Western US Vacation Help Needed

not sure if it was mentioned....with allt he cut and pastes in this
thread......but if you are going to be near the tx/nm border and headed
for grand canyon....consider the carlsbad caverns and white
sands......both are spectacular.....sledding on the white sands is
particulary fun, but the caverns in carlsbad are BREATHTAKING.....


Chuck

not sure if it was mentioned....with allt he cut and pastes in this
thread......but if you are going to be near the tx/nm border and headed
for grand canyon....consider the carlsbad caverns and white
sands......both are spectacular.....sledding on the white sands is
particulary fun, but the caverns in carlsbad are BREATHTAKING.....


Chuck

not sure if it was mentioned....with allt he cut and pastes in this
thread......but if you are going to be near the tx/nm border and headed
for grand canyon....consider the carlsbad caverns and white
sands......both are spectacular.....sledding on the white sands is
particulary fun, but the caverns in carlsbad are BREATHTAKING.....


Chuck

In article 1111925859.0104f1c55ab6fd7b53b45da923e4fc12@teran ews,
Icono Clast wrote:
MD wrote:

Should we also see the Devil's postpile?

Yes. It's maybe a hundred extremely scenic miles from Mono Lake.

Oh, nowhere near. It's less than 30 miles from Lee Vining to
Mammoth Lakes, then a 10-minute drive up Mammoth Mountain to
the DP shuttle bus parking lot.

Even if one took the June Lake Loop instead of 395 all the
way, it would only be a few miles longer.


Patty

In article 1111925859.0104f1c55ab6fd7b53b45da923e4fc12@teran ews,
Icono Clast wrote:
MD wrote:

Should we also see the Devil's postpile?

Yes. It's maybe a hundred extremely scenic miles from Mono Lake.

Oh, nowhere near. It's less than 30 miles from Lee Vining to
Mammoth Lakes, then a 10-minute drive up Mammoth Mountain to
the DP shuttle bus parking lot.

Even if one took the June Lake Loop instead of 395 all the
way, it would only be a few miles longer.


Patty

MD wrote:
Thanks, sounds like you highly recommend it. What about the Sequoia
National Park a little to the west, is that the closest opportunity
we'll have to see the giant trees?

Sequoia is not on your route, unless you're willing to hike for a week
over 12000 foot passes through barren alpine wilderness to see the big
trees. There's no vehicle access from the east, and getting to the
western entrances requires going down to the southern end of the Sierra
Nevada, crossing the Tehachapis on CA-58, then heading north again on
CA-99. This route is nowhere near as scenic as US-395, in fact it isn't
scenic at all once you hit CA-99.

But you can see giant sequoia trees at Yosemite. There are three
groves, the best being the Mariposa grove in the southwestern corner of
the park, about an hour south of Yosemite Valley. The upper grove in
the Mariposa Grove is the most impressive part, so be sure to head up
there. You can hike or take a tram for $11 per person. Get off the
tram at the Nature Center, I think it's the highest point on the route,
anyway there's a restroom a short bit away from it and a trail between
them that is probably the best part of the Mariposa Grove.

Sequoia National Park has far more extensive giant sequoia groves, and
has large, open, boggy meadows full of wildflowers set in the middle of
the groves. You won't see this at Yosemite, but the trees themselves
are just as impressive.

So definitely take US-395 from Death Valley to Yosemite.

MD wrote:
Thanks, sounds like you highly recommend it. What about the Sequoia
National Park a little to the west, is that the closest opportunity
we'll have to see the giant trees?

Sequoia is not on your route, unless you're willing to hike for a week
over 12000 foot passes through barren alpine wilderness to see the big
trees. There's no vehicle access from the east, and getting to the
western entrances requires going down to the southern end of the Sierra
Nevada, crossing the Tehachapis on CA-58, then heading north again on
CA-99. This route is nowhere near as scenic as US-395, in fact it isn't
scenic at all once you hit CA-99.

But you can see giant sequoia trees at Yosemite. There are three
groves, the best being the Mariposa grove in the southwestern corner of
the park, about an hour south of Yosemite Valley. The upper grove in
the Mariposa Grove is the most impressive part, so be sure to head up
there. You can hike or take a tram for $11 per person. Get off the
tram at the Nature Center, I think it's the highest point on the route,
anyway there's a restroom a short bit away from it and a trail between
them that is probably the best part of the Mariposa Grove.

Sequoia National Park has far more extensive giant sequoia groves, and
has large, open, boggy meadows full of wildflowers set in the middle of
the groves. You won't see this at Yosemite, but the trees themselves
are just as impressive.

So definitely take US-395 from Death Valley to Yosemite.

MD wrote:
wrote:

Mono Lake will be encountered on the Death Valley to Yosemite leg of
your trip; it is just off Hwy 395. Devil's Postpile will require a side
trip over to Mammoth Lakes, and then some hiking.

Personally, I would just bypass Death Valley in the summer, but that's me.

What do you think about driving straight through Death Valley to 395
and then heading north right past Mammoth Lake instead of driving on
Highway 95 and then to Highway 266?

