Mammoth Pool Road dispersed camping
Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 9:46 pm
Friday night drove up a few hours east to a lonely dispersed camping spot with a grand view of the San Joaquin Canyon at about 4k off the Mammoth Pool Road to overnight sleeping inside the Forester. Then Saturday with the well predicted storm bearing down with mostly cloudy skies, enjoyed roadside wildflower closeup work. In the afternoon drove up to the Mile High Curve Scenic viewpoint to size up how much snow was in the high country. Before the storm saw lots of snow in the distance east above 7k with snow roadside at 5k in the shade. Behind me on Chiquito Ridge, Shuteye Peak at 8351 feet was a snow cone. Oh most of the campgrounds were filling up in the afternoon as an army of SUV's began charging up that road by late morning. I'd gotten up at dawn and only saw about a half dozen vehicles until 10am as I raced along at 10mph. And was happy to stay low all day where wildflowers are peaking in Sierra spring greenery like this spot at 3.5k:
Well I endured the short though intense rain Saturday night again inside the nicely dry Subu at another lower Sierra NF legal disperse camping spot, then bailed Sunday morning when it was obviously going to continue to be windy all day. But Saturday made it all worth it as I added several closeup images to my collection.
Tomcat clover against a charred log:
Phlox and ceanothus combo:
This hen sage grouse obliged quietly just a few feet away right beside my car:
Not only was Miss Grouse about but lots of birds chirping everywhere and constant chipmunks scampering across the road. And of course saw dozens and dozens roadside of everyone's Sierra favorite, the incredible snow plant:
Lots of dogwood blooming in shady ravines with the red wonders. Then down on the Bass Lake Road hunted through a great many of these rosy fairy lanterns before finding this perfect couple:
Walked about on some sunny dry gruss slopes where pu$$y paws, harlequin lupine, and these tasty onion grew out of the sandy matrix:
A 100% crop of Miss Spider in her pink palace:
Well here's the full downsized image just to show how much detail my G10 delivers. Can you see her?
Well I endured the short though intense rain Saturday night again inside the nicely dry Subu at another lower Sierra NF legal disperse camping spot, then bailed Sunday morning when it was obviously going to continue to be windy all day. But Saturday made it all worth it as I added several closeup images to my collection.
Tomcat clover against a charred log:
Phlox and ceanothus combo:
This hen sage grouse obliged quietly just a few feet away right beside my car:
Not only was Miss Grouse about but lots of birds chirping everywhere and constant chipmunks scampering across the road. And of course saw dozens and dozens roadside of everyone's Sierra favorite, the incredible snow plant:
Lots of dogwood blooming in shady ravines with the red wonders. Then down on the Bass Lake Road hunted through a great many of these rosy fairy lanterns before finding this perfect couple:
Walked about on some sunny dry gruss slopes where pu$$y paws, harlequin lupine, and these tasty onion grew out of the sandy matrix:
A 100% crop of Miss Spider in her pink palace:
Well here's the full downsized image just to show how much detail my G10 delivers. Can you see her?