wet east of the Sierra, Mono County north

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SSSdave
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wet east of the Sierra, Mono County north

Post by SSSdave »

This May of 2018 has been the stormiest May in many years for areas east of the Sierra Nevada from Mono County northward to Tahoe. Actually the whole Northern Great Basin that is most of central and northern Nevada is likewise. While noting areas south of about Crowley continue to be out of that flow, quite dry. More so than this map suggests since the weather radar info used for those areas is quite limited from great distances.

https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/anomimage. ... 4dPpct.gif

To understand what one is looking at, the Mono/Inyo County boundary runs north of Paradise in the tablelands and Rock Creek Lake with Mono Lake and Tioga Pass at the map center of most precipitation.

Although most of the public or members on this board obviously considers most everything east of the Sierra in those areas dry, hot, and boring, that skewed perception is based on the time of year the vast majority of summer visitors visit the Sierra as they drive up and down US395 and their lack of familiarity with the maze of roads, mostly gravel or dirt in those sagebrush and jeffrey pine zones. The first necessity for understanding what those areas offer including where are public lands is to buy a current Inyo National Forest map, some topos, plus a California Trail Users Coalition map that covers southern Mono and northern Inyo counties. That map is available for free at the Mono Visitor Center and likely at others.

This spring at least for the next several weeks, those sagebrush areas will be exceptionally green, in places colorful with spectacular wildflowers, and even areas with seasonal wet meadows and streams. And it includes the upper Owens River areas that has some great fishing if one knows where to go. From US395, take the Owens River Road east towards the Big Spring campground:

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.74919,-118.93951&z=18&t=H

Where one can find miles of ignored river. And east of there about the East Portal on road 2S32 (Note use Topo, Map, and Satellite tabs to switch views plus zoom.):

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.75483,-118.87584&z=18&t=H

Vast areas where dispersed camping is legal. But who wants to camp out in dry hot dusty sagebrush? What people don't understand is while the higher Sierra areas at trailheads are still covered by white or wet with melting runoff or lower eastern Sierra slopes are still just coming out of dormancy with little just rising green vegetation, that these Great Basin environments are in their brief peak green springs. And this year may be the best in our life times. That is where one will see lots of active animals and birds about and not up in the Sierra. But the scenery is boring! Well actually in many locations one has impressive background views of miles of snowy Sierra peaks. And unlike during summer, temperatures in May into mid June are often ideal t-shirt weather mid day while being merely cool overnight for pleasant sleeping.

For the plant enthusiast Crooked Meadow Road aka 1S17 brings one to this fascinating place:

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.82732,-118.84495&z=15&t=H

One will also notice map areas south of Mono Craters with large sand flats. Those are places where one will find expanses of short height pink hued monkeyflowers and pussypaws blue hued lupines and several yellow species.

The best idea for a day hike and most scenic is right along the south shores of Mono Lake. Park at this lot (at map crosshairs) off the Navy Beach Road, wander down to the shore and head eastward:

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.94301,-119.00305&z=17&t=H

Unlike the nearby South Tufa area certain to be full of vehicles and crawling with people, even on weekends, these shore areas are vacant with impressive views of the snowy peaks from Mount Wood to Dunderberg Peak. Well except for many birds and animals. Of course one might also backpack and then camp anywhere along those remote shores as long as one goes into the visitor center for a permit that also allows one to park overnight at that lot so the rangers are aware one's vehicle is not someone in trouble.

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.96714,-118.96013&z=19&t=H

All the above noted, along Mono Lake shores one will need to deal with one negative issue during April and May, miserable no seum sized biting gnats, that tend to come out mid to late afternoon into evening and sometimes mid day if no breeze. Thus full body clothing with a head net for evening and DEET. And a wise reason to start an all morning hike at sunrise when photographic light is also best.
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michaelzim
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Re: wet east of the Sierra, Mono County north

Post by michaelzim »

Thank you! Really great info and exactly what I was looking at today as it is still darn cool up here (2 hrs. north of San Fran) and my hoped for May trip to the high Sierra before the mosquitoes come out is looking very dubious. Thus was looking at the "desert" as need to get away into the wild places to preserve sanity. Temperatures are looking very cool over there too, but not as cold as 10,000 ft. in the John Muir Wilderness!
I have been trying to figure out if the Sweetwater Mountains have much to offer in terms of isolation and some 'hiking breadth' but also places where water might be available for overnight camping (and no trail bikes or the like grinding up the silence!). However, your info gives some nice options a bit further south if consider late May or early June, and maybe there are some peaks that could dovetail into the wildflowers, which I agree are most likely to be super-abundant this year.
Again...Thanks much!
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SSSdave
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Re: wet east of the Sierra, Mono County north

Post by SSSdave »

Latest image from May 25 tells the story. Note what I mentioned about the line of heavier precipitation being at the Mono to Inyo County border:
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Lodestar Lightning
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Re: wet east of the Sierra, Mono County north

Post by Lodestar Lightning »

Having lived in Mono Basin for many years, I only wish that the spring plague of no-see-ums confined their activities to afternoons and early evenings. From about the first of May onwards, they are out at sunrise, which is when I walk my dogs along Mill Creek. (Early mornings are rarely windy at this time of year.) I wear long pants, long sleeved shirt buttoned all the way up, and a wide brimmed hat. And if I neglect to slap on repellant or wear a headnet, I still end up with a ring of welts around the back of my neck.

On the plus side, the morning perfume of flowering desert peach is absolutely intoxicating!
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Re: wet east of the Sierra, Mono County north

Post by SSSdave »

Thanks LL for the correction to my statement that those gnats also come out during mornings. Suspect the reason there were none during my visit May 11-14 was because that was when there were snow showers and cold sunrise temps. Thus as soon as it warmed up, they come out at all hours it isn't breezy. I hate their itchy bites as they inject their digesting juice, that are worse than mosquito bites and last longer. They also plagued us around and streams in Utah during May years ago but I rarely find them up in the Sierra.
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