That is an excellent choice. Highway 395 is extremely scenic, running
through a high desert valley (elev. 4000 feet) sandwiched between two
high mountain ranges, the Sierra Nevada and the White Mountains.

Is Devils Postpile worth the detour considering the limited amount of
time I have?

Probably not, if your time is limited. You'll see plenty of rock
formations in Yosemite, and you've only got two days there. Besides
there's also the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains
to the east that will take another afternoon you don't have

I'd recommend 3 days at least for Yosemite. One day for Mono Lake (not
actually in Yosemite Park, it's a desert lake on the east side of the
mountains, with Tufa towers sticking up out of it and brine flies
covering the shore--not as bad as it sounds, these flies actually avoid
human contact since your sweat does not have as much salt as the lake).
The same day cross over Tioga Pass into Yosemite itself and spend hours
in the high country around the Pass and Tuolumne Meadows.

You don't say whether you're camping or staying in motels or what. If
it's a motel, you'd better have reservations for the Yosemite area. You
don't want to stay in the Central Valley in places like Modesto or
Turlock or Merced if you can help it, since these are in a completely
different environment from the mountains of Yosemite.

If you're camping, there are several campgrounds where you probably
don't need reservations, some along CA-120 just east of Tioga Pass
before you enter Yosemite and one or two off of the same highway within
the park. These are not the most scenic campgrounds, but they usually
have tent spaces available even in summer. RVs have more limited options.

MD wrote:
wrote:

Mono Lake will be encountered on the Death Valley to Yosemite leg of
your trip; it is just off Hwy 395. Devil's Postpile will require a side
trip over to Mammoth Lakes, and then some hiking.

Personally, I would just bypass Death Valley in the summer, but that's me.

What do you think about driving straight through Death Valley to 395
and then heading north right past Mammoth Lake instead of driving on
Highway 95 and then to Highway 266?

That is an excellent choice. Highway 395 is extremely scenic, running
through a high desert valley (elev. 4000 feet) sandwiched between two
high mountain ranges, the Sierra Nevada and the White Mountains.

Is Devils Postpile worth the detour considering the limited amount of
time I have?

Probably not, if your time is limited. You'll see plenty of rock
formations in Yosemite, and you've only got two days there. Besides
there's also the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains
to the east that will take another afternoon you don't have

I'd recommend 3 days at least for Yosemite. One day for Mono Lake (not
actually in Yosemite Park, it's a desert lake on the east side of the
mountains, with Tufa towers sticking up out of it and brine flies
covering the shore--not as bad as it sounds, these flies actually avoid
human contact since your sweat does not have as much salt as the lake).
The same day cross over Tioga Pass into Yosemite itself and spend hours
in the high country around the Pass and Tuolumne Meadows.

You don't say whether you're camping or staying in motels or what. If
it's a motel, you'd better have reservations for the Yosemite area. You
don't want to stay in the Central Valley in places like Modesto or
Turlock or Merced if you can help it, since these are in a completely
different environment from the mountains of Yosemite.

If you're camping, there are several campgrounds where you probably
don't need reservations, some along CA-120 just east of Tioga Pass
before you enter Yosemite and one or two off of the same highway within
the park. These are not the most scenic campgrounds, but they usually
have tent spaces available even in summer. RVs have more limited options.

MD wrote:
wrote:

Mono Lake will be encountered on the Death Valley to Yosemite leg of
your trip; it is just off Hwy 395. Devil's Postpile will require a side
trip over to Mammoth Lakes, and then some hiking.

Personally, I would just bypass Death Valley in the summer, but that's me.

What do you think about driving straight through Death Valley to 395
and then heading north right past Mammoth Lake instead of driving on
Highway 95 and then to Highway 266?

That is an excellent choice. Highway 395 is extremely scenic, running
through a high desert valley (elev. 4000 feet) sandwiched between two
high mountain ranges, the Sierra Nevada and the White Mountains.

Is Devils Postpile worth the detour considering the limited amount of
time I have?

Probably not, if your time is limited. You'll see plenty of rock
formations in Yosemite, and you've only got two days there. Besides
there's also the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains
to the east that will take another afternoon you don't have

I'd recommend 3 days at least for Yosemite. One day for Mono Lake (not
actually in Yosemite Park, it's a desert lake on the east side of the
mountains, with Tufa towers sticking up out of it and brine flies
covering the shore--not as bad as it sounds, these flies actually avoid
human contact since your sweat does not have as much salt as the lake).
The same day cross over Tioga Pass into Yosemite itself and spend hours
in the high country around the Pass and Tuolumne Meadows.

You don't say whether you're camping or staying in motels or what. If
it's a motel, you'd better have reservations for the Yosemite area. You
don't want to stay in the Central Valley in places like Modesto or
Turlock or Merced if you can help it, since these are in a completely
different environment from the mountains of Yosemite.

If you're camping, there are several campgrounds where you probably
don't need reservations, some along CA-120 just east of Tioga Pass
before you enter Yosemite and one or two off of the same highway within
the park. These are not the most scenic campgrounds, but they usually
have tent spaces available even in summer. RVs have more limited options.