Campgrounds Open: In the Mammoth Lakes area the Mammoth RV Park is the only place open at this time. 

I drove by Shady Rest Friday and saw the campground hosts cleaning up the grounds and getting ready to turn the water systems back on. 

For June Lake and North the campgrounds that are now open are: Aspen, Lower Lee Vining, Oh Ridge, Silver Lake, June Lake, and Gull Lake. 

For Southern Areas of the Eastern Sierra: Bitterbrush, Four Jeffrey, Cedar Flat Group, Grandview, Convict Lake, French Camp, McGee Creek, Tuff, Big Pine Creek, Big Trees, Bishop Park Group, Forks, Intake 2, Sage Flat, and Upper Sage Flat are all open. 

Controlled Burns: I heard from the forest service that this Tuesday into next Thursday there will be a subscribed burn in the area of Toms Place and Sunny Slopes. 

Expect most if not all of the smoke to stay out of Mammoth Lakes, but from Crowley to Bishop there could be smoke at times next week. 

(While there could be some smoke it will not be like what happened last Fall.) 

Eastern Sierra Roads: First up, the road down to Reds Meadow will not be opening early as there is a large amount of road work and tree thinning to be done in that area this spring. 

What I am hearing is, at the latest, the road should be open by the July 4th holiday. And yes, the shuttle buses will be back this Summer, operating under reduced capacity of some sort.

Tioga Pass & Sonora Pass are both closed at this time and the process to clear the roads has begun. There are no set opening dates at this time. 

The Mammoth Lakes Basin is open via foot traffic over snow covered roads. The snow line is just above Twin Lakes at this time. 

I would expect the roads to be plowed with access possible by car late in the month of May. Once we get a confirmed date I will let you know. 

Hiking:  Most of our Hiking Trails in the Mammoth Lakes area are still snow-covered, however, you can hike out of the Sherwin Trail on Sherwin Road up to the Sherwin Lakes. Still, some snow patches up high but this area is melting out fast.

All the town-paved trails below Twin Lakes are also melted at this time. Mammoth Rock Trail still has some snow up high and in the shaded middle sections but it’s now hike-able. 

Down in Crowley Lake, the McGee Trail is melting out fast and you can make it up to about 8500 feet from the reports I am getting. Out of Toms Place, Lower Rock Creek Trail is wide open for hiking

Mammoth Creek and Meadow  The creek is running at moderate levels right now. All the Aspens and Wild Flower areas are still dormant even with the early spring. I would expect plants to start the greening process soon in the meadow and along the creek paths.

Shady Rest Area & Park: The park and all the forest roads in this area have been melted out for a while now. The playground is open as are all the ball fields. All the trails and forest service roads are open. 

The Disk Golf Course’s at Shady Rest and Mill Pond, are open and ready for a round of fun. Going to hit the Shady Rest course up next week, I love the sound of the wind in the trees above your head while you’re getting some disk fun in. 

Mammoth Paved Trails are melted out and cleaned up. Take and walk, run or bike ride today.

Rock Creek Canyon: The road is open to the snow park and the plowing of the road has begun. 

Bishop is in the midst of full on spring with all the tress and high desert plants in full green right now. Mornings are still cool and the fishing and biking in the area are perfect right now. 

Snowman…

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