QDurham wrote:

Guy wrote in (small) part:
The highest paved road in California goes
over Tioga Pass (9,941 ft.) in Yosemite... The lower parking lot in
Bristlecone Forest is over 10 grand.

Yup, you're right, I couldn't remember if the pavement went all the way to Schulman
Grove (10,100 feet). At least when I first drove it 20-some years ago, IIRR the
pavement ran out somewhat lower, somewhere between Sierra Viewpoint @ 9,280 ft. and
Schulman. But unlike Hwy 120 over Tioga Pass, given the winding nature of the road
above Grandview Campground @ 8,500 feet, speed and passing ability really isn't an
issue there.

I think there is an upper lot at about 12
-- which had my old Porsche 912 gasping. One of the treees there is arguably
the oldest living thing on our planet.

Unless they've found an older one, Methuselah is at Schulman Grove, not the higher
Patriarch Grove (11,200 ft.)

Stunningly gorgeous drive. Do it!

Have. Also backpacked/skiied it ;-)


The UC Berkeley research station on the top of White Mountain is about 14,250
feet up. Pretty sure road is paved, although not available to the public.
Bring your snow tractor in winter.

It certainly wasn't paved the last time I was up there, around 1991 or 92.
Pavement runs out at Schulman, and it's graded dirt/gravel from there on to the Mt.
Barcroft Research Station @ 12,400 ft. (rather than the 13,200 I wrote in my
previous post. Mt. Barcroft itself is 13,040 -- I checked the topo to refresh my
memory), degrading to a jeep trail from there to the top. There's a gate 2 miles
short of Barcroft at around 11,700 or so, which is normally locked, motor vehicle
travel beyond it being for official use only, so private parties have to park at
the gate and hike/bike if they wish to go further. On that particular trip we were
able to drive right up to Barcroft because we were part of a class, and were
staying at the station that night. Oh, living rough, satellite TV, table tennis
and billiards! It seems to be a fairly popular mountain bike ride from the gate to
the top, being (IIRR) between 13-15 miles round trip, and I've also day-hiked to
the top and back from there in a fairly easy day (provided you've acclimatized and
are in good hiking shape).

Guy