The link provided on the main page indeed gives the best instructions. The "dirt road" shown on the map to go all the way to the TH is in fact much worse than the "jeep trail" recommended on the climber.org page.
Google directions (Oct, 2013) sent us along the "dirt road" and that was a true test of my Element's off road capabilities.
bobpickering - Jun 17, 2017 4:52 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Directions
It appears that the BLM has been doing considerable roadwork since 2013. All the roads have signs with road numbers, but no road names. Google Maps and the climber.org directions are wrong as of 6/15/17.
Turn onto the dirt road 0.2 miles north of Indian Wells Lodge. There is no sign here, but you will soon see signs indicating that you are on SE152. After about 2.8 miles, you will continue past a road on the left, and SE152 becomes SE164. Follow SE164 about 5 miles to the trailhead (easier said than done).
Lots of rain!!!
The series of dirt roads to the trailhead were extremely washed out after mile 3. No problem in the landcruiser (although I was wishing I had brought a shovel and boards) but not the usual 2wd high clearance road. 4wd only for a while. There was a rockslide and a cow sized boulder in the road just past the last creek crossing. Unless you have a motorcycle will add about a 1/2 mile to the hike.
2/6/17. Indeed, very washed out road as of today. Stopped about a mile short of the TH doe to a deep water groove across the whole span of the road. Didn't want to risk it even in a 4Runner.
bobpickering - Jun 17, 2017 4:29 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Road in Bad Shape 1/15/17
I went up 6/15/17 in my F250 4X4 long bed with ordinary all season tires. The lower part of the road was pretty good, but the higher I went, the worse it got. There were many deep ruts running down and across the road. I was able to get by all of them by driving slowly and carefully, but it wasn’t easy.
There was a huge boulder in the road at 5,350’, just after crossing Morris Canyon. Some vehicles had been driving around it, right on the edge of a steep drop off. I didn’t want to take that chance with such a big vehicle in the dark, so I backed down to Morris Canyon, and turned around. I ended up parking less than a mile from the trailhead.
The BLM was working on smoothing the road and filling in all the ruts. They were using a small bulldozer, not much bigger than a Bobcat. The lower ruts were already repaired, and they seemed to be working their way up to the trailhead. The repaired sections were smooth, but like driving on 6” of talcum powder.
Bob Burd - May 31, 2005 12:59 am - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentThe summit register (as of Oct 2004) goes back to 1959, one of the oldest registers to be found in the Southern Sierra.
artirm - Oct 28, 2013 10:31 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Untitled CommentUnfortunately, as of Oct 2013, the register goes back hardly a month...
artirm - Oct 28, 2013 10:44 am - Hasn't voted
DirectionsThe link provided on the main page indeed gives the best instructions. The "dirt road" shown on the map to go all the way to the TH is in fact much worse than the "jeep trail" recommended on the climber.org page.
Google directions (Oct, 2013) sent us along the "dirt road" and that was a true test of my Element's off road capabilities.
bobpickering - Jun 17, 2017 4:52 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: DirectionsIt appears that the BLM has been doing considerable roadwork since 2013. All the roads have signs with road numbers, but no road names. Google Maps and the climber.org directions are wrong as of 6/15/17.
Turn onto the dirt road 0.2 miles north of Indian Wells Lodge. There is no sign here, but you will soon see signs indicating that you are on SE152. After about 2.8 miles, you will continue past a road on the left, and SE152 becomes SE164. Follow SE164 about 5 miles to the trailhead (easier said than done).
395er - Jan 20, 2017 5:58 pm - Hasn't voted
Road in Bad Shape 1/15/17Lots of rain!!!
The series of dirt roads to the trailhead were extremely washed out after mile 3. No problem in the landcruiser (although I was wishing I had brought a shovel and boards) but not the usual 2wd high clearance road. 4wd only for a while. There was a rockslide and a cow sized boulder in the road just past the last creek crossing. Unless you have a motorcycle will add about a 1/2 mile to the hike.
Romain - Feb 6, 2017 10:50 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Road in Bad Shape 1/15/172/6/17. Indeed, very washed out road as of today. Stopped about a mile short of the TH doe to a deep water groove across the whole span of the road. Didn't want to risk it even in a 4Runner.
bobpickering - Jun 17, 2017 4:29 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Road in Bad Shape 1/15/17I went up 6/15/17 in my F250 4X4 long bed with ordinary all season tires. The lower part of the road was pretty good, but the higher I went, the worse it got. There were many deep ruts running down and across the road. I was able to get by all of them by driving slowly and carefully, but it wasn’t easy.
There was a huge boulder in the road at 5,350’, just after crossing Morris Canyon. Some vehicles had been driving around it, right on the edge of a steep drop off. I didn’t want to take that chance with such a big vehicle in the dark, so I backed down to Morris Canyon, and turned around. I ended up parking less than a mile from the trailhead.
The BLM was working on smoothing the road and filling in all the ruts. They were using a small bulldozer, not much bigger than a Bobcat. The lower ruts were already repaired, and they seemed to be working their way up to the trailhead. The repaired sections were smooth, but like driving on 6” of talcum powder.