What are you flying? Generally (to DV or Vegas) I take what is
essentially V244, climbing up to Tuolomine Meadows on the North
side of the Yosemite park, then cross the ridge either at Tioga or
a little further south - the pass is clear on the sectional.
You need to be able to get to 13500'. At this time of the year,
assuming the weather is generally good, it should be fine - not too
bumpy. Obviously you want a day with only modest winds and no cloud
below 15000' or so.

It's a truly spectacular flight, I was thrilled the first time I
did it and the thrill doesn't get any less. As long as the weather is
good and the winds are low, it's as safe as mountain flying gets.
And the nice thing is that with some careful pilotage you can avoid
the MOAs completely.

In my experience the MOAs are generally hot on weekdays and cold on
weekends - which is what the sectional says too. I would not personally
be a huge fan of flying through a hot MOA, even though it is technically
allowed. Whilst mountain flying has its risks, at least mountains
pretty much stay put rather than whizzing about at Mach 2.

John

Jonathan Sorger wrote:

I plan on taking my first trip from the Bay Area to Death Valley (
Furnace Creek) next week. I was wondering if I could pick the brains of
those familiar with the area.

It looks like Porterville - Kern Valley - China Lake is the safest route
to take. I have had a mountain checkout and am not thrilled about
staying below 1500' AGL to keep out of the MOAs in the Sierra Nevada
range.

I realize that you contact Joshua Approach for the MOA status - can
anyone clue me in to whether or not they typically allow civilian
aircraft through at other altitudes during their operational hours?

Thanks,