Sonora Pass (California) trip report

[paddlenbike]

With the fall season approaching I wanted to hit the 10,000 ft passes before snowfall blanketed the Sierras. A friend is making the transition from his Jeep CJ7 to 4Runners, having recently picked up a 105,000 mile 3rd gen. He put 19 miles on the odometer before pulling it into the garage and starting the mods. He did all the tune-up items and changed all of the fluids, installed a transmission cooler, the Tundra/OME lift and built some rock sliders and skid plates. This would be the maiden voyage so we stuck with the easier trails.

Here is the group, a 2000 4Runner, 1997 4Runner and a 2000 Jeep Cherokee.
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Our area of interest was Sonora Pass on Highway 108. We started on the Niagara Rim trail but got 1,000 ft into it and were stopped by a line of Jeeps being winched over a rock and another Jeep broken shortly beyond that. We turned around and drove out before we got boxed-in by other vehicles. I found another trail on the GPS that met up with Niagara Rim, so opted to bypass the mess and meet up with the trail further up the mountain. I found the views to my liking.

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After Niagara Rim we took a trail to a remote Sierra reservoir.
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View from the cab:
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[paddlenbike]

Despite the nice cool mountain breeze we were experiencing, the Jeep wasn't happy. It had been overheating the entire day, despite a full coolant reservoir. Even though the temperature gauge showed a normal temperature range the entire time, it smelled hot and each time we shut it down to give it a break, it would start boiling over after a minute of sitting. It finally blew the radiator in a spectacular fashion. The radiator is plastic and split from top to bottom on one side.
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We towed it to the highway to be picked up the next day by a tow truck. Thankfully the Jeep owner had the ultimate premier AAA towing package, so the 200 mile tow was still free.
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A picture I took while waiting for the 4runner towing the Jeep.
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Our camp, nestled near a neat rock outcropping.
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The next morning we towed the Jeep to the highway and while we waited for the tow truck we looked over some impressive heavy machinery.
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The fiancee likes her Volvos.
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[paddlenbike]

Now down to two vehicles, we headed over the top of Sonora Pass. This is one of the steepest highways I have ever driven. The road is so steep that cattle trucks could not climb the grade loaded, so they would stop, unload the cattle and walk them up the highway, then they would re-load the empty truck at the top. Sonora Pass tops out at a little over 9600 ft. I was sure happy to have the supercharger; my buddy wanted to try it out on the pass while I drove his non-supercharged auto--I once again realized how well it was worth the money.

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Looking up Kennedy Meadows:
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We wheeled back to Leavitt Lake for lunch.
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Then took a dirt road over the pass itself, rather than stay on paved Highway 108.
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View looking at the Nevada side of Sonora Pass:
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We took a different route back to the Sacramento area via Highway 395, then Monitor Pass and Mormon Immigrant Trail to Highway 50. We got home at 9:00 p.m., having taken full advantage of our two day weekend and we were able to watch the sun set from the top of Carson Pass on Highway 88.
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[Good Times]

awesome trip report ken! one of these days I've gotta make it up there to explore with ya. the scenery looks way better than what we've got down here.

:) see you at pismo!

[paddlenbike]

Lance, I would like to plan a norcal wheeling trip next year; hopefully by then some of my favorite trails in the El Dorado Nat'l Forest will be open again. :) I can't make Pismo this year, so we will have to catch up soon.

[Seanz0rz]

fiancee? when did this happen?! congrats!

awesome pictures! hopefully we can make it up there someday!

[paddlenbike]

fiancee? when did this happen?! congrats!

awesome pictures! hopefully we can make it up there someday!



Thanks! I proposed to her on our boat trip in Canada last month. Crazy girl said yes. :D

[Seanz0rz]

awesome! congrats again!

[Obi..]

Cool report, I love it up there and try to head out whenever I'm at my parents place a little bit North of there. FWIW next time (if you want to freak someone out) drop down from the Sonora side after, say 9pm so you end up down in Pickle Meadow after 11pm.

Wait a bit and sit and listen. Wait for it...


.."Boop" goes the radar detector...

.."Boop-Boop" goes the GPS...

.."Boop" goes the green and red tracer dots...

..across your rig, across you guys...

..shuffle-shuffle goes the bushes as you all sit there creeped out as you can swear the bushes are moving, :D

because THEY ARE (http://www.mccsmwtc.com/pages/mapsTravel.html).

Funniest and scariest moment I ever had as a young adult. ~The airbase pilots also like to play, just drive on 395 after 2am. ;)

[xonetruthcrewx]

Beautiful scenery and great pictures. Reminds me that I need to get another DSLR...

I am doing the same thing on the 21st. Two nights above Bishop/Mammoth at 10,000-11,000ft. Gotta do it before it starts to snow.

Thanks for the report!

[paddlenbike]

Colin, be sure to post pics, I love the Mammoth area.

And Obi, I have walked out of that area before...about 15 years ago a friend and I got stuck and we had to hoof-it in the dark. It wasn't fun.

[xonetruthcrewx]

I absolutely will. Taking pics and sharing them is one of the best parts of getting out! I am going to attempt to snake a Canon 5D from work for the trip. My point and shoot would be okay, but an SLR is so much better.

[paddlenbike]

I initially bought a point and shoot camera because I didn't think I would lug around a dSLR. Now that I have a dSLR I never carry the point and shoot. The photo quality is so much better, the lens covers a wider range (I use an 18-200, which has a nice wide angle and a decent zoom) and it will shoot 4.5 frames a second, versus my point and shoot that took 1.5 seconds to focus and about that time again to actually take a picture. I missed a lot of shots with that and didn't have the zoom to even bother with other shots.

[xonetruthcrewx]

Yes. I know exactly what you're saying. I sold my SLR a couple years back. Only pics we were taking was when we were running around with the kids. Point and shoot just worked better for that. But once again I have a need/want for a good SLR. Think I need a 3rd job.... Haha.