I usually post in the RMNP forum, but since this isn't really in the same realm I thought I'd post here. Next week I will be headed to the eastern sierras staying in the Mammoth lakes area. I will be there from monday the 21st until that friday morning. I was hoping I could get some advice on when to shoot specific locations i.e. sunrise/sunset spots. I am likely going to spend one entire day in Yosemite national park driving in through the tioga pass road. I am thinking of doing a sunrise shoot at olmstead point unless there is a better spot for sunrise along the road. Then hopefully make my way to glacier point for sunset if it is open. I am also interested in photographing mono lake and the ancient bristlecone pines as well. If there are any must see spots please let me know as it is my first time visiting the area. Thanks!
Everything you've mentioned would be highly recommended and if you can squeeze them all in, that would be amazing - but I think it can be done. I'll offer some ideas, but before that I'll make a couple of general observations. For me anyway, I've rarely been successful attempting a sunrise at a location I've never been to. You basically have to scout in the dark and it's really a crap shoot. Of course this is part of the purpose of your question... however, it's still a tough task even when someone tells you where and when to go. My thought is to sort of plan things so that perhaps you're scouting out a sunrise location the night before. I think you can do that a little bit on this trip.
Don't know what time you get to Mammoth or by what means (driving from Vegas? flying in somewhere?) but if you have most of Monday, I would recommend heading up to Mono Lake AND perhaps even up on top of Tioga Pass. Olmsted point would be doable for sunset on Monday night. So, you could actually swing by Mono Lake, scout out the South Tufa area for a sunrise location and then scoot up Tioga Pass for Olmsted point. I think the evening light and sunset from there provide many opportunities; the view of Half Dome, Clouds Rest and all the granite, glacial erratics, junipers, etc. Tenaya Lake is just before Olmsted point too.
Oh, you need to consider drive times too. Probably at least an hours drive from Mammoth to the top of Tioga Pass.
Tues could be a MONSTER day and probably too much simply because of driving. But you could do sunrise at the South Tufa - very cool to go down there in the dark waiting for sunrise. You could then drive through Yosemite, make a loop through the valley and then up to Glacier point to finish the day. Now, that sounds simple, but a conservative guess would be that it will be a good 3 HOUR drive from Glacier point back to Mammoth. It's an easy 45min from Yo Valley to GP and it's a good hour from the valley back to the eastern entrance of the Park over Tioga Pass and then the last leg back to Mammoth. Oh btw, gas I'm guessing is at least $5 a gallon over there about now. ;-(
You'll need rest after that. So Wednesday, I would just add a trip down to the Alabama Hills for an Eastern Sierra Sunrise (this is option 2 for a Monday evening scout) spend the morning in the AH's, then cross the valley and up to the White Mountains and the Bristlecones for the afternoon and sunset there.
Re-thinking my Yosemite suggestion, you may want to consider actually considering an overnight stay in the valley. You could probably get a campsite (just car camp if you don't have the gear with you). Check out recreation.gov and look for cancellations, you should be able to get a spot. Or you can try to get a room http://www.yosemitepark.com/lodging.aspx. this way you could do a sunrise in the valley after the sunset at Glacier Pt. Cook's Meadow which is directly across from Yosemite Falls and where the famous Elm Tree is located, is a good place for sunrises, although in general, the valley is neither a great sunrise nor sunset place because of the steep valley walls. Then take your time heading back over Tioga pass.
Optionally, if you're interested in ghost towns, Bodie State park is just about 40 min NE of Lee Vining and a recommended side trip.
Yet another option, there are so many... I think it's too early for Sierra Wildflowers, but on one of the days you could hike one of the canyons. Either at Rock Creek to Little Lakes Valley - I think about 3, 4mi at the most, mild elevation gain. Probably still snow though as the trailhead is around 10,000ft. Other places, Parker/Walker Lakes off the June Lake Loop, McGee Creek/canyon, Convict Lake and Lundy Canyon just north of Lee Vining. Then there's the Bishop Creek area, South/North Lakes, Sabrina and you could visit Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop too.
Anyway, dragging this one... In summary:
Sunrise locations: Mono Lake, Alabama Hills/Whitney Portal - Sierra alpen glow Mt. Whitney, and Olmsted point.
Sunset locations: Glacier Point, Olmsted pt (yes either sunrise/sunset) and Bristlecone. Mono lake is iffy, usually windy in the afternoons which cut out anything happening on the lake/water surface.
Thanks Lon, I appreciate the extensive suggestions. I began rethinking the entire day trip through Yosemite. While I am still going to spend time there, I don't think I will make it as far as glacier point like I'd hope. From what you said I might try to photograph Olmsted point for sunrise and then possibly make my way into the valley. How far would it be from Olmsted to the Mariposa grove? Thinking that might be a decent spot for something early morning mid afternoon and could spend the day in the valley heading back out through Tioga pass and maybe Olmsted point again for sunset. Already have the week booked at a motel in mammoth so I wouldn't want to spend any extra costs (although that would probably be a great idea). I'll be driving in from AZ likely getting to town around 4-5pm. I was hoping to do a night shoot at mono lake, and reflections in the lake won't be too much of an issue if they aren't there due to wind. Bristlecone pines will definitely be shooting at sunset and into the night. As for the Alabama hills, I was saving that for the drive back to AZ leaving quite early from mammoth lakes to be there for sunrise (I think it's about a 2 hour drive). Thanks again for the valuable suggestions.
