Hi all - I'm looking for a recommendation. I'm flying from Palo Alto
down to Taft-Kern (L17), and then taking a day to fly back (in a
'gutless Cutlass'). I'd like to detour to somewhere in the Sierra to
make the trip back more interesting, so I am looking for a
recommendation of somewhere to fly into that is scenic, is near
somewhere that is cool to visit for hiking in said lovely scenery,
where it's possible to make the logistics work (ie no rental car
necessary, or one on the field).

The area I'm looking at is Kern-Valley / Lone Pine / Eastern Sierra /
Mammoth. If you head east from San Fran, then rollow the Sierra range
down until you are due north of LA, that defines the area.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Tom

If you are talking about this Saturday, the Rutan Brothers annual birthday
party is going on from noon 'til 4.

Otherwise, it looks as though you plan on crossing over the Sierra at
Tehachapi? and then proceeding up the EAST face of the Sierra and then
crossing back at Reno/I-80? If this is not so, just tell us the route
rather than having us guess.

Jim

--
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought
without accepting it."
--Aristotle


"Tom" > wrote in message
...
> Hi all - I'm looking for a recommendation. I'm flying from Palo Alto
> down to Taft-Kern (L17), and then taking a day to fly back (in a
> 'gutless Cutlass'). I'd like to detour to somewhere in the Sierra to
> make the trip back more interesting, so I am looking for a
> recommendation of somewhere to fly into that is scenic, is near
> somewhere that is cool to visit for hiking in said lovely scenery,
> where it's possible to make the logistics work (ie no rental car
> necessary, or one on the field).
>
> The area I'm looking at is Kern-Valley / Lone Pine / Eastern Sierra /
> Mammoth. If you head east from San Fran, then rollow the Sierra range
> down until you are due north of LA, that defines the area.
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> Thanks
>
> Tom

I left it a bit vague to encourage people to share their favorites -
but I was thinking of crossing the Sierra a bit further north than
Tehachapi, more like a few miles of Moah Mountain. Then stop somewhere
on the east side. Then cross back over would depend on the chosen
stopping point. Possibly cross back over at mammoth lakes, or maybe
use one of the smaller passes.

Is there a good resource out there detailing the best places to cross?

Also I don't have to go to the east side. If you have recommendations
on the west side at similar latitudes I'd love to hear those too.

Thanks


On Jun 18, 2:09*pm, "RST Engineering" > wrote:
> If you are talking about this Saturday, the Rutan Brothers annual birthday
> party is going on from noon 'til 4.
>
> Otherwise, it looks as though you plan on crossing over the Sierra at
> Tehachapi? and then proceeding up the EAST face of the Sierra and then
> crossing back at Reno/I-80? *If this is not so, just tell us the route
> rather than having us guess.
>
> Jim
>
> --
> "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought
> without accepting it."
> * * * * --Aristotle
>
> "Tom" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
>
>
> > Hi all - I'm looking for a recommendation. I'm flying from Palo Alto
> > down to Taft-Kern (L17), and then taking a day to fly back (in a
> > 'gutless Cutlass'). I'd like to detour to somewhere in the Sierra to
> > make the trip back more interesting, so I am looking for a
> > recommendation of somewhere to fly into that is scenic, is near
> > somewhere that is cool to visit for hiking in said lovely scenery,
> > where it's possible to make the logistics work (ie no rental car
> > necessary, or one on the field).
>
> > The area I'm looking at is Kern-Valley / Lone Pine / Eastern Sierra /
> > Mammoth. If you head east from San Fran, then rollow the Sierra range
> > down until you are due north of LA, that defines the area.
>
> > Any thoughts?
>
> > Thanks
>
> > Tom- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Bishop has cafe on the airport. Good airfield fare. Mammoth's a little
farther north. Later in the day, usually bumpy this time of year.

If this is the way you would consider single engine crossing of the Sierra,
I want nothing more to do with the project.

BTW, neither google nor DeLorme have a CLUE where Moah Mountain is. Try
again or give us lat/long.

The best resources detailing the best places to cross are those of us that
have been crossing it for forty years or so.

Jim

--
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought
without accepting it."
--Aristotle


"Tom" > wrote in message
...
I left it a bit vague to encourage people to share their favorites -
but I was thinking of crossing the Sierra a bit further north than
Tehachapi, more like a few miles of Moah Mountain. Then stop somewhere
on the east side. Then cross back over would depend on the chosen
stopping point. Possibly cross back over at mammoth lakes, or maybe
use one of the smaller passes.

Is there a good resource out there detailing the best places to cross?

Also I don't have to go to the east side. If you have recommendations
on the west side at similar latitudes I'd love to hear those too.

Thanks


On Jun 18, 2:09 pm, "RST Engineering" > wrote:
> If you are talking about this Saturday, the Rutan Brothers annual birthday
> party is going on from noon 'til 4.
>
> Otherwise, it looks as though you plan on crossing over the Sierra at
> Tehachapi? and then proceeding up the EAST face of the Sierra and then
> crossing back at Reno/I-80? If this is not so, just tell us the route
> rather than having us guess.
>
> Jim
>
> --
> "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought
> without accepting it."
> --Aristotle
>
> "Tom" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
>
>
> > Hi all - I'm looking for a recommendation. I'm flying from Palo Alto
> > down to Taft-Kern (L17), and then taking a day to fly back (in a
> > 'gutless Cutlass'). I'd like to detour to somewhere in the Sierra to
> > make the trip back more interesting, so I am looking for a
> > recommendation of somewhere to fly into that is scenic, is near
> > somewhere that is cool to visit for hiking in said lovely scenery,
> > where it's possible to make the logistics work (ie no rental car
> > necessary, or one on the field).
>
> > The area I'm looking at is Kern-Valley / Lone Pine / Eastern Sierra /
> > Mammoth. If you head east from San Fran, then rollow the Sierra range
> > down until you are due north of LA, that defines the area.
>
> > Any thoughts?
>
> > Thanks
>
> > Tom- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

True, and the walk from Mammoth to Convict Lake and the glacier is
spectacular. However, into Mammoth before ten and out after 8 in a Gutless
Cutlass is good advice.

--
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought
without accepting it."
--Aristotle


"NVArt" > wrote in message
...

> Bishop has cafe on the airport. Good airfield fare. Mammoth's a little
> farther north. Later in the day, usually bumpy this time of year.

In article
>,
Tom > wrote:

> Hi all - I'm looking for a recommendation. I'm flying from Palo Alto
> down to Taft-Kern (L17), and then taking a day to fly back (in a
> 'gutless Cutlass'). I'd like to detour to somewhere in the Sierra to
> make the trip back more interesting, so I am looking for a
> recommendation of somewhere to fly into that is scenic, is near
> somewhere that is cool to visit for hiking in said lovely scenery,
> where it's possible to make the logistics work (ie no rental car
> necessary, or one on the field).
>
> The area I'm looking at is Kern-Valley / Lone Pine / Eastern Sierra /
> Mammoth. If you head east from San Fran, then rollow the Sierra range
> down until you are due north of LA, that defines the area.
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> Thanks
>
> Tom

Mammoth is closed for runway work at the moment--not finished until
fall. I'd suggest Bishop. Rent a car there and drive up to Rock Creek,
about 30 min north on 395, then 10 mi up to the trailhead. Little Lakes
Valley is fantastic and a relatively easy hike, and the Rock Creek
Resort has great pie and ice cream :-)

--
Bruce Horn, Ingenuity Software, Inc.

Thanks for the tips guys, much appreciated.

On Jun 18, 5:02*pm, Bruce Horn >
wrote:
> In article
> >,
>
>
>
>
>
> *Tom > wrote:
> > Hi all - I'm looking for a recommendation. I'm flying from Palo Alto
> > down to Taft-Kern (L17), and then taking a day to fly back (in a
> > 'gutless Cutlass'). I'd like to detour to somewhere in the Sierra to
> > make the trip back more interesting, so I am looking for a
> > recommendation of somewhere to fly into that is scenic, is near
> > somewhere that is cool to visit for hiking in said lovely scenery,
> > where it's possible to make the logistics work (ie no rental car
> > necessary, or one on the field).
>
> > The area I'm looking at is Kern-Valley / Lone Pine / Eastern Sierra /
> > Mammoth. If you head east from San Fran, then rollow the Sierra range
> > down until you are due north of LA, that defines the area.
>
> > Any thoughts?
>
> > Thanks
>
> > Tom
>
> Mammoth is closed for runway work at the moment--not finished until
> fall. *I'd suggest Bishop. *Rent a car there and drive up to Rock Creek,
> about 30 min north on 395, then 10 mi up to the trailhead. *Little Lakes
> Valley is fantastic and a relatively easy hike, and the Rock Creek
> Resort has great pie and ice cream :-)
>
> --
> Bruce Horn, Ingenuity Software, Inc.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Just a comment folks ...

It is netiquette NOT to private email a person to continue a thread while a
few or a few dozen people may benefit from the public comments. In short,
you ask a public question, you keep the public in the answers.

It is netiquette NOT to email a person a multimeg file that they have not
asked for. That person may be on dialup or some other limited access to the
internet that chews up an inordinate amount of bandwidth.

I'm not an internet cop, but I don't appreciate private emails with multimeg
files attached that I can't delete.

Jim

--
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought
without accepting it."
--Aristotle

On Jun 18, 1:31*pm, Tom > wrote:
> Hi all - I'm looking for a recommendation. I'm flying from Palo Alto
> down to Taft-Kern (L17), and then taking a day to fly back (in a
> 'gutless Cutlass'). I'd like to detour to somewhere in the Sierra to
> make the trip back more interesting, so I am looking for a
> recommendation of somewhere to fly into that is scenic, is near
> somewhere that is cool to visit for hiking in said lovely scenery,
> where it's possible to make the logistics work (ie no rental car
> necessary, or one on the field).
>
> The area I'm looking at is Kern-Valley / Lone Pine / Eastern Sierra /
> Mammoth. If you head east from San Fran, then rollow the Sierra range
> down until you are due north of LA, that defines the area.
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> Thanks
>
> Tom

Try Kern Valley (L05). A nice little airport with a cafe on the
airport.

Bud

Thanks, all, for the suggestions. Could anybody share any information
on preferred routes to cross the Sierra?

Having said that, looking at the likely density altitude this weekend
I might well elect not to cross, but instead to find somewhere on the
western side to land and go for a stroll or hike.





On Jun 18, 9:48*pm, wrote:
> On Jun 18, 1:31*pm, Tom > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Hi all - I'm looking for a recommendation. I'm flying from Palo Alto
> > down to Taft-Kern (L17), and then taking a day to fly back (in a
> > 'gutless Cutlass'). I'd like to detour to somewhere in the Sierra to
> > make the trip back more interesting, so I am looking for a
> > recommendation of somewhere to fly into that is scenic, is near
> > somewhere that is cool to visit for hiking in said lovely scenery,
> > where it's possible to make the logistics work (ie no rental car
> > necessary, or one on the field).
>
> > The area I'm looking at is Kern-Valley / Lone Pine / Eastern Sierra /
> > Mammoth. If you head east from San Fran, then rollow the Sierra range
> > down until you are due north of LA, that defines the area.
>
> > Any thoughts?
>
> > Thanks
>
> > Tom
>
> Try Kern Valley (L05). A nice little airport with a cafe on the
> airport.
>
> Bud- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

If you are in the LA basin, you can use the pass north of San Bernardino to
Apple Valley or the pass north of Burbank to Lancaster.

If you are in the southern central valley, you can use
Bakersfield-Tehachapi-Mojave.

If you are in the northern central valley, you can use
Reno-Truckee-Sacramento.

Nobody who has ever had an engine failure will cross the Sierra (or any
rugged mountain range) without a long straight stretch of highway or flat
unforested unrocked meadow underneath them the whole way. There are those
who say crossings like the various passes through Yosemite have "hundreds of
places to set it down". That is true, but there are not 100% of places to
set it down. That is, there are stretches where losing an engine means
losing, at best, the airplane.

If you intend to stay on the left side of the Sierra, Kern Valley (Lake
Isabella) is a nice little strip and a walk around the lake is pretty (check
AIM; quite often during snowmelt part of the runway is under water). Pine
Mountain Lake is nice but the lake is pretty small.

Or, like I said, you can go to the Rutan birthday bash Saturday afternoon at
Mojave.

Jim

--
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought
without accepting it."
--Aristotle


"Tom" > wrote in message
...
Thanks, all, for the suggestions. Could anybody share any information
on preferred routes to cross the Sierra?

Having said that, looking at the likely density altitude this weekend
I might well elect not to cross, but instead to find somewhere on the
western side to land and go for a stroll or hike.





On Jun 18, 9:48 pm, wrote:
> On Jun 18, 1:31 pm, Tom > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Hi all - I'm looking for a recommendation. I'm flying from Palo Alto
> > down to Taft-Kern (L17), and then taking a day to fly back (in a
> > 'gutless Cutlass'). I'd like to detour to somewhere in the Sierra to
> > make the trip back more interesting, so I am looking for a
> > recommendation of somewhere to fly into that is scenic, is near
> > somewhere that is cool to visit for hiking in said lovely scenery,
> > where it's possible to make the logistics work (ie no rental car
> > necessary, or one on the field).
>
> > The area I'm looking at is Kern-Valley / Lone Pine / Eastern Sierra /
> > Mammoth. If you head east from San Fran, then rollow the Sierra range
> > down until you are due north of LA, that defines the area.
>
> > Any thoughts?
>
> > Thanks
>
> > Tom
>
> Try Kern Valley (L05). A nice little airport with a cafe on the
> airport.
>
> Bud- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -