Trans-Sierra Passes

Scotts Valley, CA, Library
    A look at the eastern approach on CA120 to Tioga Pass (9945'), highest of the passes crossing the Sierra Nevada in Californa.
    Most of the routes crossing the Sierra Nevada continue east to at least US395, if not farther. Luther, Walker, & Yuba Passes are omitted since they are shortcuts to other more heavily-traveled east-west passes.

 

 

    Sonora Pass (9624') on CA108 is the pass I've used to cross the Sierra Nevada the most often. It's the second-highest trans-Sierra pass.

 

    My favorite pass is not on a California State Route but is on US Forest Service Road #22S05 near the southern end of the Sierra Nevada. On a clear day one can see Mt Whitney to the NNE from the Vista Area atop Sherman Pass (9200'). Hwr, while paved, the road is not accessible by vehicles towing moderate to large trailers such as 5th-Wheelers. And most Class A RVs will be unable to navigate the hairpin turns from Kernville to Sherman Pass. [SeeTRGLinks below.]

 

 

    Ebbetts Pass (8736')is not for the faint-of-heart since it has improved only slightly from when it was a trail for the Miwok and Washoe Indians. Oh, this 4th-highest (by my rankings) pass on CA4 is passable, but avoid it unless you are an experienced driver of mountain roads.

 

 

 

 

    Red Lake near Carson Pass (8574') is not too far from Lake Tahoe on CA88.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    A California State Historical Landmark on US50 for Echo Summit, near where the U.S. Track Team trained for the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

 

 

 

 

 

    Donner Pass, named after the ill-fated Donner Party of 1846-7, has a couple of different heights depending on which road you use, 7056' or 7240' (Euer Saddle). [See the link below to Wikipedia's list of California's Mountain Passes.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

    The lowest of the trans-Sierra passes: Beckwourth Pass (5221').

 

 

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Links:

• Wikipedia article on Tioga Pass
• Wikipedia article on Sonora Pass
• Wikipedia article on Sherman Pass
• Wikipedia article on Ebbetts Pass
• Wikipedia article on Carson Pass
• Wikipedia article on Echo Summit
• Wikipedia article on Donner Pass
• Wikipedia article on Beckwourth Pass
• Wikipedia list of Mountain Passes in Calif.

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TRG Links:

• Yosemite:Tioga Rd
• Over Sonora Pass
• Sherman Pass
• & Ebbetts Pass
• Carson Pass
• We Relate site on Donner Pass
• Chasing Blue Sky site on Beckwourth Pass

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Routes:

• F 26 Aug Actual Route: DWL's - Aptos Lib - Marina W/M - Castroville - DWL's
• Sa 27 Aug Actual Route: DWL's - Salvation Army - Goodwill - DWL's
...
• T 30 Aug Actual Route: DWL's - Aptos Lib - Los Banos - Watorford - Groveland R/S
• W 31 Aug Actual Route: The Pines USFS CG - Crane Flat - Tioga Pass - Benton - Montgomery Ps - US95 R/A
• Th 1 Sep Actual Route: US95 R/A - Tonapah,NV - RR Vy - Ely - Prospector Casino RV Pk
• F 2 Sep Actual Route: Prospector RV Pk - Baker - Gt Basin NP - Delta,UT - Salina (Hollys Pantry)
• Sa 3 Sep Actual Route: Hollys Pantry - Green River - Grand Jcn,CO, Lowe's - Rimrock Rd W/M
• Su 4 Sep Actual Route: Rimrock Rd W/M - $ Tree - Lowe's - Rimrock Rd W/M
• M 5 Sep Route: Rimrock Rd W/M - Lowe's - Rimrock Rd W/M
• T 6 Sep Route: Rimrock Rd W/M - Sears - Rifle

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Finding Campgrounds:

• RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
• Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
• Free campsites website
• Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

Monitor Pass to Sonora Pass, CA

East of Long Barn, CA     Silver Creek, which CA4 follows on the east side of Ebbetts Pass. Looked in several holes, but couldn't spot fish of any size. However, once Silver Creek veers away from the highway, I suspect one can find more fish. It joins the East Fork of the Carson River, which joins other forks of the Carson in their journey to Lahontan Reservoir near Silver Springs, NV.

 

 

    The East Fork of the Carson downstream from its confluence with Wolf Creek.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Since thunder-bumpers were in the forecast I stopped on the west side of Monitor Pass and took several photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Panning left one can see that it's clear to the west and south.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Note that there's virtually no snow left on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in the distance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Looking south the peaks seem to be getting higher, with elevations of 10-11,000 feet.

 

 

 

 

 

    Just over the top of Monitor Pass (elev: 8314') I took a photo of a couple of young "love-birds" with their camera and then took this shot looking south.

 

 

 

 

 

    Panning left one can barely see the top of the mountains just inside the Nevada border to the east because of the rain.

 

 

 

 

 

    Panning further left we see some green in the valley below as well as the aforementioned young couple taking photos of each other.

 

 

 

 

 

    Two miles east of the Marine Mountain Warfare Training Camp I parked at the same wide-out I used last fall after all of the USFS camps had closed for the season.     This is the West Walker River.

 

 

 

 

    The West Walker River a bit farther downstream. While I looked for rises several time, I never say any -- perhaps because I was simply too far away.

 

 

 

 

    While the White Mountains are farther south on the east side of the Owens Valley, the mountains in the distance, which are likely in Nevada, might also be called the White Mtns.

