town.  Today it looks much the same as it did over 50 years ago when the last residents left. To preserve the ghost town atmosphere, there are no commercial facilities at Bodie. Be sure to bring plenty of film.  Visitors can walk down the deserted streets of a town that once had a population of 10,000 people. The town was founded by Waterman S. Body (William Bodey), who had discovered small amounts of gold in hills north of Mono Lake. In 1877, the Standard Company struck pay dirt and a gold rush transformed Bodie from a town of 20 people to a boomtown.  Only a small part of the town survives, preserved in a state of ‘arrested decay.’ Interiors remain as they were left and stocked with goods. Designated as a National Historic Site and a State Historic Park in 1962, the remains of Bodie are being preserved in a state of "arrested decay". Today this once thriving mining camp is visited by tourists, howling winds and an occasional ghost….

Souvenirs and Collecting

Everything in Bodie is part of the historic scene and is fully protected. NOTHING may be collected or removed from the park. Metal detectors are not allowed.

Closed Areas

For public protection, certain unstable sections of the park are posted as prohibited areas, and are closed to entry by park visitors.

Camping

There is no camping at Bodie. You must camp at least three miles from Bodie on BLM land. Fire restrictions are often in effect.

Winter Visits

Bodie is open all year. However, because of the high elevation (8375 feet), it is accessible only by over-snow equipment during the winter months.  Many four wheel drive vehicles get stuck each year in powdery snow that is deeper than it first appears. Spring thaws bring mud, and wheeled vehicles are not advised. TOWING FACILITIES ARE NOT AVAILABLE. Snowmobiles must stay on designated roads within the park. Winter weather is often unpredictable. Sub-zero temperatures, strong winds and white-out conditions are not uncommon.

Directions

The park is northeast of Yosemite, 13 miles east of Highway 395 on Bodie Road, seven miles south of Bridgeport….From U.S. 395 seven miles south of Bridgeport, take State Route 270. Go east 10 miles to the end of the pavement and continue 3 miles on an unsurfaced road to Bodie. The last 3 miles can at times be rough. Reduced speeds are necessary. Call the park if there are any questions about road conditions....”

(public domain-- http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=509)

Lundy Lake Canyon

During the Bodie mining boom, W.J. Lundy established a sawmill along the creek and supplied lumber to the Bodie mines.  Shortly thereafter a prospecting family discovered gold in the area and prospectors staked out their claims.  The May Lundy was a successful mine that operated for many years.  Today Lundy Lake is a popular trailhead to the Hoover Wilderness and a beginning or ending trail for those hiking to or from the 20 Lakes Basin from Saddlebag Lake.  The canyon is beautiful and hikers can reach one of the falls in a day hike.  Lundy Lake offers good fishing and is regularly stocked.

Mono Craters

One of the youngest of these volcanoes in the chain of volcanoes stretching from Mammoth to Mono Lake is Panum Crater, which is on the south shore of Mono Lake 

Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve

The reserve was established to preserve the spectacular "tufa towers," calcium-carbonate spires and knobs formed by interaction of freshwater springs and alkaline lake water.  Mono Lake is a majestic body of water covering about 65 square miles. It is an ancient lake, over 1 million years old -- one of the oldest lakes in North America. It has no outlet. Throughout its long existence, salts and minerals have washed into the lake from Eastern Sierra streams. Freshwater evaporating from the lake each year has left the salts and minerals behind so that the lake is now about 2 1/2 times as salty and 80 times as alkaline as the ocean….Winter is a particularly beautiful time at Mono Lake. The crowds are gone, a quiet stillness prevails, and snow crystals sparkle on the tufa towers.  The road to South Tufa is kept plowed, allowing year round access except immediately after large storms.  South Tufa, Old Marina, and the State Reserve boardwalk below the Mono Lake County Park are all wonderful places to cross-country ski when snow conditions permit….

Interpretive Programs

These programs are a cooperative effort of the State Reserve, U.S. Forest Service and the Mono Lake Committee. Rangers lead free tufa walks at the South Tufa area -- tours are at 1:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays May through October. Tours are offered 3 times daily from late June through Labor Day (10am, 1pm, and 6pm); and daily at 1pm late May through September.  Bird walks are offered at the Mono Lake County Park/State Reserve boardwalk at 8:00 a.m. Fridays and Sundays mid-May through Labor Day….

Visitor Center

The Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center is a great place to start your visit to this area. The center is located just off Highway 395, north of Lee Vining and includes a variety of exhibits about the natural and human history of the Mono Basin. Visitor center staff stand ready to help you plan your explorations of Mono Lake and the Eastern Sierra.

Outdoor Activities

Hiking, swimming, boating, and cross-country skiing are just a few of the many activities you can enjoy at this unusual lake.  Photographers come from all over the world to capture the interplay of light, desert, and water. The natural history of the lake is described and explained in a one-mile self-guided nature trail at South Tufa.

This spectacular tufa area is the best place to visit if you have time for only one stop. A boardwalk trail below the Mono Lake County Park allows access to the north shore tufa area and marsh. A trail at Panum Crater leads to the dome and crater rim.

A swim in Mono Lake is a memorable experience. The lake's salty water is denser than ocean water, and provides a delightfully buoyant swim. Old timers claim that a soak in the lake will cure almost anything. Keep the water out of your eyes or any cuts, as it will sting.

Camping

The State Reserve is surrounded by the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area, operated by the Forest Service. There are no campgrounds in the State Reserve or the Scenic Area. Dispersed camping is permitted in most of the Scenic Area outside the exposed lake bed lands. Campfire permits are required. Established campgrounds are located in Lundy Canyon, Lee Vining Canyon, and the June Lake Loop.

Boating

All types of boating are permitted on Mono Lake, although access is restricted to all islands between April 1 and August 1 each year to protect the nesting gulls. It is advisable to stay near shore while boating, and to be alert for sudden high winds. We recommend launching canoes and kayaks at Navy Beach, on the south shore, where a parking lot is close to the water. For those with boats too large to carry, an unimproved launch ramp is available near Lee Vining Creek. Stop by the Scenic Area Visitor Center for directions.”

(public domain-- http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=514)

Yosemite National Park is reached via Highway 120 on the Tioga Pass Road, approximately 12 miles from Lee Vining.

Companion Web Sites:

Glacier to Yellowstone (A complete guide to camping and fishing in Montana from Glacier to Yellowstone)

Fishing Tips 101 (Offering a "Mastering the Basics" series for freshwater fishing)

Bass and Trout Fishing Digest (Dave's hodge-podge of fishing adventures in Northern California and Oregon)

Highway 395, 20.9 miles north of Mammoth Lakes and 16.3 miles south of  Lee Vining

Photo Gallery

Services and Accommodations

Restaurants and Eateries:

Public Internet Use Facilities:

Museums and Point of Interest:

Events and Festivities: April 26: Opening Day for the General Trout Season; August 31: Million Dollar Troutstock fishing derby; November 15: General Trout Season Closes

Summer Recreation: Biking, Birding, Camping, Fishing, Golfing, Hang Gliding, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Mountaineering, Photography, Rock Climbing

Winter Recreation: Skiing   

Sporting Goods Stores: Ernie’s (760) 648-7756

Fly Shops:

Nearby Fishing: Home: June Lake: Fishing    Fishing Tips (Deadman Creek, Glass Creek, Grant Lake, June Lake, Owens River, Parker Lake, Reversed Creek, Rush Creek, Silver Creek)

Nearby Camping: Home: June Lake: Camping (Big Springs Campground, Deadman Creek Campground, Glass Creek Campground, Gull Lake Campground, Hartley Springs Campground, Oh, Ridge Campground, June Lake Campground, Reversed Creek Campground, Silver Lake Campground)

June Lake Chamber of Commerce 

Community Parks:

Tours and Side-Trips: Tioga Pass, Mono Lake (See Lee Vining)

Weather

Fast Click for Relevant Articles on the Area:

Recreational Contacts: Frontier Pack Train 888-437-MULE; Mammoth Ballooning (760) 937-8787; McGee Creek Pack Station (800) 854-7404

Government Contacts:

