If he was flying a Victor route (low altitude, as opposed to a high altitude jetway) from Santa Barbara(SBA), it should have brought him over Mammoth Pass, which is a safer route into MMH. The Tioga area is about 20 miles north of Mammoth Pass. Lost or sight seeing? We'll never know. As you can see from the aero chart below (recommended Victor route), this is a nearly impossible area for a safe forced landing.
http://wh94.fltplan.com/airway_viewer/?U...PECHART=LOCHART
