Trip to NorCal; 56k NO!

[Ryan L.]

So as you might know, last week I went on a camping trip/offroading trip in Northern CA. I guess you could call it Central CA, but its Northern to me. The trip was a blast and we're already planning on going back next spring. The trip included but not limited to, Mammoth Lakes, Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park and King's Canyon National Park. Trip was over one week, 1750 miles, 56 hours of driving and who knows how much in gas.

Start off on the first day, Mammoth Lakes, CA. Absolutely breath taking scenery and very cool over all.

Here is our campsite at Mammoth.


The stream running right behind our campsite.


About 1 mile from our camp site are the main lakes in Mammoth. I think this one is Twin Lakes.




Snow still lingers in late August.


Day 2: The next day we went to a pair of secluded lakes called Laurel Lakes. About a 3 mile drive back to them, from the main trail head. Starts at about 7000 feet and climbs to 10,200 feet.

Start of the trail


Half way up.


Looking the other way.


Some of the many rock formations along the trail up.






Here are some pictures of the lakes.
















All that water has to go somewhere right? Here are some pictures of the 3-4 water falls coming out of the lakes.






Day three coming shortly.

[Ryan L.]

Re: Trip to NorCal; 56k NO!

Day 3: Next we went to Sandstone Canyon and a unnamed lake at the end of the trail.













Also on day three, we went to Tobacco Flat and Tip Top Mine.









Here is from about half way up the trail to Tip Top Mine.



Going up the trail, gives you a sense of how small it is.




If you ever want to be scared beyond belief, do the trail coming up to Tip Top Mine in the rain and hail.


Thats the Google Maps view of the trail. From there it looks pretty good. But when even the park ranger was happy to know that we had a narrow and short car, something is wrong. We got caught in a rain/hail storm half way up, so the loose granite was slippery and if you looked out your window all you saw was a drop from 10000 feet to 4000 feet. Only to find that as you get higher up, the trail gets even more narrow, at one point you couldnt get out of the car unless you wanted to base jump right away.

[Ryan L.]

Re: Trip to NorCal; 56k NO!

Day 4: Day 4 included the Inyo Craters, Mono Lake, Inyo Hot Springs and Bodie Ghost Town. Bodie Ghost Town is said to be one of the most well preserved ghost towns in the world. The pictures you see are less than 5% of the buildings that were there when it was occupied. Bodie was a gold mining town, said to have about 10,000 residents in the late 1870's. If you are up in the Bridgeport, Lee Vining area ever, you must go check this place out. I have never liked ghost towns, they seem pointless to me, but this is one you have to see. You can see most of the places where structures used to stand, and just to imagine that 10,000 people used to live in such a remote place and then just up and left when gold mining was down.

Here is as much of the town I could get in one picture. Gives you a idea though.



A little car history, who can tell me what it is. Note the firing order on the engine.




The Mine


Check out the details on the Church, remember this was over 100 years ago.






Zinc Dust can


Old heater.


Some of the structures are on their last years.


Sewing machine.


Who would have thought, protruded windows in the 1870's!!!


Old bank


Inside the red brick bank


If I remember correctly, this was one of the hardware type stores. You might not be able to see in the picture very well, but it was just filled with all sorts of tools that you could tell what the modern version would be.


Inside one of the saloons.


Old Firehouse and Firetrucks




Another thing you wouldn't think off, look how similar that looks to a modern fire hydrant, but this one is 130 years old!!!


Gas Station (Don't know about those Shell signs)


Bodies Leaning Tower of Pisa


Picture through a window into the mail station.


Picture through a window into the old school house.


First engine using long distance power and first long distance transmission of electric by wire.






Old Hearse

[Ryan L.]

Re: Trip to NorCal; 56k NO!

Here are the pictures from Inyo Craters and Inyo Hot Springs.



One of the interesting rock formations inside the pit.




Hike down into the 2nd crater and here is what you get.



These little frogs were all over the place down there.


Over to the Inyo Hot Springs.

[Ryan L.]

Re: Trip to NorCal; 56k NO!

Next was Kavanaugh Ridge and back to a group of secluded cabins and a stamp press.



That lake you see in the middle of the picture.


Mono Lake in the background






One of the three cabins.





A old abandoned stamp press.

[Ryan L.]

Re: Trip to NorCal; 56k NO!

Next day was up and over to Yosemite National Park.



Half Dome












El Capitan


Bridalveil Fall






Moon in Sunrise




Mariposa Grove in Yosemite




New rental car from Hertz, the Corvette ZHZ


Random pictures from somewhere in Yosemite.


Us getting parked in at one of the overlooks.

[Ryan L.]

Re: Trip to NorCal; 56k NO!

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park

Largest tree by volume in the world; the General Sherman


There it is again, in the middle.




Autotunnel


Behind our campsite in Sequoia

[3Fitty]

Re: Trip to NorCal; 56k NO!

Amazing pics. That is trip I would love to take one day.

[Poki]

Re: Trip to NorCal; 56k NO!

Great trip and fantastic photos. Can almost smell the pines...thanks for sharing them.

[Jeepster04]

Re: Trip to NorCal; 56k NO!

DUUUDE! That would be one awesome trip!! No wonder the dang tranny light came on! You went up a mountain for 3 days! I would REALLY look into getting the HD cooling kit if you Jeep doesnt have it. An HD tranny cooler would be a great idea too!

I could spend days looking around at that old ghost town!

Cant believe you went up that mountain alone.

[Ryan L.]

Re: Trip to NorCal; 56k NO!

DUUUDE! That would be one awesome trip!! No wonder the dang tranny light came on! You went up a mountain for 3 days! I would REALLY look into getting the HD cooling kit if you Jeep doesnt have it. An HD tranny cooler would be a great idea too!

I could spend days looking around at that old ghost town!

Cant believe you went up that mountain alone.

Yea, believe it or not, the Jeep dealership said the oil in the tranny was dark black, but the filters were fine, meaning we destroyed the oil. I changed it about 5k ago, but about 4,900 of those miles were all long distant trips and tons of offroading. And we went up and down mountains for a week actually.

I'll PM you about the coolers, my dad is looking into them already.

I went up there with my Dad, brother and friend, so I wasn't alone.

Ryan

[BlueZero]

Re: Trip to NorCal; 56k NO!

Sweet! I feel like I just went on vacation too.

Someday I need to get out that way it's really beautiful!

Thanks for taking the time to post up the pictures for us to enjoy.

[yalerd]

Re: Trip to NorCal; 56k NO!

That's one awesome trip!!!
Thanks for sharing

[03mach1]

Re: Trip to NorCal; 56k NO!

That looks like an awesome trip. That gosht town looked awesome. Was there someone taking care of that town I notice some signs saying what the object was?

[Ryan L.]

Re: Trip to NorCal; 56k NO!

That looks like an awesome trip. That gosht town looked awesome. Was there someone taking care of that town I notice some signs saying what the object was?

O ya, its Historic Monument. There are full time rangers and officers that live in some of the houses. There is a post with a # at every place which corresponds to a description in a book that you receive upon entry to the area. We were told everything was left as is, I find some of the places hard to believe.

Ryan