Ride Photos: McGee Creek and Rock Creek Rds., September 2007

Bill Bushnell

Saturday, September 8, 2007

McGee Creek Rd. and Rock Creek Rd. are two scenic out and back climbs in
the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains between Bishop and Mammoth Lakes, CA.

McGee Creek Rd. has almost no traffic and climbs steeply from US-395 for
the first mile, then descends slightly before resuming a more gradual
climb up to the McGee Creek Trailhead two miles further. The last mile
of the road is unpaved.

Rock Creek Rd. climbs from US-395 at Tom's Place at about 7000 feet
elevation to the Little Lakes Valley Trailhead at Mosquito Flat, 10,240
feet, the highest paved road in California. The road passes up scenic
upper Rock Creek Canyon, but due to numerous campgrounds along the road
and the popularity of the trailhead at Mosquito Flat, the road is fairly
busy.

Several scenic hikes on maintained trails and a number of cross-country
routes start from this trailhead, including routes up some of high peaks
along the Sierra Crest that can be climbed in a day by the hardy hiker.
Exploring this area is well worth the time and effort, even for
non-hikers, as a good view of the valley is enjoyed about a mile up from
the trailhead. e.g. http://tinyurl.com/3y9nu7

I rode from our condo in Mammoth Lakes to meet Ron Bobb and Alice
Mestemacher at their camp site at the McGee Creek RV Park. All three of
us rode up and down McGee Creek Rd. and then out to Tom's Place. Ron and
I continued up Rock Creek Rd. to Mosquito Flat and returned the same
way. After visiting with Ron and Alice afterward I rode back into town,
an uphill ride with about 1300 feet of elevation gain and into a typical
late-afternoon headwind blowing down from the Crest.

(Distance: 70 miles; Climbing: 6900 feet)

http://tinyurl.com/29vehl

--
Bill Bushnell
http://pobox.com/~bushnell/