Looks like everyone's covered all the bases. One attraction that is off the beaten path is a drive to the Chidago Canyon Petroglyphs, between Crowley Lake and Hwy 6. The petroglyphs themselves are great, but the drive through Red Rock Canyon on Chidago Canyon Road to Benton Crossing Road is an awesome drive (check out Google map, using the Terrain tool, of the canyon. We drove through it in my pick-up truck seven years ago. You go through some narrow spots and there's lots of photo ops. Here is the BLM pdf document for the Volcanic Tableland area north of Bishop and the scenic drive to the petroglyphs and Red Rock Canyon.
There's also the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest on Hwy 168. You can drive all the way up the White Mountains to 11,000 feet to see these old trees.
You can relax at home. Vacations are for exploring! Either way take care of your GF. I second the hike at Devils Postpile to Rainbow Falls and Reds Meadow cafe. Burgers are great after a hike.
* This post was
edited 07/26/08 10:11pm by SebastianTGoodbear *
Nice photos. Thanks for sharing them. Too bad about the 20D but the 40D is nice. I can't justify the upgrade so I guess I will stay with my 30D. Did you find the arch in the Alabama Hills? It's positioned just right for morning shots of Mt Whitney.
I went to the bristlecone pine forest last trip, wasn't too impressed for the time I spent driving. The petroglyph's are a bit out of the way too. But I did just find the Hot Creek geothermal area that looks really cool! Devil's Postpile looks like a long drive, how long is it? Rainbow Falls from Red Meadow looks like a 1 mile hike?
Well tell this statement to my girlfriend. yes that's my philosophy too!
SebastianTGoodbear wrote: .
You can relax at home. Vacations are for exploring! Either way take care of your GF. I second the hike at Devils Postpile to Rainbow Falls and Reds Meadow cafe. Burgers are great after a hike.
Thanks,
Dave www.SoCalRailFan.com
2006 Jeep Wrangler Umilimited, 2008 Fleetwood Westlake
SoCalRailFan wrote: I went to the bristlecone pine forest last trip, wasn't too impressed for the time I spent driving. The petroglyph's are a bit out of the way too. But I did just find the Hot Creek geothermal area that looks really cool! Devil's Postpile looks like a long drive, how long is it? Rainbow Falls from Red Meadow looks like a 1 mile hike?
Well tell this statement to my girlfriend. yes that's my philosophy too!
SebastianTGoodbear wrote: .
You can relax at home. Vacations are for exploring! Either way take care of your GF. I second the hike at Devils Postpile to Rainbow Falls and Reds Meadow cafe. Burgers are great after a hike.
If your talking about the Hot Springs in the Mammoth area, last year we were there they had closed it as it had geysered and the water was now too hot and they were expecting it to geyser again. So it was closed and you weren't even allowed to go down to the area but could only look at it from the top of the bluff.
The hike from Reds Meadow to Rainbow Falls is about 1 mile or so. You'll do your self an injustice though if you do just that section. Start at Devil's postpile, hike to the top of devil's postpile to see the columns from that view and then go from there to Rainbow Falls. I believe it's about 7 miles round trip - however if you hike to Rainbow Falls from the postpile and then go from the Falls to Reds Meadow it will not be that long it will be closer to 4 miles I believe.
My kids did the hike 2 years in a row and neither one of them are much into hiking. Just take water (camelbacks are perfect here). It's not a difficult hike - coming back is quite a bit of uphill but it's not really a difficult hike and is MORE than worth it!
Just south of your CG in Lone Pine is a road that leads up to the cottonwood lakes. If you look closely while driving into town you can see the switchbacks cut into the mountain. The road terminates at roughly 10,500 feet, and the views on the way up and down are even more spectacular than Whitney portal. Hang gliders launch from this road (or did in the past).
Better still, at the top you get a view of the south face of Mt. Langley, which is shear rock and looks like something out of Yosemite. I think a sunrise shot of that would be worth the effort.
I'm sorry I can't give you decent directions, but the ranger station in Lone Pine will know all about it.
Someone mentioned Bodie Ghost town. If you are into photography as it appears you are, then I would suggest taking a day trip there. This ghost town is maintained in a state of "arrested decay". There are some great photo ops there. There are two ways in to Bodie from Lee Vinning. The one to the south of town is about 10 miles of washboard road. The one to the north, which involves driving over Conway Summit to reach the turn off, is paved most of the way, and then dirt the last 2 miles, or so. I've been there 3 times and enjoy it every time!
You will like Mono Vista RV Park....very, very nice. Lots of shade, and grass.
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