Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (September 1996)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Thu, 5 Sep 1996 07:00:59 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         busgirl@netcom.com (Martha)
Subject:      CCC's 9.20-22 directions

Appended below are the directions to our CCC's next camping spot location, for the September 20-22 trip. MANY thanks to Kathy Myers from our van/bus list, who lives in this area, and did a lot of research on our behalf, then contributed her knowlede of the area, and then kindly went to a lot of trouble writing up all this.

Our camping location will be Pumice Flat GROUP camp (there are non-group camps there, too, so please note that). No reservations will be needed! Kathy found this out for us by calling their 800 number, and none are needed, since we are camping after the 17th, and at this time of year, they don't have many campers, especially not in groups. WE should have tables, running water, toilets, and showers all nearby.

-- DIRECTIONS --

Mammoth Lakes is located near the intersection of Highway 395 and State Route 203. We are about 25 miles south of Lee Vining and about 45 miles north of Bishop. We're a HUGE alpine ski area and the highway off ramp are really well marked.

I am assuming that you will all want to go to the town of Mammoth Lakes before you go to the site since there are limited services in the valley. There is NO GAS in the valley and only a small pack station type store and cafe down there. So... you might want to do the gas, food and ice thing in town before you go down to Pumice Flat.

NOTE:

State route 203 is also known as Main Street.

DIRECTIONS:

On 203 - the first light you come to is Old Mammoth Road - if you need THE grocery store, turn left and go to the next light and turn left.... there's VONS. When done with the shopping scene, go back to Main Street (203) and turn left.

Follow 203 through town - less than a mile - (gas station are on this street) - when you get to the next light - Minaret Road - turn right... you will be following the signs to Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and the Devils Postpile National Monument. This road climbs about 4 miles up to the ski area. (3rd gear in Her Majesty... a '68 Bus)

When you get to the ski area you might get a bit confused because there are chair lifts that cross the road and the place is sorta strange looking without snow. Stay on the road and drive under Chairs 11 and 27. Follow this road up about 1 1/4 mile to a little kiosk called the Minaret Vista Entrance Station. It will be closed. If you turn right at the Forest Service sign to Minaret Vista, you will be rewarded with a KILLER view of the Range of Light. (It's about a 1/8 of a mile to the Vista.)

NOTE:

The road into the valley is NOT A THROUGH STREET! It goes down 9 miles to Red's Meadow Resort and ends. In the summer this road is closed to day use traffic and is serviced by a shuttle system. There are 10 marked bus stops on the valley floor... Pumice Flat *GROUP* Campground is just past shuttle stop # 4. The shuttle stop signs are 4X4 posts about 3 feet tall with the number on them - each stop usually has a picnic table by the sign. The shuttle system will NOT be operating.

BACK TO THE DIRECTONS:

>From the Minaret Vista Entrance Station at 9,175 feet above sea level, you will STEEPLY descend a beautiful albiet it NARROW road for about 3 1/2 miles. Try your hardest to go the speed limit... which is 15MPH. At the bottom of the steep hill you will be at Agnew Meadows which is shuttle stop #1. Follow the road around through the valley floor. When you get to shuttle stop #4 PUMICE FLAT RANGER STATION - on the west side of the street, you're almost there. Across the street from stop #4 is the PUMICE FLAT AMPHITHEATER - just past it, on the same side of the street (east) is the dirt road entrance to PUMICE FLAT *GROUP* CAMP. There are 3 group sites accommodating for 15 - 50 people. There are tables, running water and flush toilets.

NOTE:

There is also a PUMICE FLAT regular campground - NOT FOR GROUPS! (It's not as confusing as it sounds - believe me!)

The *GROUP* sites are in a HUGE PUMICE FLAT (derrrr!) which is a clearing in the middle of a HUGE Lodgepole pine forest. The Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River is a stone's throw away. The Devils Postpile National Monument is at shuttle stop #6. Great fishing at Sotcher Lake at shuttle stop #7 and FREE hot showers are available at Red's Meadow Campground which is shuttle stop #8. The trailhead for Rainbow Falls is at shuttle stop #9 and at the end of the road - shuttle stop #10 is Red's Meadow Resort - cafe - store - cabins - pack station.

:-)

This place should be pretty well deserted by the time we get there... LAShuns (our target audience) think we pack it up and close down the town between Labor Day and Thanksgiving.

If you need more help with anything, let me know!

:-)

L8R

Kath

Kathy Myers and Mark Blanchard Active Periphery Press Blanchard Products Mammoth Lakes, CA


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.