High Sierras, Ghost towns, Petroglyphs and Lake Syncro
Trip Overview
Camping under the pines in the High Sierra and 4-wheeling to cool places with friends! What a great trip!
We traveled up and down 4x4 trails on three of our days together and also enjoyed historic Bodie, scenic Mono Lake and a climb through the Black Point fissures. We even got to visit petroglyphs and name a lake!
This trip had 12 Syncros and 31 Syncronauts participating. Weather "dampened" the start of the week, but we definitely got out there and made the best of it.
Syncro Safari, Mammoth 2000 took place Saturday, August 26 to Sunday, September 3, 2000. This time of year can be very nice in the Sierras but sometimes even sees the first of the season's snow about this time. No snow for us in 2000, but did see rain on Monday night, Tuesday and Tuesday night. Very nice on Wednesday and then a few scattered showers after that. Daytime highs were usually in the mid 70's and overnight down into the 30's.
We traveled up and down 4x4 trails on three of our days together and also enjoyed historic Bodie, scenic Mono Lake and a climb through the Black Point fissures. We even got to visit petroglyphs and name a lake!
This trip had 12 Syncros and 31 Syncronauts participating. Weather "dampened" the start of the week, but we definitely got out there and made the best of it.
Syncro Safari, Mammoth 2000 took place Saturday, August 26 to Sunday, September 3, 2000. This time of year can be very nice in the Sierras but sometimes even sees the first of the season's snow about this time. No snow for us in 2000, but did see rain on Monday night, Tuesday and Tuesday night. Very nice on Wednesday and then a few scattered showers after that. Daytime highs were usually in the mid 70's and overnight down into the 30's.
Keep scrolling down, there's much more information below this photo...
At the Chemung Mine on the "Back Road to Bodie"
Itinerary Overview
Saturday, August 26th
Seven Syncros arrived and met other participants at Obsidian Flat Group Camp, north of Mammoth Lakes. Davis, Drillock, Wackers, Johnson, Long, and Christensen.
Sunday, August 27th
Enjoyed some recreation in the area. More Syncrnauts arrived: Buettner, Lussier and Ebert. Found out that Steve Ferraro has had vehicle issues and would be arriving late.
Monday, August 28th
The "Back road to Bodie" 4x4 trail and Bodie ghost town visit. 10 Syncros made the trip north up 395 past Bridgeport and then east along a 4x4 trail the the Chemung Mine. (Photo above) From there, mostly south to the historic ghost town of Bodie. Yes, they charged admission even coming in this back route. Wonderful town with rich history preserved in an "arrested state of decay".
Tuesday, August 29th
Some recreation, but the rain sort of "dampened" things! The highlight was when Steve Ferraro and Alicia Isom finally arrived. Their Syncro had been towed into Mammoth Lakes and was at mechanic with charging system issues and a fried Digifant ECU. A loaner ECU was available (thanks to resourceful Syncronauts) and his van was repaired in time for the Wednesday trail ride! Said goodbye to Christensens as they had to depart earlier than planned.
Wednesday, August 30th
Wheeler Ridge and Lake Syncro 4x4 trail. Ron Lussier headed out in the morning as the other 10 Syncros headed south along 395 past Lake Crowley, then west up along a route called Wheeler Ridge. We lost our route briefly, but is was sort of fun to see 10 Syncros all make a big circle to turn around! This route parallels Rock Creek, on the ridge above the creek to the east and provided several fun 4x4 moments worth photos. One particular rock hill was the 4WD highlight. We stopped for a nice lunch when the trail ended at a small, previously unnamed lake. We decided it should be "Lake Syncro" and erected a forest service type of sign declaring it's newfound name. Matt Davis brought his fishing equipment and wanted to try his luck in the lake. Almost everyone said there'd be no fish to catch, but Matt proved them wrong!
Saturday, August 26th
Seven Syncros arrived and met other participants at Obsidian Flat Group Camp, north of Mammoth Lakes. Davis, Drillock, Wackers, Johnson, Long, and Christensen.
Sunday, August 27th
Enjoyed some recreation in the area. More Syncrnauts arrived: Buettner, Lussier and Ebert. Found out that Steve Ferraro has had vehicle issues and would be arriving late.
