The Highway 395 Corridor In Photographs

Dale Matson

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I am about to publish another Kindle Book with about 90 photographs of the Sierra Nevada. Here is the introduction.

It is about 150 Miles from the town of Olancha in the South to Lee Vining in the North. All of the Sierra Nevada 14ers and White Mountain (3^rd highest mountain in California) are located along this corridor. Most of these mountains can be seen from Highway 395.

In Lone Pine, one can take the Whitney Portal Road to Whitney Portal (8,000’) or depart the Whitney Portal Road for Cottonwood Lakes for a nice day hike or more with a trailhead about 10,000’. The largest elevation difference in the continental U.S. is from the town of Lone Pine to the top of Mount Whitney.

You can take the road to Onion Valley out of Independence and hike to Kearsarge Pass past several lakes. It is a bit of a climb about 10 miles round trip. East of Independence is the most popular of the mountain passes to get to the west side of the Sierra, Kearsarge Pass. I have also been over two of the “Nasty Passes”, Baxter Pass and Taboose Pass. My best advice would be don’t do either of those two passes. The Japanese who were interred at Manzanar during World War II, near Independence CA could see Mt. Williamson, the 2^nd highest mountain in CA.

Perhaps one of the best vistas is to drive up toward the Bristlecone Pines (out of Big Pine) east of 395, There is a viewing area where you can look west and see much of the Sierra Nevada. Another good spot on a clear day is the top of White Mountain Peak where you will be looking down on most of the Sierra. You can actually drive as far as Barcroft research station which is about 12,000’. You might see some bighorn sheep also as you climb to the building at the top of the mountain.

Another viewing area is to take the Mammoth Mountain Gondola to the top of the mountain (11,050’) where you can see much of the Mammoth Basin with many lakes, south to Crowley Lake and North to Mono Lake.

If you want to spend a day hiking, I would highly recommend the Rock Creek Trail. Turn east at “Tom’s Place” south of Mammoth Lakes and drive to the end of the road. The trailhead is high but the trail is relatively flat and passes several beautiful alpine lakes.

There is another road to explore west out of Big Pine. Glacier Lodge Road is a beautiful climb with magnificent views. If you go west out of Big Pine, you can get to some of the oldest trees in the world, the Bristlecone Pines.

It is possible in the spring to see the endangered Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep along Tully Creek, Black Canyon, Baxter Canyon, Pine Creek road north of Bishop, the Wheeler Ridge group. They come over to the east side of the Sierra to escape the snow in the winter and there is good food for them also. I have included photos from the Mt. Langley group and Baxter Canyon group. There are only about 500 sheep spread along the Sierra in small groups from Olancha Peak to Yosemite in the north. I have included examples also of the Desert Bighorn east of Bishop and on the shoulder of White Mountain Peak.

Why am I doing this as a Kindle Book? A paperback does not do justice to the beauty of these places. This is the 21^st century “Coffee Table Book”.

If you want even more beauty, backpack into the eastern Sierra. I hope you enjoy the journey and it whets your appetite for a visit to one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Here it is:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081LT5XBW/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=dale+matson&qid=1573990558&sr=8-1