 

 

 

 

    From CA108 looking across Pickel Meadow toward what may be Matterhorn Peak on the crest of the Sierra Nevada.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Zooming in, Sardine Falls is visible just above the trees. [Click one to enlarge; press ESC to return here.]

 

 

 

 

 

    At long last, a parking spot atop Sonora Pass (elev:9634')-- though I chose a spot a bit down the western side.

 

 

 

 

 

    [Click once to enlarge; press ESC to return here.] I see to have forgotten that the original Sonora Mono Toll Road when up the Clark Fork of the Stanislaus River.

 

 

 

 

 

    Enlarge to read another history of the Sonora Toll Road.

 

 

 

 

 

    I drove to the end of the Clark Fork [of the Stanislaus] Road to get a photo of the dominant monolith at Iceberg Meadows: the Iceberg. The photo thru the pines & cedars is about a quarter mile up the Disaster Creek Trail.

 

 

 

 

    At about the 3/8 mi point up the Disaster Crk Trail I got a somewhat better photo. However, hunger pains & weak leg muscles caused me to head back to my camper.

 

 

 

 

    While eating lunch I realized that there is a clear view of the Iceberg across the meadow. Here's a shot of the meadow, which is private property; you can see the base of the Berg just above the trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    The Iceberg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    There was much fallen timber on the LDS Liahontan property next to the Arnot Creek Trailhead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Information on the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness in the headwaters of the Stanislaus and Mokulumne Rivers.
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Links:

• Links to follow shortly.

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Th 16 Aug Actual Route: 1 mi E of N.F. Tuolumne Riv bd - Mi-Wuk Willage - Sonora - Mi-Wuk Village - 1 mi E of N.F. Tuolumne Riv bd

F 17 Aug Actual Route: 1 mi E of N.F. Tuolumne Riv bd - Mi-Wuk Willage - Sonora - Mi-Wuk Village - 1 mi E of N.F. Tuolumne Riv bd

Sa 18 Aug Actual Route: 1 mi E of N.F. Tuolumne Riv bd - Mi-Wuk Willage - Tuolumne - Sonora - Mi-Wuk Village - 1 mi E of N.F. Tuolumne Riv bd

Su 19 Aug Actual Route: 1 mi E of N.F. Tuolumne Riv bd - Mi-Wuk Willage - 1 mi E of N.F. Tuolumne Riv bd

M 20 Aug Route: 1 mi E of N.F. Tuolumne Riv bd - Mi-Wuk Willage - 1 mi E of N.F. Tuolumne Riv bd

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Finding Campgrounds:

• RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
• Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
• Free campsites website
• Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

Lake Alpine and Ebbetts Pass

Arnot Creek Trailhead, CA

 

    From a Vista Point on CA4 looking SE. In the center to the right on the most distant range, just above a wooded ridge, are the Dardenelles Cone[s], which are just north of CA108.

 

 

 

 

    A shot more of less west from the hiking/biking path on the upper end of Lake Alpine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Judging by the numerous islands and peninnsulas one would think Lake Alpine was created by a dam at the bottom of a meadow. [See Links below.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Panning left reveals some who reached the rock at the left center via one means or another.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Panning left again....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Thought the girls walking out the rock peninsulla were going to jump or dive in, but couldn't wait for them to do so since I hadn't eaten lunch yet.

 

 

 

 

 

    The upper end of Lake Alpine.

 

 

 

 

 

    Ray Sutliff had suggested I stop at this lake, Mosquito Lake, in order to take photos of the cabins. The one on the left appears to have a new roof as well as new aluminum siding whereas the one on the right is clearly older. There were some other older cabins in the trees on the far side of the lake, but they were in the shadows.

 

 

 

    You won't see this sign in the middle of winter since the SR4, Ebbetts Pass is closed and not plowed til the spring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    The barrons who backed the Union Pacific Railroad chose Donner Pass instead of Ebbetts Pass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    The dam on a small body of water too small to appear on my AAA map.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    This lake & dam may be on Silver Creek, which SR4 follows downstream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Volcanic rock formations which have not been worn down much by snow, ice, rain, and wind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    A photo of the Silver Creek Canyon.

 

 

 

 

 

    Rabbit brush. Glad I didn't bend over to smell these blossoms, for their scientific name is Chrysothamnous nauseosus. Storer & Usinger list their distribution as "E. slope and northern Sierra up to 7000' on dry slopes."

-- Links:

• Lake Alpine website, which contains the next link
• Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway
• More Ebbetts Pass Photos, among others
• Yet more Ebbetts Pass websites

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F 10 Aug Actual Route: Dorrington - Calaveras Big Trees - Lake Alpine - Ebbetts Pass - Silver Crk USFS CG

Sa 11 Aug Actual Route: Silver Crk USFS CG - Markleeville - Monitor Pass - Colville - 2 mi E of Pickel Mdw Marine Camp bd

Su 12 Aug Actual Route: 2 mi E of Pickel Mdw Marine Camp bd - Sonora Pass - Iceberg Mdw - Arnot Crk Trailhead bd

M 13 Aug Actual Route: Arnot Crk Trailhead bd - Donnell Vista - Mi-Wuk Village Library - Long Barn - 1 mi E of N.F. Tuolumne Riv bd

T 14 Aug Route: 1 mi E of N.F. Tuolumne Riv bd - Mi-Wuk Willage - Sonora - Mi-Wuk Village - 1 mi E of N.F. Tuolumne Riv bd

--

Finding Campgrounds:

• RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
• Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
• Free campsites website
• Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.