Highway 395:Gateway to the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountain

By Robin Dohrn-Simpson

North of the Mojave Desert, the section of Highway 395 that runs to Mammoth Lakes and beyond, they call the Eastern Sierras. If you’ve heard of Yosemite, this is the other side of the mountains. The Sierra Nevada Mountains stretch 400 miles north to south and dissect California from the Central Coast to the Great Basin. Here you will find the extremes of Mt. Whitney, at 14,505 feet, the highest mountain in the contiguous United States, and Death Valley, the lowest point below sea level on earth, and the hottest registering 129.9° Sunday, August 16, 2020. Skiers have long traveled Highway 395 to get to glitzy, cosmopolitan Mammoth with its world-class runs, restaurants, and nightlife. Conversely, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts use the 395 as transportation to a world of quiet streams, majestic backdrops, and the possibility of a stringer full of trout.

Each of the towns along this scenic highway has its unique charms. Here are some of our favorites.

Lone Pine

Once you pass the Lemon House, you’ll know it when you see it; you’re getting close to Lone Pine at the base of the Whitney Portal. This is where intrepid hikers gather to prepare to hike Mt. Whitney. Here you find the Alabama Hills, a formation of rounded rocks and eroded hills juxtaposed with the backdrop of the jagged Sierras. They’ve filmed many Western movies, including “The Lone Ranger” and “Gladiator” in the area. If

you’re a movie aficionado, definitely stop by the Museum of Western Film History.

Big Pine

Continue north to Big Pine, perhaps best known for Copper Top BBQ, “Where food makes friends.” Located on Main Street, you can’t miss it. When the grill master opens the lid, smoke wafts across the highway, enticing motorists to stop. The menu is simple, Saint Louis-style ribs, Santa Maria tri tip, and pulled pork. Not stopping here is a punishable offense.

Bishop

Sure, it’s a great town to buy provisions, have a meal, and get gas. Still, its claim to fame is Erick Schat’s Bakery, famous for Sheepherder bread®, which originated in the California Gold Rush days when Basque sheepherders made traditional bread by hand using stone ovens. This famous stopover boasts Dutch delicacies, strudels, pound cake, cookies, candy, Cheeze breads®, and other bread types. Pullaway Breads, featuring the fruit of the season, are a favorite. Check out their separate wine tasting house next door.

Mammoth Lakes

Once a mining town, in 1877 Mammoth Mining Company found “mammoth-sized” silver and goldbearing quartz veins, the area got its name, and the rush was on. Today, Mammoth Lakes is a favorite area for outdoorsmen year-round. You’ll find snow skiing, snowboarding, biking, hiking, geothermal pool soaking, kayaking, and loads of fishing.

The terrain is unique here, too, as Mammoth Lakes sits on the edge of an impressive Long Valley Caldera, a 20-mile wide extinct super-volcano that erupted 750,000 years ago.

Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort draws sports enthusiasts both summer and winter. In summer, bring your bike and take the gondola to the top for a thrilling ride down the mountain. In winter, bring

Photos (From bottom. opposite): Mammoth Lakes; Lemon House; Mammoth Lakes; Mammoth Lakes sign; (This page). Lone Pine’s Alabama Hills; Lone Pine; Alabama Hills; Lone Pine

your skis and snowboards for a different thrilling ride down the mountain. Either time of year is great fun! Click here to find current conditions.

Devil’s Postpile National Monument

Thousands of years of volcanic eruptions, glacial ice, earthquakes, and floods, and you get the Devil’s Postpile. The hexagonal basalt columns are one of the most awe-inspiring arrays of landforms in North America and are considered one of the world’s finest examples of rare columnar basalt. To get a deeper understanding of this geologic wonder, click here.

The Lakes

Ask 10 different people what their favorite lakes are, and you’ll get 12 distinct answers. Many alpine and desert lakes dot the area.

Mono Lake

This large desert lake has no outlet, resulting in high salt levels, making the water highly alkaline. It features a unique biosphere for brine shrimp, which is food for two million annual migratory birds. Here you will also find limestone towers called tufa dotting the shoreline. If you’re inclined, you can kayak around them.

June Lake

My favorite lake has lots to offer, including striking scenery and a cute town that’s peaceful and quiet. The village has a couple of excellent restaurants, a grocery store, and a marina where you can rent kayaks and boats. It has a large beach area with small family-run resorts and campgrounds with multiple hiking trails. In winter they have a ski resort.

Notable Side Trips

Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park is a great day trip from Lone Pine. The valley can be extremely hot in the summer and cold in the winter. You can even experience flash floods. There is a diversity of life in this valley, from tiny fish to a wildlife refuge. Bad Water Basin is 279 feet below sea level.

Interestingly, the lowest point in the western hemisphere is 80 miles to the east of Mt. Whitney, the highest point. You can take a few short trails. A notable hike is the Golden Trail, which, as the name says, is gold! Make sure you have a hat and lots of water and read about Death Valley National Park before visiting.

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

A quick detour to this pine forest is fascinating. Located high in the White Mountains, bristlecone pine trees grow at 9,800 to 11,000 feet above sea level. Methuselah, a 4,852-year-old tree, is considered the world’s oldest known and confirmed living non-clonal organism.

Highway 395 may cast a spell on you, and you may find yourself drawn back time after time, season after season.

Photos (Clockwise from top left)): Devil’s Postipile National Monument; Devil’s Postpile entrance; Mammoth. Mountain Ski Resort; Bristlecone Pine Forest