Events/Trails Eastern Sierra's, Coyote Plateau, Labor Day Weekend 9/1-5 (2 Viewers)

[elripster]

Sounds good, sent my cell in a PM.

If we can get our last minute items Thursday night we can get ice/gas in the morning and hopefully be on dirt around 8AM.

Frank

 

[Justsendit]

I'll be getting into Bishop around 10:00 so I'll see you guys in the morning.

 

[elripster]

If you are meeting at noon tomorrow at 76/I15 park and ride can you post up and let me know?

Frank

 

[Phulcrum]

planning on park n ride meet up.

 

[custyota]

This is the weather forcast for Lake Sabtina, which is about 9000 ft so it will be a few degrees cooler up on Coyote Flats.

National Weather Service

forecast.weather.gov

Lake what? You mean Sabrina?

It's supposed to be hot as hell this week in Bishop, up at Coyote it should be in the 80s

 

[custyota]

Anyone want to get breakfast tomorrow or Friday?

252-412-7172

 

[elripster]

Won't get in until tomorrow night, Am planning to just grab food at the hotel and get up there Friday morning while it's cool out.

I have found this weather site to be pretty spot on for Funnel Lake. It will be a little warmer during the day where we camp and not as cold at night as Funnel. Looks like it will be about perfect.

Funnel Lake Weather Forecast, CA - WillyWeather

Funnel Lake weather forecast updated daily. NOAA weather radar, satellite and synoptic charts. Current conditions, warnings and historical records

www.willyweather.com

Frank

 

[Justsendit]

Looks like it going to be about perfect up there, now if we can catch a bunch of trout it will be stupendous!

 

[elripster]

Running a little late to the park and ride. 1220

 

[elripster]

Well friends, my kids said that was the best trip up there yet. This will by last trip until after the FinalFalcone arrives end of October so I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to everyone for coming. I personally enjoyed the looser more relaxed schedule of things. Folks came and went on their schedule vs. being tied to the group which I think is nice. The weather was just about perfect. We had mild days and nights with ample cloud shade throughout the day.

My pictures are still uploading so I'll update this thread as they filter in.

Day 1 (Thursday). We departed the park and ride around 12:30. Hot, it was hot and getting hotter with every mile. As we approached the Cajon pass one of our group had to turn back. Eddie was driving an early 80's square body Blazer. He just had the AC done but the compressor quit. To make things worse, the cooling system wasn't keeping up even with the AC off. We checked rad temps and confirmed so he turned back which was smart. Even if he had somehow made it up the Cajon temps were reaching levels that transcend misery and would not have been fun. The rest of soldiered on to Bishop getting there around 6PMish. We checked into the Travelodge, which absolutely sucked (IMO) so avoid (Holiday Inn much better...) and got dinner at Whiskey Creek. That places was excellent. I had a burger that was so good it was almost life changing. Landcruising and Hamilt0n left earlier and headed directly up there.

I was a little worried about Rathtar and the load, she was heavy, but she did fine with the AC keeping things nice and cool.

Day 2: We connected with Justsendit, nckwltn, and his 2 daughters during breakfast and made our to the air down spot around 8AM. We got to camp around 10AM. I got to test out this power station we thinking of carrying for Phalcon. It was very handy. It took turns running a fridge, keeping leaky mattresses inflated, and charging comms. This thing is going on all future trips.

We had plans to head into Funnel but go comfortable at camp and decided to just hangout and enjoy beautiful scenery and cool air.

 

[elripster]

Here are some pics on the way up.

At 8AM it was already hot.

I forgot to take pictures of dinner but was fantastic.

Day 3, Green Lake: So we have been wanting to go there for quite a while. We drove to the overlook a few years back but never hiked down. That hike... we let me say that no humans were injured during the event but it was one hard hike.

The drive takes you over 12k'.

You park at the overlook.

 

[landcruising]

Great trip again. Fishing was good, company great. Had to watch engine temps carefully on the drive up and down, as usual traffic coming back was stop and go, which didn't help temps.

Above Green Lake looking west

Frank after the hike up from Green Lake

Jared's son Owen and our rigs at the overlook were you can get phone reception looking south of Big Pine.

 

[landcruising]

A few more pictures.

Hamilton and my brother Ed fishing on Baker Lake with green lake over the peak behind to the west.

The trail down to Green Lake

Green Lake looking south west

Green Lake looking east with the 500 ft hike out to the left

 

[elripster]

Day 3, Green Lake Continued: The hike down was hard. You start at 11,500' and end up at 11,000'. It's narrow, steep, and technical in spots. I had my 4 year old, Brennan, who to his credit made about 50% of the way up and down on his own. The rest I had to help and/or carry him. However, the lake itself is beautiful and serene. The kids got a chance to practice casting. Daniel, my oldest caught a large rainbow we kept and cooked up. He caught that by that little island do the right of this picture. The hike back up pushed me to my physical limits. Me and gear I think I could have handled but carrying Brennan had me winded over and over. He hiked what he could but he's just a little guy so needed a lot of help. In hindsight taking a 4 year old down there was maybe a little ambitious but he had so much fun that it was worth it.

Heading down...

Brennan had the net ready.

Here is the group back at the top.

 

[elripster]

Day 3: Dinner was sooooo good, but I bet you already suspected as much.

Day 4, Baker Lake: Brennan fired all of his guns the day before so his little legs weren't up for another hike. Lucky for him, he has daddy's shoulders to ride on. Even hiking him there and back it was sooooooooo much easier than the Green Lake hike. We all caught fish and the kids had a blast.

Grandpa helping Brennan.

Garrett and Brennan. I couldn't keep Bren out of the water so got to splash around in his underwear.

 

[elripster]

Day 4 continued:

Daniel catching his share.

Our group...

 

[elripster]

Day 5: We packed up and said goodbye to the Plateau.

We definitely came away with one lesson learned, think hard about your departure time. We hit a lot of traffic on the way back. I think next year I'll:
- Shift the trip to an earlier week. This means we don't get to take advantage of that vacation day but then neither is anyone else so less traffic. Also more folks might be able to go due to avoiding start of the school year.
- Shift the trip up or back a day to avoid traveling on Labor day.
- Spend the last night in town. Do the day's things, pack up, head to a hotel for dinner in Bishop. This means it's easy to leave earlier enough the next day to evade 395 and Vegas traffic.

Anyway, thanks again for everyone attending and making this such a great trip. I'll be web wheeling for a few months but hopefully can get back out around Christmas - New Years.

Frank

 

[Justsendit]

Great trip, with great friends! It was a much needed get away

 

[elripster]

Landcruising isn't kidding on temps. We saw upwards of 115 degF.

 

[landcruising]

Spent lunch at the Mount Whitney Fish Hatchery on the way back, many great memories from here as a kid.