High Sierra Topix

Does anyone know how much snow is on the western side of the Inyo Mountains? Any descriptions, photos, etc will help out a lot.

Im also wondering if there are any bears in the Inyo Mountains.

Thanks

From what I can see, there is about two feet (or so) of snow at the higher elevations and yes, I would wager that there are bears in the area.

--F.G. Dave

I was looking that way from big pine today, the snow looks to be pretty thick near the top and isn't melting very well. Day time highs are barely above freezing. Are you going to do Keynote? I love the Inyos in the winter, I've found pretty reliable water in the bolder fields. I hiked up to the top from saline valley last year, amazing elevation gain.

A ranger from the Mammoth area told me a few years ago that there are no bear or mountain lion in the Inyos. I would still like to ask a ranger at Bristlecone.

jessegooddog wrote:A ranger from the Mammoth area told me a few years ago that there are no bear or mountain lion in the Inyos. I would still like to ask a ranger at Bristlecone.

WHAT??? He is an idiot! I've personally seen a mountain lion in the Inyos and several bears in the whites( just north of the Inyos) we saw a bear this year up on chatovich flats. We also have a healthy population of bears just over the Nevada border, yet Nevada fish and game say there are no bears in that area. These people obviously spend very little time in the areas they profess to know about.

I didn't think it sounded right; I am glad to hear you have seen both!

jessegooddog wrote:I didn't think it sounded right; I am glad to hear you have seen both!

Well kind of, never seen a bear in the inyo mountains. But not far to the north.

Rockchucker wrote: WHAT??? He is an idiot!

I've had a ranger in Desolation Wilderness tell me, "All of the lakes in the Desolation Wilderness are either well stocked or self sustaining."

I just smiled and kept hiking down the trail.

-Russ