Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Hiking or Snowshoeing, Nov 27-29

Hiking or Snowshoeing, Nov 27-29:

Looking for some suggestions for hiking or snowshoeing, anywhere from the Lone Pine Area up to Tioga Pass.

Here's a link to some of the hikes I did last winter, to give you an idea of what I've done:
http://www.hikinggeek.com/tag/shoeshoeing/

We are experienced with winter hiking and snowshoeing and have our own winter gear, including snowshoes, crampons, ice axes, etc.

Thanks!

The Mammoth Main Lodge up to Minaret Summit overlook is a fabulous snowshoe... just follow the road ;-)

In the Bishop area:

Bishop Creek area:
Take highway 168 West from Bishop to Aspendale, park at the locked gate trailhead, and hike or snowshoe up to Lake Sabrina or North Lake. Café and store in Aspendale at Cardinal Village resort.

Rock Creek canyon:
Or, drive up 395 North of Bishop to Tom's Place, then into Rock Creek canyon, park at East Fork campground gate/trailhead (it might be a "Snopark" area, so check ahead of time. http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=23069).

From there follow the road, staying off the groomed xc-ski trail, as far as your ambitions and energy will allow you. This is probably my favorite winter day or overnight trip in the area. You will not be disappointed by the scenic beauty of this canyon. Rock Creek lodge might be open by then.

http://www.rockcreeklodge.com/summer/winter/index.php

Since Mammoth Mountain is now open for down-hill skiing it will be very crowded, with limited parking near the resort. Take the bus from town.

From Mammoth Mountain resort, follow the road up to Minaret Vista. Go North along San Joaquin Ridge.

During high winds, ground effect white-out can develop in the Minaret Vista area. Be sure you have a compass to help you get back down the hill!

Thanks so much for the suggestions! I've reserved a cheap room in Mammoth that can be cancelled for now. Tentatively planning on a long day Saturday, then maybe something short in Mammoth on Sunday. Depending on conditions, we have also been talking about Whitney, but I am guessing there is more snow up there than we want to deal with.

Some questions-

Rock Creek:
I've hiked LLV to both Morgan Pass and Mono Peak Pass. Does it sound too ambitious to think we'd be able to do one of these with the added snow and mileage? I've also been wanting to try Morgan South. Mt.Starr is another one.

Aspendale:
Is the trailhead at the Cardinal Village Resort? Is there a trail or are you essentially snowshoeing the road? Are there any high points or peaks that we could try for?

Mammoth:
I think that Minarets is likely to be our early morning Sunday hike.
If we head up early, say 5AM, we should be able to find parking, right?
Going North along San Joaquin Ridge - I see there is a 4WD road. Would you recommend following the road? Have you been out to Deadman Pass? Are there any areas along the ridge that you'd try to hike to for views?

Morgan Pass should be doable. Bear in mind that you'll be starting from the East Fork campground road closure, which adds a couple of more miles to the hike. From North Lake, snow-shoeing is a little more difficult through the forest, but not too bad.

The Aspendale trailhead is essentially the road closure on 168; plenty of parking on the right side of the road near the gate. You will be snow-shoeing or walking on the road until Lake Sabrina or North Lake. Snow-shoeing above Lake Sabrina, on the Blue Lake trail, is do-able, but stay off the ice-covered lakes, since the ice isn't very thick yet. The trail to Blue Lake from Lake Sabrina started just down hill from the lake.

To get to Cardinal Village Resort you go down through the village and follow the signs. No easy access to any trails from Cardinal Village.

At Mammoth, parking near the ski resort shouldn't be a problem at 5 AM! From the lodge to Minaret Vista you will be on a snow covered road. Because of the snow coverage you will not be able to see the 4WD road; just follow the top of the ridge as best you can. The 4WD road doesn't follow the ridge line anyway. Caution: the steep chutes on the east side of the ridge tend to load up with deep snow and create avalanche danger; best to avoid that. The views from Minaret Vista along S.J. ridge are stunning.

Plenty of class 2 - 3 peaks in all areas, but follow avalanche precautions, of course. Check the Secor book.

Of the three mentioned, I prefer Rock Creek. Fewer crowds and beautiful vistas.

Thanks for the help!

I've posted my tentative itinerary here and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions, particularly regarding what we should do Friday afternoon and Sunday morning: http://www.hikinggeek.com/2015/11/24/trip-planning-snowshoeing-winter-hiking/

Friday: I'm leaving the Riverside area around 11 AM and I'd like to find a short hike between home and Mammoth that would have a nice vantage point for sunset (4:30). Riverside is about 3 hrs from Lone Pine, 4 hours from Bishop, 5 hrs from Mammoth. Any suggestions?

Sunday: I'm hoping to get out with snowshoes for 3-5 hours. We could go somewhere in Mammoth or anywhere south along the 395. It would be nice to find something with a nice view for sunrise.If I stay in Mammoth, ideally I'd head out early, then be able to get back to the hotel by 9 AM to pack up and checkout. It may be possible to pack up, check out, then hike, but I'd need to convince the rest of the group to join me in that case. We do have some time restrictions we'd like to be in Lone Pine by 1 PM at the latest. Any suggestions?