California- Desert Days
California is big. I don’t think anyone will dispute that, but it truly takes spending some time there to actually put the word big into context. Back in 2009 and 2010 we called California home for a short time, southern California to be exact. During that time we spent every free moment exploring from the southern deserts of Anza Borrego and Joshua Tree to the coastal towns along the pacific coast highway and the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles. We pushed the limits of what we could see during the weekend and well, we fell woefully short of exploring the state.
There had always been some talk of returning to California to see the rest of the state, but it was more of a well that would be a goodplace to spend the winter type of conversation. It was only after the weather or precisely the rain had gotten the best of us did the call of California begin to take a hold. We were in Wyoming and relatively speaking California wasn’t even that close and actually it was in the wrong direction but at this point it didn’t matter- with impending storms coming in the lure of perpetual sunshine was too great to resist.
We were a solid two day drive from California, so we broke it up by spending a night at Antelope Island outside Salt Lake City. The island is situated out in the Great Salt Lake and boasts a good population of both its namesake animal, antelope as well as free roaming bison. The island also offers some very nice camping with views across the lake. For once the weather went in our favor and that night we watched one of the most intense lightning storms we had ever seen cross the Great Salt Lake just to the north of us without a drop of rain on the tent. The next morning we woke to find one of the free roaming bison having breakfast about five feet from the tent. Antelope Island turned out to be an interesting stopover and definitely worth the trip.
Antelope Island Utah
Antelope Island Utah
Our plans for California were very loose at this point with discussions involving coastal, desert and mountain options. Lake Tahoe seemed like a natural place to stop for a few days and figure out which direction to take from there. Camping started to become a bit limited here as sites began closing for the winter season. Fortunately we were able to find a great free camping area known as Luther Pass just south of South Lake Tahoe, which made a perfect basecamp for exploring.
Lake Tahoe
After ruling out the National Parks in the area due to crowds and their dog unfriendly nature we headed to the seventies throwback town of Bishop, CA; which among many things is a great launching point for exploring the high Sierras. We set up camp at one of the best campgrounds of the trip Horton Creek, a spectacular desert camp situated at the base of the Sierras. As we would soon come to find out, this part of the country offers some of the best hiking and backpacking you’ll find anywhere.
Horton Creek Campground, Bishop California
Our first trip was a day hike to the very popular Little Lakes Valley between Bishop, CA and Mammoth Lakes, CA. The trail runs about 3.5 miles past a series of spectacular alpine lakes before heading up and over the 11,000 Morgan Pass. The Gem Lakes just before the pass offered some of the best scenery and were a little less popular as they are slightly off the beaten path and over a half mile beyond the more popular Chickenfoot Lake. By the time we made it back to the car the parking lot was full and it was only a week day.
Little Lakes Valley, Eastern Sierras California
Morgan Pass, Eastern Sierras California
Gem Lakes, Eastern Sierras California
Little Lakes Valley, Eastern Sierras California
It was a tough decision picking from the seemingly endless hiking list of the Sierras but we finally settled on Minaret Lake for our first backcountry stay in the area. The trail leaves from the Devils Postpile National Monument just outside of Mammoth Lakes, CA and travels a little over seven miles and 2,300 vertical feet to Minaret Lake. The lake is situated in front of its namesake towering minaret and offers some spectacular campsites. This area is a little further off the beaten path and has a fairly low number of overnight permits so we really had the place to ourselves and the pick of the best campsite. Minaret Lake turned out to be one of the best destinations of the trip and the scenery rivaled only by our foray into the Sawtooths of Idaho.
Hiking to Minaret Lake, Eastern Sierras California
Minaret Lake, Eastern Sierras California
Out of all the options for our second overnight we ended up settling on the First, Second and Third Lakes area. This series of lakes is a 4.5 mile hike from the trail head and overlooks the apparently very popular Temple Crag. This one turned out to be the exact opposite of our Minaret Lake excursion; sure the scenery was good, if you don’t mind sharing it with 20 other people. After circling Second Lake for an hour or so we finally found a nice campsite away from the crowds. The heavy use has taken its toll on the area and despite obviously advertised ban on campfires their remnants could be seen just about everywhere. Even though our permit was for two nights we only stayed one and that was a Monday night, I can only imagine what the place is like on a weekend. So if solitude is what you are looking for I would steer clear of this one for an overnight but it would make a nice day hike.
Second Lake and Temple Crag, Eastern Sierras California
To wrap up our stay in California we headed to the familiar landscape of Joshua Tree National Park. J-tree provides some of the most striking desert landscape the country has to offer and some spectacular camping to go with it. Having already spent many nights at the various campgrounds in Joshua Tree we decided to set up camp at one of the smaller options we had never stayed in called Belle Campground. After a few days of exploring it was time to move on. We had accomplished what we set out to do- in three weeks we had not seen a drop of rain.
Info:
Resources/Maps: National Geographic maps for Mammoth Lakes/Mono Divide, Sequoia Kings Canyon and Joshua Tree, California Gazetteer
Entrance Fees: Joshua Tree National Park $20, Devils Post Pile $10
Camping: CA State Parks around Lake Tahoe, price varies; Luther Pass free camping area South Lake Tahoe; Horton Creek BLM Campground, Bishop $5/night; Tuttle Creek BLM Campground, Lone Pine $5/night; Joshua Tree Belle Campground $15/night; Inyo County Mill Creek Campground, $12/night; Grandview campground Bristle Cone National Forest free; Backcountry camping permits are free if picked up in person at one of the USFS offices or may be reserved online for a fee
Pets: There are certain trails and areas in the High Sierra where dogs are not allowed: on any trails that cross into Kings Canyon or Sequoia National Parks dogs are not permitted beyond the park boundary. Dogs are permitted in Devils Post Pile. Dogs are not permitted on trails in Joshua Tree but are allowed on the park’s dirt roads and in campgrounds. Beaches on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe are dog friendly.
Tips: USFS and State Park Campgrounds begin closing in mid to late September. Even in Late September daytime temperatures in the valley were sometimes in the 90s but much cooler at night. Be sure to check out Mountain Rambler brewery in Bishop, CA.