            Bureau of Land Management (Bishop Office) 787 Main Street, Suite P, Bishop, CA 93514

            Department of Fish and Game: (www.dfg.ca.gov/fishing) Season dates, licenses, restrictions, fish stocking

            Inyo National Forest: books, maps and wilderness passes and permits: Mt. Whitney Ranger Station (760) 873-2500; White Mountain Ranger Station (760) 873-2500; Mammoth Ranger Station (760) 924-5500  www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo

Companion Web Sites:

Glacier to Yellowstone (A complete guide to camping and fishing in Montana from Glacier to Yellowstone)

Fishing Tips 101 (Offering a "Mastering the Basics" series for freshwater fishing)

Bass and Trout Fishing Digest (Dave's hodge-podge of fishing adventures in Northern California and Oregon)

Highway 395, 17.6 miles north of Tom’s Place and 20.9 miles south of June Lake

Photo Gallery

Services and Accommodations

Restaurants and Eateries:

Public Internet Use Facilities: Access Business & Shipping Center (706) 934-4667; Kava Coffeehouse (760) 872-1010; Looney Bean (760) 934-1345; Mammoth Lakes Library (760) 934-4777; Wild Willy’s Mammoth Arcade (760) 924-1082

Museums and Point of Interest: Devil’s Postpile National Monument (619) 934-2289; Mammoth Museum (760) 934-6918; Mammoth Ski Museum (760) 934-6592

Events and Festivities: April 26: Opening Day for the General Trout Season); August 11: Sierra Drifters/Crowley Lake Stillwater Classic fishing derby (760-935-4301) November 15: General Trout Season Closes

Summer Recreation: Biking, Birding, Camping, Fishing, Golfing, Hang Gliding, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Mountaineering, Photography, Rock Climbing

Winter Recreation: Skiing

Photo courtesy of Mammoth Mountain

Sporting Goods Stores:

Fly Shops:

Nearby Fishing:  Home: Mammoth Lakes: Fishing   Fishing Tips (Convict Creek, Convict Lake, Crowley Lake, Crystal Lake, Hot Creek, Lake George, Lake Mary, Laurel Lakes, Mamie Lake, Mammoth Creek, McGee Creek Campground, McLeod Lake, Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River, Minaret Falls Campground, New Shady Rest Campground, Starkweather and Sotcher Lake, Sherwin Creek Campground, Red's Meadow Campground, Twin Lakes Campground, Upper Soda Springs Campground)

Photo by H. Blackburn.  Courtesy of Mammoth Mountain

Nearby Camping: Home: Mammoth Lakes: Mammoth Area Camping (Agnew Meadows Campground, Agnew Meadows Horse Camp, Cold Water Campground, Convict Lake Campground, Crowley Lake Campground, Devils Postpile Campground, Lake George Campground, Lake Mary Campground, Pine City Campground, Pumice Flat Campground,

Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Links: Mammoth Lakes Visitor Center and Ranger Station, Main Street on Highway 203, (760) 924-5500, Open daily 9 am to 5pm. www.fs.fed/r5/inyo/vc/mammoth.html)  //  Mammoth Lakes Visitor Bureau // Mammothweb.

Photo courtesy of Mammoth Mountain

Community Parks:

Tours and Side-Trips: Crowley Lake, Devils Postpile National Monument (Red's Meadow and Rainbow Falls), Hot Creek Geological Site, Hot Creek State Fish Hatchery, Mammoth Lakes, Mammoth-Mono Geological Tour, Mammoth Mines, Minaret Vista, Obsidian Dome, Whitmore Hot Springs

Weather     Local Weather Forcast 

RV Related:

Recreational Contacts:

Agnew Meadows Pack Train (760) 934-2345

Mammoth Lakes Pack Outfit 888-475-8747

McGee Creek Pack Station offers spot pack trips, dunnage trips, all inclusive trips and day rides. (760) 935-4324 (summer); (760) 878-2207 (winter).

Red’ Meadow Pack Station offers spot pack trips, dunnage trips, all inclusive trips and day rides. (760) 934-3445

Government Contacts:

            Bureau of Land Management (Bishop Office) 787 Main Street, Suite P, Bishop, CA 93514

            Department of Fish and Game: Season dates, licenses, restrictions, fish stocking

            Inyo National Forest: books, maps and wilderness passes and permits: Mt. Whitney Ranger Station (760) 873-2500; White Mountain Ranger Station (760) 873-2500; Mammoth Ranger Station (760) 924-5500  www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo

To provide a correction or offer a suggestion, email David Archer.

Mammoth Lakes Expansion Notes in Alphabetical Order

Crowley Lake: (See Mammoth Area Fishing)  Named after Father Crowley for his tireless efforts to promote tourism in the Owens Valley after Los Angeles drained the area of water, Crowley Lake is actually a 5,000 acre reservoir, which filled Long Valley from the Owens River and the many smaller creeks in the area.  Completed in 1941, the lake supplies water for the domestic consumption of Los Angeles.  The lake is administered by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks.  Lake Crowley is perhaps the most prolific trout nursery and resource in the region for fast growing trout, along with Sacramento perch.  Anglers from southern California converge on the lake opening day of trout season in staggering numbers so large that I hesitate in reporting these published figures. Suffice to say close to ten thousands anglers line the shoreline in years experiencing a mild winter.  Upwards of over three hundred boats have been counted opening day.  Some years the lake thaws early, which produces larger trout.  Some years the lake will not be thawed so call ahead.

Devils Postpile National Monument; Red’s Meadow and Rainbow Falls

I have combined these “must see” side trips because the entrance road has driving restrictions.  (See driving restrictions below) 

The area of the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River will delight visitors with spectacular lakes and streams.  Within the valley, lush meadows teem with wildlife and floral displays rival any other scenic spot in the Sierras.  Add shimmering water spilling over a basalt cliff at Rainbow Falls, nearby trails that lead day hikers and back packers into the Ansel Adams and John Muir Wilderness, and it is no wonder that over 100,000 visitors a year enter this Sierra shrine.  Originally encompassed in Yosemite National Park, mining and logging lobbyists successfully pressured Congress in removing 500 square miles from the recently established park.  The Devils Postpile was suddenly expelled from the protection of park status.  When news spread about the proposal in 1910 to detonate the spiraling vertical basalt columns, and use the rubble for a rock impoundment downstream, the environmental community was galvanized into action.  The Devil’s Postpile, by presidential proclamation from President Taft, earned a protective status when it was declared a national monument in 1911. Reaching the Devils Postpile from the visitor center is made along a quarter-mile trail that wind along the river and through stands of lodge-pole pines and fir to the base of the cliff.  “Not only does the Monument preserve and protect the fascinating formations of the Postpile, but it serves as a portal to the sublime High Sierra backcountry….The Devil Postpile is one of the finest examples of columnar basalt in the world.  Approximately 55% of the formation’s columns are six-sided.” (www.nps.gov/depo/)

Rainbow Falls is approximately two miles downstream from the Devils Postpile National Monument, and it too is reached by trail.  Tumbling a 101 feet over a sheer wall of rugged basalt, the mist creates prismatic rainbow displays when the sun climbs above the mountain tops.  It is a wonderful place to relax, take photographs and enjoy a picnic lunch.  A fun way to get to Rainbow Falls is to ride a mule-drawn wagon from Red’s Meadow.

Road Restriction:

Mandatory travel restrictions are enforced for the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River and the Devils Postpile National Monument area.  Only campers are allowed to drive on the road from 7:00 A.M to 7:30 P.M.  A shuttle bus operates repeatedly throughout the day from the Mammoth Mountain Ski area for visitors during these restricted travel times. “All visitors accessing the recreational opportunities and activities in the Reds Meadow Valley are charged a per-person transportation fee. Fees are collected during the entire open season and all hours of the day. Fees are used to operate the shuttle system. If visitors arrive when the station is closed, their fee will be collected upon their exit from the valley. Passes are available at the Shuttle Terminal at Mammoth Mountain Main Lodge Gondola Building and also at Minaret Vista Station for those few exceptions that are not required to ride the bus.

