Anyone knows? Thanks in advance.

I drove by today (Monday) and it was still blocked off.

jmcc wrote:I drove by today (Monday) and it was still blocked off.

Thank you!

The road was open yesterday , lots of snow , and no one in the campground yet.

vinze wrote:The road was open yesterday , lots of snow , and no one in the campground yet.

Thanks. The lake still frozen?

I was there at sundown , no ice at all on the lake .

Mono Basin Ranger Station is reporting that the road is open, but both campgrounds are still closed. I've never been out there before, is it feasible to camp anywhere else along that road? I will be doing both N and W ridges on Conness this weekend and would like to avoid driving in both mornings.

If not feasible to camp along Saddlebag Lake Rd, can anyone offer a campground suggestion along the pass?

Thanks

I believe the Forest Service rule for the roadside area is to permit camping in developed campgrounds only. You could check with them if you care to. There are a bunch of FS campgrounds in Lee Vining Canyon between the town of Lee Vining and the Saddlebag turnoff, at least some of which are open--probably all by now. The Inyo NF website shows them; they would all require a drive but not a very long one--15 minutes should get you all the way from Lee Vining to the Saddlebag turnoff. Packing in to camp is possible (there are no wilderness permit quotas for that area though a permit is required), but the most convenient area is part of the Harvey Monroe Hall Natural Area (or some name like that) and camping there is against the rules.

Tioga Lake. 'nuffsaid.

There is (at least was a couple years ago) a free walk in campground on the left side of the road between 120 and Saddlebag Lake. Climbers also set up tents around the Conness Lakes area to climb North Peak.