Reconnoitering in the Great Basin & Eastern Sierra By 4x4 - San Joaquin Ridge/Deadman Pass 4x4 Trail

RECONNOITERING IN THE EASTERN SIERRA NEVADA & GREAT BASIN
BY 4-WHEEL-DRIVE
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4x4 Trails:
San Joaquin Ridge/Deadman Pass 4x4 Trail

Trail Difficulty:	Easy Higher clearance cross-over AWD and 4WD vehicles should have no clearance issues. Sections of soft pumice on the steeper sections pose the only real problem on this short route.
Season:	Summer, autumn.
Elevations:	Minaret Summit – 9,174 feet. End of road at Deadman Pass – 10,242 feet.
Cell phone Signal:	? The last time I went over this route, I made no notes on cell phone signal strength. However, I speculate that since the town of Mammoth Lakes is in view over much of this trail, that one should be able to pick up a cell phone signal over a considerable portion of this route.
Running Surface Water?:	No.
Trail Travel Density:	Light to moderate. Note: This trail is also a popular hiking and mountain biking trail, so caution is advised to watch out for your fellow travelers on two wheels or on foot.
Nearest Supplies/Emergency Aid:	Mammoth Lakes has a fine hospital with all services. Mono County also has a EMT and paramedics on full time alert stationed at Mammoth Lakes. The Town of Mammoth maintains a full police department.

At the very brink of the Great Basin's western edge lies this short but spectacular 4x4 trail. The San Joaquin Ridge-Deadman Pass 4x4 trail literally straddles the very spine of the Sierra Nevada, with views plunging down either slope simultaneously. Pour out a glass of water, and it might run east into the Great Basin, or it might run west to the Pacific Ocean (but likely it will simply soak into the very soft and thirsty pumice sand and disappear). Sometimes the tracks are on the west side of the true crest, sometimes on the east side. With each crossing of the crest, you will either be in Mono County, California, or you will be in adjoining Madera County; which lies in its entirety on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada.

This route is only 2.4 miles long, but the views are nearly endless. Views west will take in the upper San Joaquin River watershed and the 12,000-13,000 foot peaks in the Banner Peak-Mount Ritter-Minarets region. Eastward views take in the Long Valley, upper Owens River watershed and Mono Basin regions.

The route begins in a forest of lodgepole pines and the forest is thick in places. Along the upper portion of the trail you are on exposed and bare pumice soils with wide open views. Pumice is inherently soft and one can dig in if too much power is applied on the steeper portions of this trail, although along much of the route the trail is well defined and packed down. There are no real obstacles, so vehicles such as AWD (automatic all wheel drive) Honda CR-Vs and Toyota RAV-4's should have no problem. This trail is also a popular hiking and mountain biking route, so I'd advise caution; especially in the forested sections of the trail.

Reaching the trail is easy. I'll use the visitor center of Inyo National Forest – located on Mammoth Lake's eastern side as you enter town – as a starting point. Leaving the visitor center, drive west on CA203 – the same route you use to access Mammoth Lakes from US395 – to the signal light at the junction of CA203 and Old Mammoth Road (a bit more than a ¼ mile). Old Mammoth Road is one of the primary business streets in Mammoth Lakes, which access a supermarket, many shops and restaurants. Continue west on CA203 to the next signal light, just shy of one mile. Here, CA203 turns right (north). Turn right with CA203 and travel 4.1 miles to the main lodge area of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. Continue through the huge parking area, which may be congested even in summer as the ski area turns into a huge mountain biking park in summer. Continue a mile and a quarter to Minaret Summit. The paved road continues down into the upper San Joaquin River area, with the very popular Reds Meadows, Devil's Postpile National Monument and Rainbow Falls area, although it is mandatory to ride shuttle buses to reach this area.

At Minaret summit, however, is a large viewpoint. Turn into the viewpoint and immediately after doing so keep a lookout for a two-track trail that skirts the eastern side of the viewpoint's parking area. This is the beginning of the San Joaquin Ridge-Deadman Summit 4x4 Trail.

Enjoy the trail's views for its brief yet engaging run. At the end of the road, where the San Joaquin Ridge suddenly plummets to Deadman Pass, a tailgate picnic is a treat with its all encompassing views.

Note: Photos below were taken in 1997, when I last took this trail. At the time I was experiencing a jammed zoom lens on my 35mm camera, so I don't have a lot of photos of the trail. I've taken this route twice – the first time in the early 1980s in my 1970 Ford F-250 4x4 pickup I had at the time. When I get a chance in the future to run this route again, new photos will be added to this page.

My former truck, a 1996 Chevrolet S-10 4x4 pickup, at the northern end of the trail, where the San Joaquin Ridge plummets into the Deadman Pass. View is north toward San Joaquin Mountain. Photo taken in 1997.	View west into the upper San Joaquin River watershed. The jagged peaks of the Minarets are seen at the left side of the photo, while 13,157 foot high Mount Ritter caps the center and on its immediate right is the 12,945 foot high Banner Peak.
View north by northwest from the Deadman Pass end of the trail.	View northeast from the Deadman Pass end of the trail. The view takes in the upper Owens River (Glass Creek) and the southern Mono Craters country. The Mono Basin and Bodie Hills can be seen in the far distance.
View north by northeast to White Wing Mountain and the backside of June Mountain.	My old '96 Chevy S-10 4x4 at the end of the trail. I had the truck only about six months when this photo was taken.
View north by northwest from the end of the trail.	Coming back down the trail, with a view to the west to Banner Mountain.
Coming south on the trail, looking to Mammoth Mountain and the Sherwin-Laurel Mountain toward the left. This view indicates the typical surface of the trail.	Southbound on the trail, Mammoth Mountain seemingly at the end of the road.
Southbound on the trail, view southeast to the Laurel Mountain area.

Page Revised: 02/19/2007