The shuttle service to Reds Meadow/Devils Postpile began in 1979. The shuttle was determined necessary to reduce the impact on the environment from vehicle traffic. The narrow road into the Reds Meadow area serves as the only access to the San Joaquin River Valley , the Devils Postpile National Monument , Rainbow Falls and 5 trailheads leading into the John Muir and Ansel Adams Wilderness Areas, including the Pacific Crest Trail and John Muir Trail. The road also allows access to 186 campsites (6 campgrounds), 4 nature trails, and 2 day use lakes, Reds Meadow Pack Station and Lodge, and Agnew Meadows Pack Station. Vehicle use and Exceptions

Excessive vehicle use is the reason for a mandatory shuttle bus. However, some exceptions are recognized. Following is a list of most exceptions:

• Vehicles entering the valley before 7:00 am , or after 7:30 pm
• Vehicles carrying passengers with a disabled placard (once in the valley visitors must hike to most sites)
• Vehicles towing horse trailers or other livestock
• Campers camping in the Reds Meadow area
• Overnight Resort Guests
• Administrative vehicles
• Vehicles carrying car top boats, canoes, kayaks for use in valley

Exceptions are still charged the per person transportation fee.”

 http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/redsmeadow.shtml

Hot Creek Geologic Site

In the annals of trout fishing lore, Hot Creek is known far and wide.  Downstream from the Hot Creek State Fish Hatchery, visitors leave their fly rods behind and witness hot gas vents, boiling water, sky-blue hot springs and rising steam, which rises to the earth’s surface from molten lava miles below.  Be prepared for the sulfurous smell of rotten eggs as steam escapes from fumaroles along the creek.  Visitors are cautioned to stay on designated trails as the ground is unstable.  The short trail offers an overlook and an observation bridge.  To reach the hot springs from Highway 395, turn east at the airport exit and follow the signs on Fish Hatchery Road, which is three miles south of Mammoth Junction.  Drive 2.5 miles on a gravel road to the parking area.

Hot Creek State Fish Hatchery raises a couple of million trout annually to be stocked locally.  Considered to be one of the largest hatcheries in the state, the Hot Creek Hatchery also produces over 20 million trout eggs for hatcheries throughout the state.

Inyo Craters

The Inyo Craters are older than the Mono Craters.  Looking like a funnel depression stuck in a mountain, the Inyo Craters are examples of super-heated steam explosions when ground water comes in contact with rising magma.  Referred to as phreatic eruptions, the magma never reaches the surface.  Radio carbon dating of wood debris sets the time of activity at over 600 years ago.  The two Inyo craters pits are 600 feet in diameter and hold water at the bottom of the funnel.  The craters may be reached by trail through a Jeffrey pine forest which ends at a picnic site.  To reach the trail from Mammoth Lakes, take the Mammoth Scenic Loop Road.  Look for the signed entrance to Inyo Craters and continue one mile to the parking area.

Mammoth Lakes (See Camping and Fishing Section)

Mammoth-Mono Geological Tour (The Mammoth Ranger District Headquarters offers a pamphlet entitled, “Craters – Cones- Coulees” for a self-guided tour of 10 geological sites.)  You are mistaken if you believe that visiting the area’s caldera, an area approximately 10 by 20 miles, will be a stroll down memory lane when the last eruption occurred 100,000 years ago.  The Mono-Long Valley Caldera is alive and well.  So, what are the odds of an eruption during your planned visit.  Scientists on staff at the U.S Geological Survey predict that the probability of any activity is about 1%.  In other words, stick around for another 100,000 years for the fireworks.  The most recent eruptions created the hills surrounding Mammoth Lakes, a mere 100,000 years ago.  Keep in mind, however, that the entire Mammoth and Mono Basin sees isolated pockets of activity outside the Long Valley Area.  As recent as 250 years ago, an eruption on Paoha Island in Mono Lake shook the area.

The study of geology is not the study of ancient history.  It is the study of Mother Earth in her slow, meticulous transformation of our planet.  Should an unthinkable and unpredictable, less than catastrophic, eruption take place during your visit and  in close proximity to where you stand, take heart from the fact that lava flows “rarely move faster than a brisk walk.” It will be the pyroclastic blast of hot ash venting at speeds “greater than 100 miles an hour” that will get you!  I exaggerate, of course.  Scientists predict that the next eruption will more than likely be small, and it could be limited to that of an explosive steam kettle, with the molten magma activity safely under the ground as it vaporizes underground water in its struggle to reach the surface.  When sub-surface gas is pushed up just beneath the earth’s crust, and it is touched off by a finger-like vein of molten rock, “stuff” happens.  It is precisely this rising finger of hot molten rock that keeps the USGS busy monitoring the area.  In 1980-1982 scientists noticed a slight uplift of the ground surface in the Long Valley Caldera, as the magma and a finger-like projection pushed upwards along the south wall of the caldera.

The self-guided tour of the geological wonders around the Mammoth area, including a trip to the Hot Creek Geological Site, is an important part in understanding the region.  For informative articles on “Long Valley Caldera and Mono-Inyo Craters,” and “Future Eruptions in California’s Long Valley Area – What is Likely?”, visit USGS on-line.

Mammoth Mines

Mammoth Mountain Ski Area:  Encompassing 3,500 acres, 150 trails, 29 ski lifts and three full service slope-side lodges, Mammoth Mountain is the quintessential ski resort in the eastern Sierra Mountains.

Minaret Vista

Located a short distance west of the Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort on Minaret Road, the Minaret Vista at the top of the pass affords an impressive view of the headwaters of the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River, the Ritter Mountain Range and the jagged Minarets across the valley floor.  A self-guided tour provides signed information on the geology and plant life in the area from the picnic area and Deadman Pass Trailhead.

Obsidian Dome

Obsidian, prized by the Indians for making spearheads and arrowheads, is a black, glass-like creation from lava that cooled rapidly after a surface eruption.  Thousands of years after the caldera was formed, domes were created from magma pressure far below.  The resulting ground swell forms a resurgent dome.  Think of the Obsidian Dome as a magma after-thought or burp.  If you have visited Mammoth Hot Springs Geothermal area, you can imagine what that burp smelled like!

Whitmore Hot Springs

Operated by Mammoth Lakes, the pool is regulated at 80-degrees from a nearby hot spring.  Open to the public, Whitmore Hot Springs pool is located one mile of Highway 395 on Benton Crossing Road, just before the Mammoth Airport.

Companion Web Sites:

Glacier to Yellowstone (A complete guide to camping and fishing in Montana from Glacier to Yellowstone)

Fishing Tips 101 (Offering a "Mastering the Basics" series for freshwater fishing)

Bass and Trout Fishing Digest (Dave's hodge-podge of fishing adventures in Northern California and Oregon)

Highway 395, 20.5 miles north of Bishop and 17.6 miles south of Mammoth Lakes and gateway to Rock Creek and Little Lakes Valley.  Tom's Place is right off Highway 395 across from Crowley Lake.  Tom's Place Resort offers cabins, a general store and a cafe and bar.  (See the separate categories for Rock Creek fishing and camping.)

Restaurants and Eateries: Tom's Place Resort; Rock Creek Resort

Events and Festivities: April 26: Opening Day for the General Trout Season); November 15: General Trout Season Closes

Summer Recreation: Biking, Birding, Camping, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Mountaineering, Photography, Rock Climbing

Nearby Fishing: Rock Creek and the Bishop area.