NP Peter. Probably a wise decision on the Glacier Point visit simply because of the drive time. Oh, and Mariposa grove? that's twice as far and more out of your way than Glacier pt. If you want to see a Sequoia grove, Tuolumne grove is right on the way over Tioga pass just after where 120 splits after leaving the valley. The Merced Grove is right there too (within a few miles anyway, not very far out of the way.) both require short hikes, no tram services.
As far as Mono at sunset, I don't want to discourage it, especially if you've never been. Just saying the odds are higher for afternoon winds, but it's entirely possible you could have a calm afternoon. The tufa, sage and rabbit brush in the area offer countless possibilities regardless.
Also forgot to mention Devil's Postpile NM. It's right there out of Mammoth. That would include Rainbow falls which may be worth some Googling and a potential visit. Not sure if or when the shuttle service kicks in, but a location to consider.
Sounds like a great idea for the Alabama Hills on the way out, definitely recommend it.
If I had known sooner, I would have given you my park pass. I expires at the end of the month and I have no use for it. Would have saved ya $20 getting in to Yosemite. (little tip: if you enter and leave the park when it's still dark, you can avoid the entrance fee...)
Oh even better, I had began looking at the tuolumne meadows area and will likely just spend a day along that stretch of the tioga pass. I already have a park pass, so no worries on that. I'll have to take a look into the falls. Would like to squeeze one in to shoot while I'm up there. Thanks again and I'm already looking forward to seeing what I shoot.
Peter,
How much hiking do you want to do? I haven’t been to Mammoth in about a month, so I’m not sure what the snow and wildflower conditions are like. There are a lot of great hikes out of Mammoth, and Rock Creek and McGee Creek are good for sunrise. The trail head at Rock Creek is at 10,000 feet so there might be some snow and it’s probably too early for wildflowers. Still, there are a lot of lakes within a few miles of the trail head and great views of some of the best peaks in the Sierra. It’s also a popular area on the weekends.
McGee Creek is also a nice morning hike and one of my favorite areas for wildflowers and fall color. The canyon walls consist of some of the most colorful metamorphic rocks in the area. Convict Canyon and Lundy Canyon are also nice, but I usually save those for the fall.
Some really nice hikes closer to Mammoth include Crystal Lake and the Mammoth Crest (trailhead at Lake George), and Duck Pass (Cold Creek trailhead). Considering that Mammoth Mountain will be open through next weekend (and I’ll be there), there still could be some snow on the ground. Other areas worth checking out are Obsidian Dome, the Old Mammoth Mine, the area around the upper Owens River, and, of course, Bodie and Mono Lake (which I like in the evening).
Another hike I highly recommend is out of Saddlebag Lake near the top of Tioga Pass. If it’s open, there’s a ferry that you can take across Saddlebag Lake (for a fee) to a five mile long trail that loops through some beautiful Sierra high country. This is a hike we used to do a lot when the kids were younger, but if there’s still ice on the lake, then the boat may not be running.
Like Lon mentioned, I would recommend checking out some of these areas during the day to determine where you want to be at sunrise and sunset, but there’s a lot of opportunities depending on the snow and wildflower conditions. There’s also a ranger station in Mammoth that will have more current information.
Rudy I probably won't be doing too much hiking. At least not until my body adjust to the elevation. Anything with mild elevation gain is out of the question, but a simple stroll will be OK. I checked out a few of the lakes around mammoth and they don't seem like bad choices to explore and some don't look like the hikes are too long. Of all the hiking I think I would want to do at least one in Yosemite (not in the valley though).
Discussion
6 repliesEverything you've mentioned would be highly recommended and if you can squeeze them all in, that would be amazing - but I think it can be done. I'll offer some ideas, but before that I'll make a couple of general observations. For me anyway, I've rarely been successful attempting a sunrise at a location I've never been to. You basically have to scout in the dark and it's really a crap shoot. Of course this is part of the purpose of your question... however, it's still a tough task even when someone tells you where and when to go. My thought is to sort of plan things so that perhaps you're scouting out a sunrise location the night before. I think you can do that a little bit on this trip.
Don't know what time you get to Mammoth or by what means (driving from Vegas? flying in somewhere?) but if you have most of Monday, I would recommend heading up to Mono Lake AND perhaps even up on top of Tioga Pass. Olmsted point would be doable for sunset on Monday night. So, you could actually swing by Mono Lake, scout out the South Tufa area for a sunrise location and then scoot up Tioga Pass for Olmsted point. I think the evening light and sunset from there provide many opportunities; the view of Half Dome, Clouds Rest and all the granite, glacial erratics, junipers, etc. Tenaya Lake is just before Olmsted point too.
Oh, you need to consider drive times too. Probably at least an hours drive from Mammoth to the top of Tioga Pass.
