With high temps around 114 over the Labor Day weekend I needed some cool off time. The mountains have been calling for a while so I finally answered the call.
We left home around 9am and temps were already near 90. The Sierra Nevada’s never disappoint, it is a great place to spend a day or longer. I wish this trip could have been longer but we took advantage of the time we had.
We packed our cameras and gear for an enjoyable day trip to the Sierras to beat the heat. The serene views, cool temps, next to water and hot springs made a great day. I don’t typically travel on holiday weekends but it was so hot I just wanted to escape the heat.
The Sierra Nevada Mountain range offers an abundant of beautiful places to visit. On this trip, the initial plan was to visit Lake Sabrina, Rock Creek Lake, Convict Lake and Brees Lookout. With so many tourist out we cutout Convict Lake on this trip and hit the other spots.
Equipment Used
Locations Visited
Lake Sabrina
Lake Sabrina resides 19 miles from southwest of Bishop, CA at an altitude of 9128 feet. The high temp while we were there was a pleasant 82 degrees. Below are some of the photos I took while visiting Lake Sabrina.
Rock Creek Lake
Rock Creek Lake sits at an altitude 9700 feet about 27 miles south of Mammoth Lakes, CA. This lake is one of the highest lakes in California accessible by a paved road. The area offers hiking, fishing, camping, boating and nearly anything else outdoors. You can rent a cabin, or rent watercraft from the Rock Creek Lakes Resort.
The water in the lake is much like so many other high mountain lakes in the Sierras as it is pristine and clear. Rock Creek Lake is fed water via Rock Creek draining into the lake on the western slopes.
We spent most of our day here as the high temp was only 76 degrees and we were surrounded by plenty of nature. Below are some photos I took while visiting Rock Creek Lake.
Brees Lookout
Brees lookout is located about 10 miles east of Mammoth Lakes, CA.
Brees lookout is one of the main locations I wanted to visit for the view. I’ve visited Mammoth Lakes for many years but never heard about this place until recently. After seeing photos of this place I just had to visit it for myself.
Brees lookout was amazing and the scenery was beautiful. There was no one at the lookout when we arrived which was nice. We took several photos from the lookout then hiked down near the hot springs. The hot springs were boiling with steam and the smell of sulfur was strong in the air.
Below are some photos I took at Brees Lookout.
395 Bishop Vista View
On our way back down the mountain we made a quick stop on Highway 395 at a vista lookout. The photo below was my last photo shot on this trip.
Summary
This was my first trip this year to the eastern Sierras making it the latest first trip for me. I’ve been needing this trip for a long time but never could find the time. I’m hoping for another trip next month to visit during the Fall colors. Check out some of my photos and videos from my visit last October to June Lake. With the extreme temperatures from the heat wave hitting southern California this was much needed. We snapped many photos and learned a few new settings and features with our cameras at the same time.
The weather was absolutely perfect in the mountains creating the perfect escape from the heat. We did encounter more people than we really wanted but it was a holiday weekend so it was expected.
We made one last stop before getting home at the Copper Top restaurant in Big Pine. This restaurant serves amazing food, if you are in the area be sure to stop by to experience for yourself.
Be sure to rate this article and let me know what you think in the comments below.
I’m glad that you have such beautiful and less-toasty places to visit when the thermometer soars. Your photos are nice. I especially like the ones of the little frog (at least, I assume it’s little) and the center-of-the-road photo.