High Sierra Topix

Taboose was fine after the initial downpour ~3 weeks ago, but I haven't heard anything since.

The white mountain ranger station said there were still road closures around Sawmill but didn’t have any info on Taboose.

I called the ranger station in Bishop today. The ranger told me that he heard of no reports of cars being stuck, but that there is some washout. He reminded me that that road is recommended for high clearance vehicles.

I don't know if this is useful, but I drove the Taboose TH road on July 27 and then August 6 so before the storms and then after. The road was terrible before and was still terrible after, but I don't think it was worse after the storms. FWIW, I was in a crappy rental car so I called it quits and parked about a 1/2 mile short of the corrals, horrible road.

Hey Y'all,
I love heading up Taboose, but after my last visit (at least 6 years ago), I swore off the approach road as a nightmare. I cannot imagine it now, even in a crappy rental! Cameron

I just returned from Taboose. The road is the same, slow going and rocky with very little smooth riding. Strictly high clearance.

Freestone, what is high clearance to you? The ranger at bench lake said there wasn’t any monsoon damage to road and it was fine for ~8” clearance before. We’d be dropping off a ~8” AWD subie there as shuttle vehicle, which isn’t high clearance for AZ/UT etc but CA tends to have lower tolerance for rough roads.

Stopping a 1/2mi short would be fine.

erutan wrote: ↑Sat Sep 03, 2022 5:15 pm Freestone, what is high clearance to you? The ranger at bench lake said there wasn’t any monsoon damage to road and it was fine for 6-8” clearance before. We’d be dropping off a ~8” AWD subie there as shuttle vehicle, which isn’t high clearance for AZ/UT etc but CA tends to have lower tolerance for rough roads.

Stopping a 1/2mi short would be fine.

My son did it in his Outback with street tires, no problem so the Subie should be ok especially with good tires. Check your coolant before you go, it was really hot out there!

It has solid all season M+S tires from a few months ago, nothing fancy but should be adequate. Probably not LT so the sidewalls aren't beefy, but we'll take it slow. Will keep an eye on engine temps.

I was up that road in June, if there was no deterioration from storms since then, I have a few observations which may be useful.
Unless there is something wrong with your car it won't over heat. The road is rough but short. There is about 5 miles of 4 W.D. and you won't be going faster than you can walk. It is just very rough, but not steep.

We noted that a Tesla was at the trail head - not high ground clearance. My car, a Ford Fusion (probably passes for low clearance), scraped a bit and got a couple serious dents in the under carriage. Especially just behind the front tires, where the body crashes down on the rock you just climbed over. High ground clearance is a good idea, but with care, and good visibility (we did it in daylight both ways), almost any car can make it. We did move a dozen bigger rocks out of our path.
I suggest you don't bother looking for the turnout 1/2 mile from the trail. The last 1/2 mile is steeper but less rough than the really bad parts. but cgundersen said:

I called it quits and parked about a 1/2 mile short of the corrals

Am I blind? I saw no corrals.

The creek appears to be all year (most years), and the trail head is right on the creek, 20 or so feet above it. That is the only water on the trail for the next 5 or so miles.
-mort

mort wrote: ↑Sun Sep 04, 2022 3:38 am
Unless there is something wrong with your car it won't over heat.

True. I only mention this because I was driving an older Ford Ranger 4x4 and when I got to the trailhead I could hear the coolant boiling. The plastic reservoir was bone dry yet the engine never overheated, not a good sound to hear so far from help. I'm guessing I was low on coolant when I left the coast but not completely empty. After that experience, I promised myself never to leave home without checking the coolant if the trip involves long miles of crossing the Mojave.

The road up to the trailhead is no joke especially with the heat we are having now.