Home: Bishop: Fishing   Fishing Tips

Nearby Camping: Home: Bishop: Camping

Bishop Chamber of Commerce
690 N. Main St., Bishop, California  93514; 760-873-8405; 888-395-3952 Toll free
Visitor center hours: 10AM to 5PM M-F  10AM to 4PM Weekends

Tours and Side-Trips:

Weather  

Recreational Contacts: Rock Creek Pack Station (760) 872-8331

Government Contacts:

            Bureau of Land Management (Bishop Office) 787 Main Street, Suite P, Bishop, CA 93514

            Department of Fish and Game: Season dates, licenses, restrictions, fish stocking

            Inyo National Forest: books, maps and wilderness passes and permits: Mt. Whitney Ranger Station (760) 873-2500; White Mountain Ranger Station (760) 873-2500; Mammoth Ranger Station (760) 924-5500  www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo

Rock Creek Canyon and the Little Lakes Valley

Rock Creek Canyon has bragging rights.  At the Mosquito Flat Trailhead, it is the highest paved road in California, towering above the valley floor at 10,250 feet elevation.  But it is also considered one of the most beautiful entrances to the John Muir Wilderness simply because the gain in elevation eliminates those arduous climbs that most trailheads into the Sierra Mountains demand.  Day hikers can make a round-trip hike of a little over five miles to Little Lakes Valley, a popular destination for photographers and anglers.  The trail offers a very gradual accent, and in places it could be described as almost level.  Standing guard over the Little Lakes Valley are three sentinels: Mt. Dade, Mt. Abbot and Mt. Mills, each towering over 13,000 feet.  Summer’s splendid profusion of wildflowers and verdant green meadows and the autumnal hues of gold from Quaking Aspen and willow have inspired hikers, photographers and artists for many generations.

To provide a correction or offer a suggestion, email David Archer.

Companion Web Sites:

Glacier to Yellowstone (A complete guide to camping and fishing in Montana from Glacier to Yellowstone)

Fishing Tips 101 (Offering a "Mastering the Basics" series for freshwater fishing)

Highway 395, 15.6 miles north of Big Pine and 20.5 miles south of Tom’s Place

Restaurants and Eateries: (My favorites) Bar-B-Q Bills (760) 872-5535; Erick Schat’s Bakkery (760) 873-7156; La Casita (760) 872-2326

Public Internet Use Facilities:

Museums and Point of Interest: Laws Railroad Museum (760) 647-6445; Paiute Shoshone Indian Cultural Center

Events and Festivities/ March 15: Blake Jones Trout Derby – Bishop Chamber of Commerce; April 26: Opening Day for the General Trout Season; May 23-26: Memorial Day Arts and Craft Show; August 28-September 1: Eastern Sierra Tri-County Fair; September 27-28: California Wild Horse and Burro Show); November 15: General Trout Season Closes.

Summer Recreation: Biking, Birding, Camping, Fishing, Golfing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Mountaineering, Photography, Rock Climbing

Winter Recreation: (See Mammoth Lakes)

Sporting Goods Stores: Barrett’s Outfitters (760) 872-3830Culver’s Sporting Goods (760) 872-8361; Mac’s Sporting Goods (760) 872-9201; Wilson’s Eastside Sports (760) 873-7520

Fly Shops: Brooks Flyfishing Specialists (760) 872-3581; Owen's River Fly Shop (760) 872-3830 - www.owensriverflyshop.com

Nearby Fishing: Home: Bishop: Fishing   Fishing Tips (Bishop Creek, Heart Lake, Intake II, Mack Lake, McGee Creek, North Lake, Owens River, Pine Creek, Pleasant Valley Reservoir, Rock Creek, Rock Creek Lake, Ruby Lake, Sabrina Lake, South Lake

Photo courtesy of Bishop Chamber of Commerce

Nearby Camping: Home: Bishop: Camping (Big Trees Campground, Bishop Park Campground, Bitterbrush Campground, Forks Campground, Four Jeffrey Campground, Horton Creek Campground, Intake II Campground, Pleasant Valley Campground, PV Pit Campground, Mountain Glen Campground, North Lake Campground, Sabrina Lake Campground, Willow Creek Campground)

Bishop Chamber of Commerce
690 N. Main St., Bishop, California  93514; 760-873-8405; 888-395-3952 Toll free
Visitor center hours: 10AM to 5PM M-F  10AM to 4PM Weekends

Community Parks:

Tours and Side-Trips:  Bishop Creek Canyon, Buttermilk Country, Fish Slough, Volcanic Tableland

Weather  

RV Related:

Recreational Contacts: Bishop Country Club golf course (760) 873-5828; Bishop Pack Outfitters (760) 873-4785; Paiute Palace Casino; Keough’s Hot Springs (760) 872-4670; Pine Creek Pack Station (760) 387-2797; Rainbow Pack Outfitters (760) 872-8803.  Rainbow Pack Outfitters offers overnight pack trips into the John Muir Wilderness and into King's Canyon Wilderness.  They also offer guided day rides and fishing trips in the Bishop Basin.

Government Contacts:

            Bureau of Land Management (Bishop Office) 787 Main Street, Suite P, Bishop, CA 93514

            Department of Fish and Game: 407 W. Line Street, Bishop, CA 93514 (619) 872-1171 Season dates, licenses, restrictions, fish stocking etc.

Photo courtesy of Bishop Chamber of Commerce

            Inyo National Forest: books, maps and wilderness passes and permits: Mt. Whitney Ranger Station (760) 873-2500; White Mountain Ranger Station (760) 873-2500; Mammoth Ranger Station (760) 924-5500  www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo

Bishop Expansion Notes in Alphabetical Order

The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

Across the broad Owens Valley lays a parallel mountain range that stretches east of Lone Pine northwards into Nevada.  The White and Inyo Mountains, bereft of rainfall as storms stall over the high Sierra, rise to impressive heights in a seemingly barren landscape.  The third highest mountain in California, and the largest mountain in this range, is White Mountain Peak at 14,246 feet.  Home to bighorn sheep, wild horses, deer and mountain lion, along with many species of birds, the White Mountains are home to the oldest living species in the world – the ancient Bristlecone Pine trees.  In this cold and desolate region, visitors, may visit and photograph “Methuselah”, a 4,774 year-old, or they may visit “Patriarch”, the largest of the ancient Bristlecone Pines, who is a youngster at 1,500 years.

Unassuming in height, the Bristlecone Pine grows on barren, windswept slopes with little surrounding vegetation, which protects them from wildfire danger.  Stout and gnarly, their twisted limbs entwine as they stand proud survivors and testimony to the rigors of nature and time not in decades or centuries but in millennium.  Slow to grow, their dense wood core wards off insects and disease.  Dr. Edmund Schulman, who discovered the trees in the 1950’s, has studied the ring growth in living and dead trees and provided a 9,000 year record of weather patterns for the region.

The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is 36 miles from Big Pine.  The last thirteen miles are unpaved and rough in places.  A picnic site is located at approximately 16 miles.  The only campground is Grandview Campground, a few miles north of the Cedar Flat Information Center.  The next stopping point is the Sierra Overlook at 9,000 feet elevation.  From this vista, the sweeping Sierra Mountains can be identified from a map display to help identify Mt. Whitney in the southern region and Mt. Dana in Yosemite to the north. Below the broad plain of Owens Valley stretches from Lone Pine to Bishop, and looking to the east, one can see the mountain peaks surrounding Death Valley.  Up the road is Schulman Grove Visitor Center.  Picnic tables and rest rooms are available, as well as Methuselah Walk, a trail to Old Methuselah.  Patriarch Grove lies ahead at an elevation of 11,000.  This final destination is reached on a narrow dirt road not recommended for large RV’.  From the parking area, it is a short walk to see the “Patriarch”, the largest of the Bristlecone Pine trees.

To visit Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, turn east on Highway 168 from Highway 395 in Big Pine.  After thirteen miles, turn left onto Road 01, a signed road to the forest.

Bishop

With the discovery of gold in Aurora, miners poured into an isolated region 30 miles southwest of Hawthorne, Nevada.  The population swelled to 10,000 people, and in less than ten years $27 million dollars in gold came out of the mines that both California and Nevada claimed to be under their jurisdiction.  These hungry miners needed beef, and Samuel Bishop meant to supply them.  From his home at Fort Tejon, in the mountains above San Fernando Valley, he and his wife and a number of hired hands drove 600 cattle and 50 horses 250 miles to where he claimed a ranch on Bishop Creek.  Arriving August 22, 1861, he joined just a handful of other white settlers to claim land in the Owens Valley.  The local native inhabitants lived near Bishop Creek and diverted the creek to irrigate fields of tabose, a yellow grass with edible tubers.  Within a year armed settlers attacked a band of Paiute Indians who had killed a stray cow.  Conflict over land and water escalated, and after a few years Samuel Bishop and his family returned to their more settled area of Fort Tejon.

