️ EASTERN SIERRAS, CA

Just got back from a weekend in the Eastern Sierras, CA. The My 4Runner is still stock, so we didn't do too many off grid travels, however we did stop by some great places that are absolutely beautiful. If you've never made your way up the 395 highway in CA, I definitely recommend!

Day 1:
- Drive from Orange County to Big Pine
- Took a random dead end trail and had to turn around
- Camp, hike, and fish in Big Pine
- It was cold at high elevations but it was worth it!

Day 2:
- Drive from Big Pine to Bishop
- Stopped in Bishop to get coffee at the Looney Bean (highly recommend their "Velvet Elvis" and Berry Pancakes)
- Drive to Mammoth Lakes
- Took a random trail on the south end of Mammoth and explored a bit
- Took the scenic route from Mammoth back onto the 395, went to June Lake
- June Lake is absolutely beautiful! There is a dirt road you can take that will drop you right at the lake (highly recommend). You can find it on the south end of the Lake by the ticket booth/office, just turn right instead of going into the parking lot
- Left June Lake and went to Mono Lake, which was ok. There are a few places to enter Mono Lake and I don't think we went to the ideal spot
- Left Mono Lake and headed back to Mammoth and stayed the night there

Day 3:
- Drive from Mammoth to Convict Lake, this was SO BEAUTIFUL! 100% recommend and we will be camping here next time!
- Drive from Convict Lake to Bishop, one last grab at the Looney Bean before we headed back South
- Drove from Bishop to Red Rock State Canyon Park. This was beautiful and there is quite a bit of offroading/exploring to do here!
- Headed home back to Orange County

Here is a quick Youtube video of our trip! I hope you make your way up there sometime! We will definitely be doing some more trails and exploring once the rig is built up (soon to come)!

https://youtu.be/S-GapVRQoxw

 

Was the Bodie Road open?? If so, you missed a highlight!





Did you stop at Erick Schat's Bakery??

 

Mono Lake is weird. Camped nearby during the covid shutdowns. We were the only ones out there, but not much else to do besides drive around a little. We only stayed one night. Some of those "rock" formations are cool to check out, but that's about it.

 

Too many nature spots have been ruined by the hoards that were "informed" by tiktok and instagram influencers from the cities, better for Mono Lake that the city dwellers stay away along with the inevitable trash and human waste they scatter everywhere they go.

Just see how Angeles is looking like these days with all the human filth dumping during their "nature outing"

 

These live there.

 

Any piece of a car is a warm hiding spot. Old refrgerators and stoves/washers are an attractant for mice which is good. Shingle piles! Snakes love shingle piles.

 

Rodents live all around creek beds, so do snakes…

 

For 26 years in a row we use to spend 2 weeks in the High Sierra’s camping and fishing. We would camp at Big Bend camp grounds on Lee Vining Creek off of Tioga Pass Road. We would fish Ellery Lake, Saddleback Lake and my favorite, Tioga Lake. We also fished all the other lakes in the area such as Convict and June Lake Loop. Then we retired to New Mexico. This picture was taken at Tioga Lake around 1990

 

I've been to Bodie before (but not my lady). We plan to go there next time, I assume we will be back to camp more. We unfortunately did not stop at Schat's, which was a big mistake. Next time we are going for sure! Thanks for the pics!

 

Yea was a first time for us, but were glad we stopped by at least! I saw a few cool rigs going another route to Mono, might have to follow them next time!

 

Yea its tough balance between beautiful spots and keeping them secret. We have done some camping in Eastern Sierras a bit before that are remote, cant wait to go back. Luckily we did not see too many people this trip!

 

Yikes! What is this a king snake? Are they dangerous? I guess I should do my research a bit more before going out to these areas! Thanks for the photo, quite a sight!

 

Awesome! Glad you got to enjoy the beautiful area! I'm hoping to spend some more time in that area, hope you enjoy NM! Plenty to explore there!

 

Yikes! Best to keep an eye out when were out there. Luckily the only thing we saw was deer and squirrels!

 

Yea I heard some camping spots have a LOT of raccoons.

 

You're right, absolutely nothing to see there, and I understand it is very dangerous, too. Quicksand and brine flies, bitey little bastards!

I watched the Internets come along and blow up the Owens River Gorge area, north of Bishop. The campgrounds are a trip to see during the non-climbing season, just sprawling things, capable of housing thousands of people. The area has been studied as an example of how to ruin an area. https://www.climbing.com/places/climbers-reshaping-bishop-california/

Schats is a ripoff with an ahole owner. The airport restaurant has always delivered a solid meal, even when it was Thai. Woof. edit: and you have a great view of the White Mountains, with all that sweet airport action going on in the foreground. At schats that sweaty dude at the table next to you is breathing on you as you look over the parking lot.

 

Great trip! I love driving up 395. So much to see. Tons of trails just south of Mono Lake, my son and I used to drive up in the fall and camp on the east side of 395. I took my TRD ORP up there when I first got it, and then down past Eureka Dunes (just east of Big Pine), over Steele Pass and into Saline Valley to Lippincott Rd and the Racetrack in Death Valley. You can do a lot with a stock 4R.

 

Nice Mountain King!!

 

"Schats is a ripoff with an ahole owner. "

Respectively disagree, although it is a tourist joint and far different when I first went there 50 years ago. We just go in, buy bread and some cheese and picnic elsewhere.

 

That's the truth! I can't wait to get back out there and explore some more! Glad to hear you and your son had some good times up there!

 

Thanks for posting this. Brings back some good memories from long ago.

 

I’m not a fan of schatts at all been there a few times highly overrated. My buddy lives across the street from them and says locals don’t go there at all for that reason

 

Next time you're in Mammoth, try the 4WD run to Laurel Lakes. Not too difficult and lots of great scenery.
Another fun run out of Bridgeport is the "back route" to Bodie via the Chemung Mine and Masonic. The route starts near the Bridgeport Reservoir. It's mostly USFS marked routes. Lots of dispersed camping areas.

You'll need the Toyiabe NF maps for the area and maybe topos for some of the adjacent areas. It's fairly remote country with no cell service. Bodie SHP is worth a visit (do the Standard Mill Tour). From Bodie, you can take the 270 road back to Bridgeport or take unpaved and washboarded Cottonwood Canyon Rd. which will end near Mono Lake. OR continue N/E from Bodie thru the canyon to the ghost town of Aurora NV and on thru Lucky Boy Pass to Hawthorne NV.

 

California Mountain King - "Red touches black, venom lack"=But ONLY in North America. Some Central and South American break the rule (i.e. Wiid's Coral Snake).

Personally, we like to stop at Schatz' for a snack. Tastes vary, I guess. We have been known to pass it by on weekends.

 

Lots of sidewinders at Red Rock State Park! Seen a couple of Mojave rattlers in Jawbone Canyon about 30 years ago while hunting Chukar. Had a rabid coyote bite my car (?= I didn't stop to check it out) on the grade into Mojave back in the 70's while snake collecting in the area.

 

Let's see if they can make it through WWIII?

 

??????????

 

I recall a bunch of posts on social media about the staff walking out one day, because the owner was one of those kind of entrepreneurs. Plus an insurrectionist, lulz. Trust me, try the airport. Completely different vibe and solid food that will power you through the rest of the day. Here's one of my camps, a couple miles away: