Volcanic Tablelands north of Bishop: winter boondocking?

[profdant139]

We are hoping to take a week-long trip in mid-December -- the Geminid meteor shower is on the 13th. The higher-altitude areas of the Eastern Sierra are not going to work -- there is already some snow, and the night-time temperatures get down to the single digits.

So we are looking for some lower-altitude boondocking. I checked with the BLM, and the Volcanic Tablelands north of Bishop are open all year. I see a lot of campsites on Google Earth. But I have a few questions, and I am hoping that some of the rugged folks on this forum can provide some answers.

First, if you have camped on the Tablelands in the winter, how was it?

Second, is there much light pollution from Bishop? (Obviously, the further we get from Bishop, the better, but that means a longer "commute" each day from the campsite to the highway.)

Third, is there a lot of traffic on Casa Diablo Road, which is sort of the main route in and out of the area? If it gets busy, we would just choose a campsite further off the road.

Fourth, looking on Google Earth, there looks to be some sort of a water treatment plant in the Five Bridges area, where Casa Diablo crosses the Owens River. Is that a sewage treatment plant? (I hope not, but it would be good to know what it is.)

Thanks in advance for your advice!

[F-TROUP]

Glad they helped, we placed a marker post every 1,000' from Barstow to Reno. Can't wait to see your trip report.

[profdant139]

Just got back from Volcanic Tablelands -- those white and orange fiber optic cable poles came in very handy for navigating to our campsite in the dark! Full trip report will follow in about a week, I hope.

[F-TROUP]

I was an inspector on the Digital 395 project and followed a plow cat placing a fiber optic duct system on Casa Diablo Rd and there was very little traffic in December as tourist season is well over. The locals may use the road on the weekends. If you search around the area you'll find Pictographs 1,000's of years old, a neat place for sure.

[MrWizard]

I have not been to tablelands
I have been to Lava Beds National Monument, further north

Some years back, There was no light pollution there

[profdant139]

Thanks, Ralph! Yes, I did see that site -- and that is why I was concerned about traffic. It can be a drag to be just off a dirt road with a lot of traffic -- dust and noise. But I guess if we just head off on one of the spur roads (after some careful scouting), we should have some peace and quiet.

And if my post has alerted others to the availability of boondocking in the Tablelands, that's ok -- there is a lot of room out there, so crowding will not be a big issue.

[Ramblin__Ralph]

I've done a lot of camping in the Eastern Sierra, but never heard of the Volcanic Tablelands. So I googled it and came across this RVers report on it here. Might be useful. Does mention the road being busy at times.

I'll have to check it out sometime.

[profdant139]

Thanks, Tiger! That's some good googlin' you got there!

And the areas I am looking at have almost no vegetation, so I am not too worried about blowdowns. Dust and high wind are another story, though -- we are expecting that.

[Lwiddis]

Most of the USFS CGs around Bishop are closed. Holiday CG is open however dump just up the road is closed.

Regarding Fourth, it’s a gravel pit not a sewage treatment plant.

[Tiger4x4RV]

A Google search shows that those ponds are overflow water from a gravel company and that they have been enhanced for birds' use. http://www.easternsierrabirdingtrail.org/13.htm

And no, I have not camped on the Volcanic Tablelands in winter. In my autumn trips there, I have seen evidence of blowdowns from massive winds, but do not know if that is regular thing there or not.