By 1863 a stage coach line was established from Bishop to Aurora.  Conflict with the natives and the ensuing up-risings necessitated an army outpost in Independence.  With the Army in control, it was obvious that more than beef was on the menu for miners throughout Inyo County, and soon Bishop became a farming hub for the region.

Continuing silver and gold strikes brought in the Carson & Colorado Railroad that connected Owens Valley with mines to the north, south, east and west.  Bishop incorporated in 1903, and by 1906 it claimed to have the world’s wealthiest gold mine up in Bishop Canyon.  The biggest boom, however was in the 1930’s when the mining operation reworked their claims and produced $1.5 million in gold.  By the turn of the century, the city of Los Angeles desperately needed water for their burgeoning population.  They quietly began purchasing farms and ranches, along with the water rights throughout the region.  By 1913 the Los Angeles Aqueduct began draining the region, and within a few years farming declined substantially.  The next fortune was made from the hydroelectric powerhouses, which tapped Bishop Creek.

With little private land to expand, Bishop nonetheless became prosperous as the tourism hub of Inyo County.  Regional and national exposure of the natural wonders of the area, spawned in part from the exposure of Hollywood films crews during the 1920’ and 30’s, transformed Bishop and Mammoth into a  recreational playground for southern California.  Today Bishop is best known for Mule Days during Memorial Weekend, the Tri-County Fair and Rodeo in July and the Labor Day weekend rodeo.  For an excellent overview on the history of Bishop, visit the Bishop Chamber of Commerce web site.

Blake Jones Fishing Derby

The next derby will be held Saturday, March 15, 2008.  The Blake Jones Trout Derby is held every March....The site of the derby is along the Owens River, just below the Pleasant Valley Reservoir, six miles north of Bishop. Put on by the Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, this pre-season event is a great chance to wet your line and hone your fishing skills while getting a chance to win big prizes!

Fishing during the derby is allowed in the reservoir and along the river only as all others waters are closed until the last Saturday in April. Tons of trout are planted just before the derby by both Alpers Trout Hatchery and the DFG. and you can enter your catch in any number of categories including "Blind Bogey" and "Big Fish" for a chance to win your part of over $10,000 in prizes including high quality rod & reel combos, float tubes, custom lures, lodging, dinners and other goodies from local merchants and friends of the Bishop Chamber.... During the derby, you are allowed to fish in both the  Pleasant Valley Reservoir and any section of the lower Owens River (except the catch & release Wild Trout area) and bring your catch to the derby headquarters at the reservoir to have them weighed by Hal and the crew.

Each participant receives five "fish cards" so that one can enter up to five fish (the legal limit) in the contest to increase the chance of winning. Everyone's fish cards are put into the hopper and those that match the Blind Bogey weight will win prizes. There are also prizes for "Biggest Trout" plus lots more! 
The Blind Bogey fish this year weighed 11oz. (caught by a secret fisherman two days before the derby) and 20 lucky fishermen who caught fish that matched that size had their fish cards drawn with first prize a fisherman's dream package contributed by local sporting goods dealers Barrett's Outfitters, Mac's Sporting Goods and  Culver's Sporting Goods along with the Paiute Palace, Sears, Berkley and Cabelas.

Who was Blake Jones?
Whenever you bait your hook with Powerbait or any of the other modern cheese baits, you can thank the late Blake Jones. Jones invented cheese bait which was unique when it was introduced back in the 1950s. Before Blake Jones came along anglers had to use Velveeta cheese spread or cut small pieces from a block of cheese which easily fell off the hook when immersed in water. Blake's special cheese bait stayed on the hook even during heavy casting.  But Blake Jones was probably best known as one of the legendary anglers in Bishop. Along with his wife, Peggy, he fished all over the high country and taught hundreds of people how to fish thelakes and streams of the High Sierra. Longtime local resident and business owner Don Barrett explained. 'They were the type of people who would never hesitate and help people fish. They might hand someone a jar of bait and show them how to use it. They were just that way.'"

For complete details on the derby go to www.bishopvisitor.com

 Photo courtesy of Bishop Chamber of Commerce.

Buttermilk Country

Named by a local dairyman back in the 1870’s, the area is quite popular with family rock climbers and “bouldering” experts alike, who use only their fingers and toes to climb.  The area is beautiful in the spring both for wildflowers, birds and a large deer herd that winter in the area.  To reach Buttermilk Country, turn west on Line Street (Highway 168) from Highway 395 in Bishop.  Drive 7.3 miles and turn right on Buttermilk Road.  Proceed to the turn-around.

Fish Slough / Volcanic Tableland

 One of the best tour guides for Inyo County may be found on line or at Ranger District Headquarters or at Visitor Centers. Motor Touring in the Eastern Sierra including Death Valley covers self-guided tours for sport utility vehicles.  One such tour route is Fish Slough, Red Rock Canyon and Casa Diablo.  Following the old Carson & Colorado railroad route through Chalfant Valley in the shadows of the stark White Mountains, this loop tour will take you to historic Fish Slough, a native fish sanctuary and wetland area important to the Paiute Indians.  It is here that they harvested native Indian rice and fished and hunted.  Today this small remnant of desert marshland is being protected by the Bureau of Land Management as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern.  Bird watchers and naturalists will enjoy the many varieties of ducks, raptors and herons.  Continuing on Fish Slough Road, the loop circles up through Red Rock Canyon and then southward to Casa Diablo Mountain, where drivers must chose their exit route back to

Bishop or connect with the Benton Crossing Road.  (Be sure to have a Inyo County map or the Inyo National Forest map along with safety provisions.)  The Volcanic Tableland is a vast high-desert outback, to borrow a name from those Down Under.  From Highway 395 in Bishop at the intersection with Highway 6, turn right on Highway 6 and proceed 1.3 miles to Five Bridges Road.  Turn left on this road and drive 2.3 miles to Fish Slough Road.  The motor tour guide should be in your possession.  They suggest setting your trip meter as the “directions, especially for Route 13, depend upon knowing your mileage.”

Keough’s Hot Springs.

With a claim to be the Eastern Sierra’s largest natural hot springs pool, Keough’s Hot Springs has a long history for soaking tired bodies in geothermal spring water.  During the 1920’s and 30’s, Keough’s Hot Springs was a health and leisure resort.  Valley residents then and now hold barbecues and picnics.  I have fond memories of swimming here as a youngster in the late 1940’s.  At that time it had a little train that circled the premises.  I know that I will be returning soon.  The hot spring pool is located seven miles south of Bishop, just off Highway 395.  For information call (760) 872-4670.

To provide a correction or offer a suggestion, email David Archer.

Companion Web Sites:

Glacier to Yellowstone (A complete guide to camping and fishing in Montana from Glacier to Yellowstone)

Fishing Tips 101 (Offering a "Mastering the Basics" series for freshwater fishing)

Bass and Trout Fishing Digest (Dave's hodge-podge of fishing adventures in Northern California and Oregon)

Highway 395, 26 miles north of Independence and 15 miles south of Bishop

Photo Gallery

Services and Accommodations

Restaurants and Eateries:

Public Internet Use Facilities:

Museums and Point of Interest:

Events and Festivities: April 26: Opening Day for the General Trout Season; November 15: General Trout Season Closes

Summer Recreation: Biking, Birding, Camping, Fishing, Golfing, Hang Gliding, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Mountaineering, Photography, Rock Climbing

Winter Recreation:

Sporting Goods Stores:

Fly Shops:

Nearby Fishing: Home: Big Pine: Fishing   Fishing Tips (Big Pine Creek, Owens River)

Nearby Camping: Home: Big Pine: Camping (Tinnemaha Campground)

Big Pine Chamber of Commerce:   Big Pine Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center, P.O. Box 23, Big Pine, California 93513
(760) 938-2114  or  (866) 938-2114

Community Parks:

Tours and Side-Trips:  Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest; Big Pine Canyon; Keoughs Hots Springs

Weather  

RV Related:

Recreational Contacts: Glacier Pack Train (760) 938-2538. The pack station is located 11 miles west of Big Pine on a paved road.  Pack trips include spot, dunnage and base camp, along with day rides.  Fishing and pack trips reach Big Pine Lakes, Palisades Glaciers, Sawmill Pass, Baker Lakes and day rides to upper lakes.