Tues could be a MONSTER day and probably too much simply because of driving. But you could do sunrise at the South Tufa - very cool to go down there in the dark waiting for sunrise. You could then drive through Yosemite, make a loop through the valley and then up to Glacier point to finish the day. Now, that sounds simple, but a conservative guess would be that it will be a good 3 HOUR drive from Glacier point back to Mammoth. It's an easy 45min from Yo Valley to GP and it's a good hour from the valley back to the eastern entrance of the Park over Tioga Pass and then the last leg back to Mammoth. Oh btw, gas I'm guessing is at least $5 a gallon over there about now. ;-(
You'll need rest after that. So Wednesday, I would just add a trip down to the Alabama Hills for an Eastern Sierra Sunrise (this is option 2 for a Monday evening scout) spend the morning in the AH's, then cross the valley and up to the White Mountains and the Bristlecones for the afternoon and sunset there.
Re-thinking my Yosemite suggestion, you may want to consider actually considering an overnight stay in the valley. You could probably get a campsite (just car camp if you don't have the gear with you). Check out recreation.gov and look for cancellations, you should be able to get a spot. Or you can try to get a room http://www.yosemitepark.com/lodging.aspx. this way you could do a sunrise in the valley after the sunset at Glacier Pt. Cook's Meadow which is directly across from Yosemite Falls and where the famous Elm Tree is located, is a good place for sunrises, although in general, the valley is neither a great sunrise nor sunset place because of the steep valley walls. Then take your time heading back over Tioga pass.
Optionally, if you're interested in ghost towns, Bodie State park is just about 40 min NE of Lee Vining and a recommended side trip.
Yet another option, there are so many... I think it's too early for Sierra Wildflowers, but on one of the days you could hike one of the canyons. Either at Rock Creek to Little Lakes Valley - I think about 3, 4mi at the most, mild elevation gain. Probably still snow though as the trailhead is around 10,000ft. Other places, Parker/Walker Lakes off the June Lake Loop, McGee Creek/canyon, Convict Lake and Lundy Canyon just north of Lee Vining. Then there's the Bishop Creek area, South/North Lakes, Sabrina and you could visit Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop too.
Anyway, dragging this one... In summary:
Sunrise locations: Mono Lake, Alabama Hills/Whitney Portal - Sierra alpen glow Mt. Whitney, and Olmsted point.
Sunset locations: Glacier Point, Olmsted pt (yes either sunrise/sunset) and Bristlecone. Mono lake is iffy, usually windy in the afternoons which cut out anything happening on the lake/water surface.
This aughta get you started...
Lon
As far as Mono at sunset, I don't want to discourage it, especially if you've never been. Just saying the odds are higher for afternoon winds, but it's entirely possible you could have a calm afternoon. The tufa, sage and rabbit brush in the area offer countless possibilities regardless.
Also forgot to mention Devil's Postpile NM. It's right there out of Mammoth. That would include Rainbow falls which may be worth some Googling and a potential visit. Not sure if or when the shuttle service kicks in, but a location to consider.
Sounds like a great idea for the Alabama Hills on the way out, definitely recommend it.
If I had known sooner, I would have given you my park pass. I expires at the end of the month and I have no use for it. Would have saved ya $20 getting in to Yosemite. (little tip: if you enter and leave the park when it's still dark, you can avoid the entrance fee...)
Hope you have a great trip.
Lon
How much hiking do you want to do? I haven’t been to Mammoth in about a month, so I’m not sure what the snow and wildflower conditions are like. There are a lot of great hikes out of Mammoth, and Rock Creek and McGee Creek are good for sunrise. The trail head at Rock Creek is at 10,000 feet so there might be some snow and it’s probably too early for wildflowers. Still, there are a lot of lakes within a few miles of the trail head and great views of some of the best peaks in the Sierra. It’s also a popular area on the weekends.
McGee Creek is also a nice morning hike and one of my favorite areas for wildflowers and fall color. The canyon walls consist of some of the most colorful metamorphic rocks in the area. Convict Canyon and Lundy Canyon are also nice, but I usually save those for the fall.
Some really nice hikes closer to Mammoth include Crystal Lake and the Mammoth Crest (trailhead at Lake George), and Duck Pass (Cold Creek trailhead). Considering that Mammoth Mountain will be open through next weekend (and I’ll be there), there still could be some snow on the ground. Other areas worth checking out are Obsidian Dome, the Old Mammoth Mine, the area around the upper Owens River, and, of course, Bodie and Mono Lake (which I like in the evening).
Another hike I highly recommend is out of Saddlebag Lake near the top of Tioga Pass. If it’s open, there’s a ferry that you can take across Saddlebag Lake (for a fee) to a five mile long trail that loops through some beautiful Sierra high country. This is a hike we used to do a lot when the kids were younger, but if there’s still ice on the lake, then the boat may not be running.
Like Lon mentioned, I would recommend checking out some of these areas during the day to determine where you want to be at sunrise and sunset, but there’s a lot of opportunities depending on the snow and wildflower conditions. There’s also a ranger station in Mammoth that will have more current information.
Have fun.