I've been back and forth between the Bay area and Lone Pine many times. Shortest and fastest route is via hwy 120... Hwy 108 is scenic, but torturous. Google maps is not correct when it shows shorter time via hwy 108.
Aha! Here's a Google Maps route between Lee Vining and Oakdale. It's even 20 miles farther on their preferred route!
It must be that the posted speed limit in Yosemite is 45 mph, and on Hwy 108, it's 55 or 65. That may be the official speed, but there are very few places to actually reach that. The 108 is waaay slower traveling than 120. In Yosemite, it's a chore to keep your speed down at the limit.