Government Contacts:

            Department of Fish and Game: (www.dfg.ca.gov/fishing) Season dates, licenses, restrictions, fish stocking

            Inyo National Forest: books, maps and wilderness passes and permits: Mt. Whitney Ranger Station (760) 873-2500; White Mountain Ranger Station (760) 873-2500; Mammoth Ranger Station (760) 924-5500  www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/about

Big Pine Expansion Notes in Alphabetical Order

The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

Across the broad Owens Valley lays a parallel mountain range that stretches east of Lone Pine northwards into Nevada.  The White and Inyo Mountains, bereft of rainfall as storms stall over the high Sierra, rise to impressive heights in a seemingly barren landscape.  The third highest mountain in California and the largest mountain in this range is White Mountain Peak at 14,246 feet.  Home to bighorn sheep, wild horses, deer and mountain lion, along with many species of birds, the White Mountains are home to the oldest living species in the world – the ancient Bristlecone Pine trees.  In this cold and desolate region, visitors, may visit and photograph “Methuselah”, a 4,774 year-old, or they may visit “Patriarch”, the largest of the ancient Bristlecone Pines, who is a youngster at 1,500 years.

Unassuming in height, the Bristlecone Pine grows on barren, windswept slopes with little vegetation, which protects them from to wildfire danger.  Stout and gnarly, their twisted limbs entwine as they stand as proud survivors and testimony to the rigors of nature and time not in decades or centuries but in millennium.  Slow to grow, their dense wood core wards off insects and disease.  Dr. Edmund Schulman, who discovered the trees in the 1950’s, has studied the ring growth in living and dead trees and provided a 9,000 year record of weather patterns for the region.

The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is 36 miles from Big Pine.  The last thirteen miles are unpaved and rough in places.  A picnic site is located at approximately 16 miles.  The only campground is Grandview Campground, a few miles north from the Cedar Flat Information Center.  The next stopping point is the Sierra Overlook at 9,000 feet elevation.  From this vista, the sweeping Sierra Mountains can be identified from a trail side marker to help identify Mt. Whitney in the southern region and Mt. Dana in Yosemite to the north. Below the broad plain of Owens Valley stretches from Lone Pine to Bishop, and looking to the east, one can see the mountain peaks surrounding Death Valley.  Up the road is Schulman Grove Visitor Center.  Picnic tables and rest rooms are available, as well as Methuselah Walk, a trail to Old Methuselah.  Patriarch Grove lies ahead at an elevation of 11,000.  This final destination is reached on a narrow dirt road not recommended for large RV’.  From the parking area, it is a short walk to see the “Patriarch”, the largest of the Bristlecone Pine trees.

To visit Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, turn east on Highway 168 from Highway 395 in Big Pine.  After thirteen miles, turn left onto Road 01, a signed road to the forest.

Big Pine

Named for the large stands of pine trees in the area, Big Pine was a logging and lumber operation that served the mining districts from Cerro Gordo all the way up to Bodie and Aurora, Nevada and eastward over Westgard Pass to White Mountain City.  The lumber was freighted by  teams of oxen on large wagons with iron-rimmed, spoke wheels.  Big Pine offers highway junction 168 to the Ancient Bristlecone Forest, as well as a northern route to Death Valley.  Jutting above the escarpment is Palisade Glacier and the head waters of Big Pine Creek, along with a number of good campgrounds with shaded camp sites.  Big Pine Creeks offers good fishing.  The creek forks higher up the slope.  “The north fork trail offer access to the Big Pine Lakes and the Palisade Glacier, the largest glacier in the Sierra and the southernmost glacier in the Western Hemisphere.  The Palisade Crest, rising above 14,000 feet contains some of the finest alpine climbing in California.  The Big Pine Lakes zigzags through a slope of sage, manzanita, and Jeffrey pines before it reaches Second Falls and follows the creek to its headwaters.  Hikers will pass a stone cabin built by movie actor Lon Chaney (the original “Quasimodo”)while walking through a forest of Lodge pole  Pine.” (www.bigpine.com)

Keough’s Hot Springs.

With a claim to be the Eastern Sierra’s largest natural hot springs pool, Keough’s Hot Springs has a long history for soaking tired bodies in geothermal spring water.  During the 1920’s and 30’s, Keough’s Hot Springs was a health and leisure resort.  Valley residents then and now hold barbecues and picnics.  I have fond memories of swimming here as a youngster in the late 1940’s.  At that time it had a little train that circled the premises.  I know that I will be returning soon.  The hot spring pool is located seven miles south of Bishop, just off Highway 395.  For information call (760) 872-4670.

To provide a correction or offer a suggestion, email David Archer.

Companion Web Sites:

Glacier to Yellowstone (A complete guide to camping and fishing in Montana from Glacier to Yellowstone)

Fishing Tips 101 (Offering a "Mastering the Basics" series for freshwater fishing)

Bass and Trout Fishing Digest (Dave's hodge-podge of fishing adventures in Northern California and Oregon)

Highway 395, 15.8 miles north of Lone Pine and 26.2 miles south of Big Pine

Photo Gallery

Services and Accommodations

Restaurants and Eateries:

Public Internet Use Facilities:

Museums and Point of Interest: Eastern California Museum, 155 N. Grant Street, Independence, CA 93526; Open 10 am to 4 pm – closed Tuesdays and major holidays.

Events and Festivities: April 26: Opening Day for the General Trout Season; June: Father’s Day Trout Derby (Chamber); November 15: General Trout Season Closes

Summer Recreation: Biking, Birding, Camping, Fishing, Golfing, Hang Gliding, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Mountaineering, Photography, Rock Climbing

Winter Recreation:

Sporting Goods Stores: High Sierra Outfitters (760) 876-9994

Fly Shops:

Nearby Fishing: Home: Independence: Fishing  (Independence Creek, Owens River) Fishing Tips

Nearby Camping: Home: Independence: Camping  (Goodale Creek Campround, Grays Meadow Campgrounds, Oak Creek Campground)

Independence Chamber of Commerce: Located at: 139 North Edwards (Hwy. 395) across from the courthouse.
The office is open Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.(760) 878-0084

Community Parks:  Dehy Community Park

Tours and Side-Trips:

Weather  

RV Related:

Recreational Contacts: Cottonwood Pack Station (760) 878-2015; Sequoia King Pack Trains (760) 387-2797

Government Contacts:

            Inyo National Forest: books, maps and wilderness passes and permits: Mt. Whitney Ranger Station (760) 873-2500; White Mountain Ranger Station (760) 873-2500; Mammoth Ranger Station (760) 924-5500 http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/about/

            Department of Fish and Game: (www.dfg.ca.gov/fishing) Season dates, licenses, restrictions, fish stocking.

Independence Expansion Notes in Alphabetical Order

Independence: The county seat for Inyo County, Independence was established in 1866 and named Putnam after Charles Putnam a founder and pioneer of the area. With the establishment of Fort Independence during the Indian up-risings, the town was later named Independence.  The present county courthouse was built in 1921. The original courthouse was demolished in the famous 1872 earthquake.  It was replaced, but it too was destroyed by fire in 1886.  The impressive stone courthouse built in 1921 now is home to the Inyo Country Free Library.  A number of historical homes can be seen in Independence.  If you are traveling and need a rest or a picnic, visit Dehy Community Park, which offers restrooms and picnic tables at the northern end of town.  The park is home to Engine 18 from the Carson and Colorado Railroad.  Engine 18, the Little Engine That Could, hauled oar from Keeler north to Benton where it chugged up and over Montgomery Pass to service the communities of Mina and Mound House.

Onion Valley: Just as Lone Pine has its paved entrance into the high country of the Sierra Mountains, so too does Independence with its beautiful Onion Valley, gateway to the John Muir Wilderness.  During the Civil War miners sympathetic to the southern cause tended to shift to the Lone Pine area, while Union supporters worked the area around Independence.  The rivalry was both serious and intense at times.  The Alabama Hills were named for the Southern war ship, the Alabama.  When the U.S. war ship Kearsarge sank the Alabama, Independence miners named their mining district Kearsarge, along with naming Kearsarge Peak.  The Onion Valley Road, named for the wild onions found in the high mountain meadows, climbs high above the valley floor to offer outstanding camping, picnicking, and both day hike opportunities, as well as a trailhead to Robinson Lake and Kearsarge Pass.  The Kearsarge Pass is the historic pass used by the natives to trade with natives on the western slopes of the Sierras.  Mountain men, prospectors and geological survey teams also used this pass.   At an elevation of 9,200 and an elevation climb of 5,000 feet, the trailhead sits in a glacial bowl at the headwaters of Independence Creek.  The drive offers splendid views of Owens Valley and the Inyo Mountains, as well as Mt. Williamson, the second highest mountain in California at 14,375 feet.  From Highway 395 in Independence, turn west on Market Street (Onion Valley Road) and drive thirteen miles to the trailhead.

Manzanar Historical Monument

Because of war hysteria and racist fears, Japanese American citizens, along with Japanese aliens and visitors, were rounded up and forced into relocation camps during World War II.  One of the most preserved of the ten internee camps is Manzanar, which is located just off Highway 395 five miles south of Independence and ten miles north of Lone Pine. "After the attack on Pearl Harbor, West Coast military commander John L. DeWitt filed a report accusing Japanese-Americans of engaging in espionage and disloyal conduct. Less than three months later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order No. 9066 (February 19, 1942) empowering the Secretary of War to round up U.S. citizens of Japanese ancestry and Japanese resident aliens from the West Coast. Approximately 118,000 citizens were routed under military guard to assembly centers and then ten internment camps with no more than what they could carry in two suitcases.

Manzanar War Relocation Center began as an "assembly center" under U.S. Army control. The 500-acre camp was quickly filled with former residents of Bainbridge Island, WA and Terminal Island, CA, followed by persons of Japanese ancestry expelled from Southern California (more than 70% from the Los Angeles area). Acres of farmland were part of this camp, existing beyond the fence. The War Relocation Authority took control of Manzanar on June 1, 1942 and operated the camp until it closed in November 1945. A total of 11,400 people were processed through this relocation center. The population reached 10,200 in September 1942; by 1944 it was 6,000....

Many of the internees volunteered or were drafted into the U.S. military. The 100thBN/442nd Regimental Combat Team of Japanese Americans became one of the most decorated of the war in Europe. Others volunteered to serve in the Military Intelligence Service. Internees at Manzanar were allowed to leave for jobs in other parts of the country, provided they had a sponsor. Older people and children comprised the main populace by the time the camp closed in November 1945.

Many notable people were sent to Manzanar. Among their ranks was the family of Sadao Munemori, a 19-year-old boy who was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroics in Italy during World War II. Ralph Lazo was another Manzanar teenager. He was of Mexican and Irish decent. When his best friends were removed from their homes and taken to Manzanar, Ralph went too because he felt they were all the same. His was the only documented case of a non-Asian who was not part of an Asian family who voluntarily entered the camps. One hundred ten orphans (some as young as six months) were sent to the Children’s Village at Manzanar, the only camp to have such an orphanage. Toyo Miyatake, a professional photographer, snuck a camera lens into Manzanar, built a camera and became the official photographer of the camp. Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston wrote about her childhood experiences in the book, Farewell to Manzanar. Their memories recorded on film and in prose are vivid portraits of life in the camp." (http://www.nps.gov/archive/manz/Manzhis.htm)

Visitors may visit Manzanar taking a three mile long self-guided tour.  Manzanar National Monument has no entrance fee.  They provide a tour map.  At the present time there is no visitor center or museum.  Many exhibits and artifacts may be seen in the nearby Eastern California Museum in Independence.

Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery

 Threatened with budget cuts, targeted for closure, and imperiled by the Inyo Complex Fire in July of 2007, the Mount Whitney Fish Hatchery stands tall and proud in the shadows of the high Sierra.  With a land donation and a gift of $1500, the citizen of Independence persuaded the California Fish and Game Commission to build a fish hatchery on Oak Creek in 1915.  One of the commissioners declared that the Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery goal was “to design a building that would match the mountains, would last forever, and be a showplace for all time.”  Over 60,000 visitors a year will attest to the goal being met.  The hatchery is the sole provider of Golden trout for the wilderness lakes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

To provide a correction or offer a suggestion, email David Archer.

Companion Web Sites:

Glacier to Yellowstone (A complete guide to camping and fishing in Montana from Glacier to Yellowstone)

Fishing Tips 101 (Offering a "Mastering the Basics" series for freshwater fishing)

Bass and Trout Fishing Digest (Dave's hodge-podge of fishing adventures in Northern California and Oregon)

Highway 395, 209 miles north of Los Angeles and 15.8 miles south of Independence

Photo Gallery

Restaurants and Eateries: Bonanza Mexican Restaurant; High Sierra Café, Merry-Go-Round; Mt. Whitney Rest; Pizza Factory; Season’s Restaurant; Totem Cafe

Public Internet Use Facilities:

Museums and Point of Interest: InterAgency Visitor Center; Manzanar Internment Camp

Events and Festivities:  March 1: Early Opener Trout Derby (Chamber); April 26: Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage (A delegation of Japanese-Americans and others return to Mananar to pay tribute to the internees and Japanese-American Veterans who fought in WW II.  Organized by Mansanar National Historic Site.) May 3: Wild West Marathon (Chamber); October: Lone Pine Film Festival (Chamber); November 15: General Trout Season Closes

Summer Recreation: Biking, Birding, Camping, Fishing, Golfing, Hang Gliding, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Mountaineering, Photography, Rock Climbing.

Sporting Goods Stores: Gardner’s True Value (706) 876-4208; Lone Pine Sporting Goods (760) 876-5365

Nearby Fishing: Home: Lone Pine: Lone Pine Fishing   Fishing Tips

Nearby Camping: Home: Lone Pine: Lone Pine Camping

Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Links: www.lonepinechamber.org; InterAgency Visitor Center at the junction of Highway 395 and Highway 136, (760) 876-4444.  Open 8 am to 4:50 pm.  Closed Tuesday and Wednesday in the off season.

Community Parks:

Tours and Side-Trips:  Alabama Hills; Cerro Gordo; Diaz Lake; Horseshoe Meadows; Manzanar Concentration Camp

Weather

RV Related:

Recreational Contacts: Mt. Whitney Golf Club (760) 876-5795; Lone Pine Pheasant Club

Government Contacts:

            Inyo National Forest: books, maps and wilderness passes and permits: Mt. Whitney Ranger Station (760) 873-2500; White Mountain Ranger Station (760) 873-2500; Mammoth Ranger Station (760) 924-5500  www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo

            Department of Fish and Game: (www.dfg.ca.gov/fishing) Season dates, licenses, restrictions, fish stocking

To provide a correction or offer a suggestion, email David Archer.

Lone Pine Expansion Notes in Alphabetical Order

Alabama Hills:

If you are a rock climber, a kid who loves climbing up boulders or a western movie fan, be sure to visit the Alabama Hills Recreation Area, a few miles west of Lone Pine.  Into this arid, enchanting rock forest, film directors have been directing scenes of fabulous rock formations since the 1920’s.  Offering majestic vistas of Mount Whitney and the Sierra escarpment, Alabama Hills is especially beautiful during the spring when wildflowers dot the sandstone and granite landscape.  Each year Lone Pine celebrates its movie connection with the Lone Pine Film Festival, which for 2008 will be held October 10-12.  If you plan on visiting Alabama Hills, be sure to visit the Film Festival web site for their movie road tour.

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Diaz Lake:  Three miles south of Lone Pine.

Lake size: 22 acres    Species: Planted Rainbows early in the season; Largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie and Channel catfish

Closest town or supplies: Lone Pine

Contacts: Inyo County Parks Department; Mt. Whitney Ranger District (760) 876-6200; Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce: toll-free at (877) 253-8981 or locally at (760) 876-4444; Lone Pine Sporting Goods (760) 876-5365; Gardner’s True Value (706) 876-4208

Facilities: Boat launch; rest rooms, picnic site, swimming area and playground

Nearest campground: Diaz Lake, Lone Pine Creek, Boulder Creek RV (760) 876-4243

Boating: Personal watercraft allowed

Fishing season: Early opener-see regulations       Best times: Spring and late fall

Favorite lures or bait: Conventional gear for bass; lures and bait for trout

Stocking information: 12,000 trout per season

Additional information: If you are a bass fisherman and a trout fisherman, this is a great spot for a spring outing. Lone Pine also hosts an Early Opener Derby.  If you enjoy bass fishing, ask locally for directions to “High Banks” on the Owens River, as well as Billy Lake.

Directions: Three miles south of Lone Pine on Highway 395.

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Cerro Gordo Mines: The Cerro Gordo Mines, discovered in 1867 when Los Angeles was a sleepy cattle town of less than three thousand people, transformed Los Angeles and all the communities along the way with its rich strike of silver.  Estimates of 13 to 15 million dollars worth of silver bullion were freighted to Los Angeles and then shipped to San Francisco for refinement.  Today the mining district is preserved as an authentic ghost town.  Although the trip is easier today than over a hundred years ago, it is a notably rough road and not recommended for low clearance vehicles or large RV’s.  The road climbs 5,000 feet in elevation, is narrow in places, and the last 2.5 miles offer switch backs with no room to turn around.

“Of the three roads into camp, the most commonly used access to Cerro Gordo is via the infamous Yellow Grade (aka Cerro Gordo) Road. Originally constructed as a toll-road in 1868, by bullion king Mortimer Belshaw, the road began earning a "romantic" reputation from its onset. Legend has it that the earliest teamsters would consume their whiskey at the bottom, near Swansea and later Keeler, before urging their teams up the grade. The roads steepness and weather extremes fostered creativity back then. Today, the Yellow Grade is within the maintained mileage system of Inyo County. Experienced county road crews groom away defects on an as-needed basis. While traveling in any of the canyons of the high desert, all visitors should pay close attention to weather events that may create dangerous flash-flood conditions.

            The climb from Highway 136, at Keeler, to Cerro Gordo is roughly 5000 feet. The distance is 7.5 miles. The road surface is of native sand, gravel and bedrock. While the use of a four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended, nearly any two-wheel-drive car or truck with moderately adequate ground clearance, good brakes and a sound drive train, should suffice. Travelers should plan to take between 25 to 30 minutes, after leaving the highway, to arrive. Carrying a good spare tire is imperative and a can of "stop-leak" or other tire emergency aid won't hurt. Knowing how to change a flat tire is also a good practice. As with many desert destinations in and around the Death Valley region, care should be taken to not overheat the vehicle's cooling system, and for those of you with automatic transmissions, you might find an extra can of transmission fluid handy.” (www.cerrogordo.us/roadway.html)

Golfing:  Mt. Whitney Golf Course, 2559 S Main, Lone Pine, CA 93545
(760) 876-5795

Hang Gliding: For an interesting article on hang gliding, along with national long-distance hang gliding records, visit the Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce web site, or for a look into the world of hang gliders, visit Horseshoe Meadow launch site at Walt's Point for a scary description of hang gliding high above the Sierra Mountains.

Horseshoe Meadows: Horseshoe Meadows, gateway to the Golden Trout Wilderness and the John Muir Wilderness, provides a great picnic get-away for travelers wanting to escape the heat of the valley floor and enjoy a high elevation meadow, along with the sparkling waters of Cottonwood Creek.  Travelers to the area in the late spring will be rewarded with panoply of wildflowers, especially Shooting Stars and Lupine.  Unlike so many trailheads, the Golden Trout Wilderness trailhead offers wonderful day hikes for the entire family.

 Climbing from an elevation of 6,000 feet to nearly 10,000 feet, the paved road to Horseshoe Meadows is noted as one of the highest gains in elevation, as well as one of the most splendid panoramic views of the Owens Valley.  Plan on using low gears in the accent, as well as in descending the mountain.  Along the way look for the Point of Historical Interest marker for one of the film settings in the 1939 movie, Gunga Din.  Approximately 18 miles from Lone Pine is the launching point at Walt' Point for hang gliders, and at 19 miles is the ruins of Cottonwood Sawmill, which supplied the Cerro Gordo mines with kiln wood.  The logs were cut from the nearby canyon and set careering down a nine-mile flume, where they were freighted to a steam ship and steamed across Owens Lake.  The logs were then transferred to freighters who hauled the logs up the treacherous mountainside to Cerro Gordo mines. Drections: From Highway 395 in Lone Pine, turn west on Whitney Portal Road and drive 3.5 miles and turn left on Horseshoe Meadows Road.  Drive 22 miles to the trailhead.

Lone Pine: Brothers Bart McGee and Alney first settled the area in 1861 and aptly named the location Lone Pine after a lone Jeffrey Pine tree at the base of Lone Pine Canyon.  Within a few years, the discovery of silver and the opening of the Cerro Gordo mines expanded commerce both in Los Angeles and Lone Pine.  Farmers, ranchers, miners and merchants created a hub of commerce and activity in this desert oasis. By the 1880’s the mining district went bust after shipping millions of silver, lead and zinc to the city of Los Angeles.  The mining industry, in turn, created a steady corridor of freight wagons and supply centers to Los Angeles.  With a growing business climate and ever increasing population, the Los Angeles city planners knew they needed more water and the Owens River would be the conduit of life.  In 1904 Los Angeles began using the water supply of Owens River and set out to buy water rights from Lone Pine to Lee Vining, which is often referred to as the Water Wars. 

 By the 1920’s the aqueduct was under construction and agriculture faced a steady decline.  What was once a great productive area for hay, fruits and vegetables became a producer of water for southern California.  During this period of agricultural decline, Hollywood discovered the wonderful landscapes surrounding Lone Pine in the Alabama Hills.  To date over 250 films have utilized the fantastic rock formations in the area.  Western film stars from Tom Mix, Roy Rodgers, Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy and the Duke all filmed here in the Alabama Hills.  (See Lone Pine Film Festival).  Today Lone Pine is still a hub, and recreation and the outdoors draw visitors from around the country.

Owens Lake: When the city of Los Angels diverted water from Owens Lake to an aqueduct in 1913, it could not anticipate the ecological calamities and financial responsibilities it would face ninety-five years later.  With just a little more than a decade of shutting off the Owens River, this once broad desert lake of nearly 100 square miles dried up to become an alkali menace to nearby residents, who themselves have benefited from cheap water drained from the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  During the 1870’s, steam barges plied the lake carrying ore from the Cerro Gordo Mines.  Waiting for them on the other side, were long-lined freighters pulled by thirty to forty mules.  On any given day fifty or more freighters would line up waiting for the precious cargo to be hauled to Los Angeles.  Today nearby residents face some of the worst coarse-particle air pollution in the United States from alkali dust storms. Litigation continues on the Water War dispute and the management of the Owens Lake Dust Mitigation Project.

Mt. Whitney: Hey, all you anglers out there!  When was the last time you heard about three fishermen scaling a 14,495 foot un-named mountain in one day when others had failed?  Three local fishermen, John Lucas, Charles Begole and Albert Johnson, from the Lone Pine area worked their way up to what is now the peak of Mount Whitney and left a note in a tin can to prove their feat.  Clarence King, a member of the California State Geological Survey had erroneously climbed a companion peak of Mt. Whitney and publicized his achievement in many professional journals.  He named the mountain for his director.  When government officials set off to substantiate his climb in the history books, they were dismayed to find that Mr. King had inadvertently climbed Mt. Langley, which lies southeast of Mt. Whitney.  Although the three fishing amigos named their mountain, Fishermen’s Peak, the government bureaucracy had its way and Mt. Whitney remained in perpetuity honoring a government director rather than honoring piscatorial mountain climbers.

Companion Web Sites:

Glacier to Yellowstone (A complete guide to camping and fishing in Montana from Glacier to Yellowstone)

Fishing Tips 101 (Offering a "Mastering the Basics" series for freshwater fishing)

Bass and Trout Fishing Digest (Dave's hodge-podge of fishing adventures in Northern California and Oregon)