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jcherson
May 14, 2011, 2:18 AM
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So I just graduated college and I had a 3.5 week climbing trip planned for Yosemite with my friend but it seems as if mother nature wants winter to last a little longer in the high sierra. We are flying into San Fran on the 25th may and would appreciate any suggestions about alternatives for great sport climbing where we can also camp. Please help!
(This post was edited by jcherson on May 14, 2011, 2:22 AM)
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dugl33
May 14, 2011, 3:34 AM
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jcherson wrote: So I just graduated college and I had a 3.5 week climbing trip planned for Yosemite with my friend but it seems as if mother nature wants winter to last a little longer in the high sierra. We are flying into San Fran on the 25th may and would appreciate any suggestions about alternatives for great sport climbing where we can also camp. Please help!
Let's see -- you have 3.5 weeks starting the 25th of May(?) So what exactly is the problem?
Any significant snow in the Valley proper will likely be long gone by then.
On the other hand, you won't find a lot of sport climbing in Yosemite, so I'm not sure I follow your line of thought...
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jcherson
May 14, 2011, 5:23 AM
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Thanks for helping,
Well, my friend is planning most of the trip and mentioned good sport climbing in Mammoth Lakes area around Yosemite. Regardless, apparently the high country has received tons of snow the past two days and won't be accessible for another month or so. If anyone has a better idea on what is going on in Yosemite area right now please let me know.
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dugl33
May 14, 2011, 6:06 AM
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There is good sport climbing at Owens River Gorge near Bishop and the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, (if its not too hot yet.) There is also sport climbing near Jamestown or at the Pinnacles south of Hollister.
Conditions in Mammoth Lakes can be dramatically different than Yosemite Valley or Bishop, and Tioga Pass won't open until some time in July.
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Facelyss
May 14, 2011, 1:35 PM
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I'd go with Owen's River Gorge if I were you for sport climbing. Like the others said, there isn't a whole lot in Yosemite. The Gorge has been clear of snow and fun for the last month or two now. There are plenty of other places around Mammoth Lakes too if you get bored on the 600+ routes in there. Going to be a bit of a drive from San Fran though...
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jcherson
May 14, 2011, 3:48 PM
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Will I be able to camp at Owens River Gorge?
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dugl33
May 14, 2011, 4:37 PM
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jcherson wrote: Will I be able to camp at Owens River Gorge?
There is no camping at the Gorge itself (the land is owned by Los Angeles Water and Power District). There is BLM camping reasonably nearby though at the Pit, Horton Creek Campground, and others. Primitive camping, i.e. picnic table and outhouse but no water, is about $5 per night.
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msaks
May 14, 2011, 8:07 PM
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There's is free camping in the Pinyon forest just past the parking area for the upper gorge. Much nicer, IMO, than the Pit (which is now closed for the season) and the Pleasant Valley campground.
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justanotherclimber
May 14, 2011, 10:12 PM
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you'll want to pick a side of the sierra and approach from either east or west. ORG, Mammoth, etc, etc, wont be easily accessible from San Fran due to the passes being closed- you'll want to fly into Reno or Vegas for that (depending on prices).
the valley, though, will be nice in late may- temps will be good, climbing will be great.
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donald949
May 16, 2011, 6:27 PM
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justanotherclimber wrote: you'll want to pick a side of the sierra and approach from either east or west. ORG, Mammoth, etc, etc, wont be easily accessible from San Fran due to the passes being closed- you'll want to fly into Reno or Vegas for that (depending on prices). the valley, though, will be nice in late may- temps will be good, climbing will be great.
OP, if you are locked in to tickets to SF, just drive past Reno down to Mammoth/Bishop/Lone Pine. Well you do have 3+ weeks, so don't worry about couple extra hours of driving.
In addition to Alabama Hills in Lone Pine, ORG in Bishop, you can hit Clark's Canyon right out of Mammoth when the other 2 areas get too warm.
Otherwise, I don't know the sport crags on the west side, if there are any?
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