Trail Discussion: Rubicon Jeep Jamboree

[ehall]

Some friends and I will be attending the jeep jamboree in Aug.on the Rubicon. Does anyone have any other suggestions on places to wheel on our way back to az.? I was looking for something around Mammoth lakes or near there or even farther South.

[FishPOET]

Does anyone have any other suggestions on places to wheel on our way back to az.? I was looking for something around Mammoth lakes or near there or even farther South.

Laurel Lakes is fantastic

I could spend a week up in Coyote Flat

[ehall]

Thanks for the quick reply, both of those places look great and are exactly what I was looking for.

[TipsE-Z]

ehall, I'm running the Table Mesa area tomorrow morning if you're up for it. Only planning to run Lower Terminator then call it a day. I've got it posted up on our local site under the Moderate Runs section; same user name.

[ehall]

ehall, I'm running the Table Mesa area tomorrow morning if you're up for it. Only planning to run Lower Terminator then call it a day. I've got it posted up on our local site under the Moderate Runs section; same user name.

appreciate the offer but I am taking my parents to lunch and then to the rodeo. Sunday the wife and I and 2 other couples are headed out southwest of wickenburg,you are welcome to come along.

[Mike]

Wheeler Ridge is a fun run in August. If you are just looking for cool(er) areas to explore, Silver Canyon up to the Bristlecone Forest is a fun and easy run. Both are out of Bishop, CA.

[ehall]

Wheeler Ridge is a fun run in August. If you are just looking for cool(er) areas to explore, Silver Canyon up to the Bristlecone Forest is a fun and easy run. Both are out of Bishop, CA.

Thanks, love the exploring trips. I will put these on my list of possible places.

[nwoods]

Wheeler Ridge is a fun run in August. If you are just looking for cool(er) areas to explore, Silver Canyon up to the Bristlecone Forest is a fun and easy run. Both are out of Bishop, CA.

x2 on this. Here is a view from the top of Silver Canyon, heading towards Bristlecone NP.




I agree with FishPoet about Laurel Lakes and Coyote Flats, but there is also Minaret Vista (trail head starts at gate into Devil's Postpile National Park). This is just a pleasant little drive, but the view is spectacular.

Just north of Mono Lake (which is just north of Mammoth) is the ghost town of Bodie, which is worth visiting:
http://nwoods.smugmug.com/Family/Travel/ExPo-Bodie/

A little farther south on the 395 is Papoose Flats, which is a magical place. Like Joshua Tree, but at 10,000 feet, with grass:

[ehall]

you guys are great, thanks for all the ideas.

[ehall]

Ok, going to run this by you guys so you can tell me if it is realistic
1. Fri-Sun Rubicon trail with jeep jamboree
2.Mon. Drive to Bishop, check in hotel,check out Buttermilk Country trail
3. Tues. Get up early, drive Tioga Pass to Yosemite and do the tourist thing all day.
4.Wed. Laurel lakes trail and Sand trail if daylight left.
5.Thurs. Silver canyon trail
6. Fri. Get up early and drive home


Does this sound like too much? There are at least 20 other trails I want to run but don't have the time.

I welcome any input, I have never been anywhere near that part of the country.

[nwoods]

Does sound like a lot, but all pretty doable. You might run out of steam for the Buttermilks if its real hot out, but otherwise sounds good. If you are bringing a kid or a Mrs, it might be overdoing it for non drivers.

[ehall]

what do you think of the drive back North to go to Yosemite? I think that day will be the longest.

[ehall]

anyone else ?

[nwoods]

what do you think of the drive back North to go to Yosemite? I think that day will be the longest.

Well, I got to thinking....why Bishop? Why not head to Mammoth, and stay at one of the campsites like Lake Mary, Coldwater, etc... From Mammoth, cruising up Tioga Pass and down to Tuolumne is very reasonable, maybe 2 hours total. The Touristy thing to do in Tuolumne is to walk the meadows, sample the soda springs, climb Lambert Dome, etc.. There are a number of foot trails in the area too.


We've done Lambert dome a few times from a few different angles, and it's fun:





Here we obviously didn't get to the top, but you can if you take one of the longer trails around the backside of the dome. Its good to do at least once, but it will take a big chunck of time.


What my family seems to find more compelling is a short climb to the top of Pothole dome which is a big granite lump on the west end of the Meadows, and then over the backside, along the trees at the fringe of the meadow, and we go find a nice spot along the Tuolumne River to play around. It's your own private world, hardly any people to be seen, even in peak season.

[ehall]

wow, nice pictures. Any fish in there? My wife is a real trooper but I don't want this vacation to turn into too much work, thus the hotel reservations. We are camping 2 nights on the Rubicon. We aren't super schedule orientated but I wan't to see as much as possible in the short time we are there.