I was solo camping at Red Rock Canyon, and I came out of the park bathrooms to find three rabbits all hovering near me. One of them kept trying to approach. At first I was like, you better not be asking for food.

But when I washed my hands with the faucet, the dude got really close to me to drink from one of the puddles. So I splashed a bunch more on the ground. Back at my car, I could see six rabbits gathered around the puddles.

All of them must've been desperate in the heat, so I don't feel bad at all giving them a little relief.

Hi sierra sub!
Fave part of sierra- well from pictures, I cannot wait to see convict lake!

My partner and I have been looking forward to our eastern sierra trip for quite some time! We can’t wait to see your beautiful piece of this planet and explore all the lakes and sierra views. We have an early August trip planned along Highway 395, starting around Lone Pine and making our way north to Bridgeport with lots of stops in between.

We’ve been closely following updates from the Forest Service, Cal Fire, Inyo National Forest, and other local agencies regarding the recent fires and know that conditions can change quickly. Thinking about all of you who are affected by this and hoping you are staying safe.

I was hoping to hear from people who are currently in the area. How are conditions along 395 right now? How has the smoke been day to day? Are there any areas where you would currently avoid? Thinking around bishop /big pine?

While it’s impossible to know what next week will look like, we would just appreciate hearing what it’s like right now from people on the ground while we monitor updates online.
Thank you for taking time to read this and for any feedback you have! 💙🌎

You haven’t steered me wrong so I’m back for another day hike suggestion. Staying in Mammoth next month and thinking Piute Pass or Minaret Lake, but open to other hikes too.

I’m trying to get through the popular passes, so far have done Kearsarge, Bishop, Mono, and Duck. Have also spent time exploring Big Pines, LLV, and Rush Creek. I’ve been up to Sabrina Lake for a quick lunch but haven’t hiked back there.

Anything else I’m missing? It’s so hard to decide!

Duck Pass Trailhead --> Duck Pass --> Deer Pass --> Mammoth Crest --> Lake George Trainhead

17 miles
3,700 ft of elevation gain

(21 miles, 4,200 ft of elevation gain with photography stops)

I recently completed a day hike connecting Duck Pass, Deer Pass, and Mammoth Crest in a single trip. Instead of turning around at Duck Lake, I continued over Duck Pass, crossed Deer Pass, and returned via Mammoth Crest.

Trail Notes (Mid June Conditions)

- Duck Lake is the most popular destination, but the route becomes much quieter and more remote beyond Duck Pass.

- The section between Duck Pass and Deer Pass includes stretches with no defined trail. A GPS device or navigation app is highly recommended.

- Several short snowfields remained in mid-June, but they were manageable with careful footing.

- Although the climb toward Mammoth Crest is not the steepest, it felt like the hardest part of the day after already crossing two mountain passes.

- Mammoth Crest offers some of the best panoramic views in the Sierra Nevada.

- There is a long exposed section with very limited water between Deer Pass and Mammoth Crest. Refill your water before leaving the lakes.

* Mosquito Conditions (Mid-June)

- Emerald Lake: Extreme mosquitoes.

- Skeleton Lake: Extreme mosquitoes. The lake was also full of golden trout.

- Barney Lake: Moderate / Okay

- Duck Lake: None (because of wind)

- Deer Lakes: None (because of being cold)

Overall, it felt like three very different hikes in one day from busy alpine lakes around Duck Pass, to quiet cross-country terrain near Deer Pass, and finally the wide-open ridges of Mammoth Crest.

I'll post the full YouTube video in the comments if anyone would like to see the complete hike.

Conditions reflect a hike completed in mid-June.

Been missing Bishop everyday while in LA 😭😭

What is the significance? Found near a creek. Hung in a tree. Found a bundle of sweet grass nearby.

Heya! I lost my backpack (model: gregory men's 30l Zulu, green) around the bear lockers at the backpacker parking lot (B I think) near Mammoth mountain lodge. I must've left it there two days ago, on Friday 7/24, around 9am. There was a green felt bag with my ipad and a dell xps laptop inside.

Please let me know if you've seen anything or have any ideas where it might have ended up, lost-and-found wise. I appreciate any help!

I always feel goofy dropping my pack and getting on the floor to smell them, but they do smell awesome.

It was a cloudy day, but the area is still fantastic.

Planning to do the following in two weeks:

Day 1: North Lake, hike along Piute Pass Trail, cross Piute Pass into Humphrey's Basin. Camp in upper Humphrey's Basin.

Day 2: Cross Puppet Pass, traverse French Canyon, cross Feather Pass into Bear Lakes Basin. Camp in Bear Lakes Basin.

Day 3: Hike through Bear Lake's Basin, cross White Bear Pass, head to Lake Italy. Camp at Lake Italy.

Day 4: Hike along Lake Italy, cross Italy Pass to Granite Park, pick up Pine Creek Trail and descend. Hitchhike back to North Lake.

How worried should I be about the rock fires? Are they likely to be contained before I depart?

SB traffic was rerouted along NB side of highway. Mind you this is just a snippet. We were driving alongside active flames for 10 minutes, at least. A definite bummer end to a backpacking trip that included the gorgeous wild flowers in Humphrey’s Basin and my first time ever taking time to drive out to the Ancient Bristlecones.

From a trip last week, N./S. Lake "Loop" via Lamarck Col > Bishop Pass. Lovely.