Monday, August 28th
The "Back road to Bodie" 4x4 trail and Bodie ghost town visit. 10 Syncros made the trip north up 395 past Bridgeport and then east along a 4x4 trail the the Chemung Mine. (Photo above) From there, mostly south to the historic ghost town of Bodie. Yes, they charged admission even coming in this back route. Wonderful town with rich history preserved in an "arrested state of decay".
Tuesday, August 29th
Some recreation, but the rain sort of "dampened" things! The highlight was when Steve Ferraro and Alicia Isom finally arrived. Their Syncro had been towed into Mammoth Lakes and was at mechanic with charging system issues and a fried Digifant ECU. A loaner ECU was available (thanks to resourceful Syncronauts) and his van was repaired in time for the Wednesday trail ride! Said goodbye to Christensens as they had to depart earlier than planned.
Wednesday, August 30th
Wheeler Ridge and Lake Syncro 4x4 trail. Ron Lussier headed out in the morning as the other 10 Syncros headed south along 395 past Lake Crowley, then west up along a route called Wheeler Ridge. We lost our route briefly, but is was sort of fun to see 10 Syncros all make a big circle to turn around! This route parallels Rock Creek, on the ridge above the creek to the east and provided several fun 4x4 moments worth photos. One particular rock hill was the 4WD highlight. We stopped for a nice lunch when the trail ended at a small, previously unnamed lake. We decided it should be "Lake Syncro" and erected a forest service type of sign declaring it's newfound name. Matt Davis brought his fishing equipment and wanted to try his luck in the lake. Almost everyone said there'd be no fish to catch, but Matt proved them wrong!
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Thursday, August 31st
Group sight-seeing day to Panum Crater, Mono Lake and Black Point. Our caravan of 8 Syncros traveled north up 395 to the south side of Mono Lake. Near there we took the hike up inside the volcano crater called Panum Crater. This is a unique crater, having a cone inside the main crater, and also having huge volumes of obsidian glass rock inside. Visiting the south shore of Mono lake we took in the odd site of the Mono tufa, large calcium carbonate spires sticking up out of the ground and also coming up from the submerged lake bottom. Continuing further north, we visited the Black Point Fissures on the north shore of the lake. These are several "slot canyons" we hiked through that were formed by cooling volcanic rock.
Group sight-seeing day to Panum Crater, Mono Lake and Black Point. Our caravan of 8 Syncros traveled north up 395 to the south side of Mono Lake. Near there we took the hike up inside the volcano crater called Panum Crater. This is a unique crater, having a cone inside the main crater, and also having huge volumes of obsidian glass rock inside. Visiting the south shore of Mono lake we took in the odd site of the Mono tufa, large calcium carbonate spires sticking up out of the ground and also coming up from the submerged lake bottom. Continuing further north, we visited the Black Point Fissures on the north shore of the lake. These are several "slot canyons" we hiked through that were formed by cooling volcanic rock.
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Friday, September 1st
Volcanic Tablelands 4x4 Trip. 6 Syncros remained for Friday's trip to Casa Diablo Mountain, Red Rock Canyon and seeing some petroglyphs . South again from Camp Syncro down 395 we turned east and enjoyed 4-wheeling over Casa Diablo Mountain, and then the beautiful drive through the narrow and colorful (yes, red) Red Rock Canyon on Chidago Canyon Rd. Coming out of the canyon we found the petroglyphs along Fish Slough Road. Some showers cut the time at the petroglphs short and we headed northwest to visit some hot springs near Hot Creek.
Volcanic Tablelands 4x4 Trip. 6 Syncros remained for Friday's trip to Casa Diablo Mountain, Red Rock Canyon and seeing some petroglyphs . South again from Camp Syncro down 395 we turned east and enjoyed 4-wheeling over Casa Diablo Mountain, and then the beautiful drive through the narrow and colorful (yes, red) Red Rock Canyon on Chidago Canyon Rd. Coming out of the canyon we found the petroglyphs along Fish Slough Road. Some showers cut the time at the petroglphs short and we headed northwest to visit some hot springs near Hot Creek.
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Saturday, September 2nd
Most participants said their goodbyes and headed home. Some stayed and horsed around for another day and left on Sunday.
Most participants said their goodbyes and headed home. Some stayed and horsed around for another day and left on Sunday.
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