Appended below are the directions to our CCC's next camping spot location,
for the September 20-22 trip.  MANY thanks to Kathy Myers from our van/bus
list, who lives in this area, and did a lot of research on our behalf,
then contributed her knowlede of the area, and then kindly went to a lot
of trouble writing up all this.  

Our camping location will be Pumice Flat GROUP camp (there are non-group
camps there, too, so please note that).  No reservations will be needed!
Kathy found this out for us by calling their 800 number, and none are
needed, since we are camping after the 17th, and at this time of
year, they don't have many campers, especially not in groups.  WE
should have tables, running water, toilets, and showers all nearby.

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DIRECTIONS
--

Mammoth Lakes is located near the intersection of Highway 395 and State 
Route 203. We are about 25 miles south of Lee Vining and about 45 miles 
north of Bishop. We're a HUGE alpine ski area and the highway off ramp 
are really well marked. 

I am assuming that you will all want to go to the town of Mammoth Lakes 
before you go to the site since there are limited services in the 
valley. There is NO GAS in the valley and only a small pack station 
type store and cafe down there. So... you might want to do the gas, 
food and ice thing in town before you go down to Pumice Flat.

NOTE:

State route 203 is also known as Main Street. 

DIRECTIONS:

On 203 - the first light you come to is Old Mammoth Road - if you need 
THE grocery store, turn left and go to the next light and turn left.... 
there's VONS. When done with the shopping scene, go back to Main Street 
(203) and turn left.

Follow 203 through town - less than a mile - (gas station are on this 
street) - when you get to the next light - Minaret Road - turn right... 
you will be following the signs to Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and the 
Devils Postpile National Monument. This road climbs about 4 miles up to 
the ski area. (3rd gear in Her Majesty... a '68 Bus)

When you get to the ski area you might get a bit confused because there 
are chair lifts that cross the road and the place is sorta strange 
looking without snow. Stay on the road and drive under Chairs 11 and 
27. Follow this road up about 1 1/4 mile to a little kiosk called the 
Minaret Vista Entrance Station. It will be closed. If you turn right at 
the Forest Service sign to Minaret Vista, you will be rewarded with a 
KILLER view of the Range of Light. (It's about a 1/8 of a mile to the 
Vista.)

NOTE:

The road into the valley is NOT A THROUGH STREET! It goes down 9 miles 
to Red's Meadow Resort and ends. In the summer this road is closed to 
day use traffic and is serviced by a shuttle system. There are 10 
marked bus stops on the valley floor... Pumice Flat *GROUP* Campground 
is just past shuttle stop # 4. The shuttle stop signs are 4X4 posts 
about 3 feet tall with the number on them - each stop usually has a 
picnic table by the sign. The shuttle system will NOT be operating.

BACK TO THE DIRECTONS:

>From the Minaret Vista Entrance Station at 9,175 feet above sea level,  
you will STEEPLY descend a beautiful albiet it NARROW road for about 3 
1/2 miles. Try your hardest to go the speed limit... which is 15MPH. At 
the bottom of the steep hill you will be at Agnew Meadows which is 
shuttle stop #1. Follow the road around through the valley floor. When 
you get to shuttle stop #4 PUMICE FLAT RANGER STATION - on the west 
side of the street, you're almost there. Across the street from stop #4 
is the PUMICE FLAT AMPHITHEATER - just past it, on the same side of the 
street (east) is the dirt road entrance to PUMICE FLAT *GROUP* CAMP. 
There are 3 group sites accommodating for 15 - 50 people. There are 
tables, running water and flush toilets.

NOTE:

There is also a PUMICE FLAT regular campground - NOT FOR GROUPS! (It's 
not as confusing as it sounds - believe me!)

The *GROUP* sites are in a HUGE PUMICE FLAT (derrrr!) which is a 
clearing in the middle of a HUGE Lodgepole pine forest. The Middle Fork 
of the San Joaquin River is a stone's throw away. The Devils Postpile 
National Monument is at shuttle stop #6. Great fishing at Sotcher Lake 
at shuttle stop #7 and FREE hot showers are available at Red's Meadow 
Campground which is shuttle stop #8. The trailhead for Rainbow Falls is 
at shuttle stop #9 and at the end of the road - shuttle stop #10 is 
Red's Meadow Resort - cafe - store - cabins - pack station.

:-)

This place should be pretty well deserted by the time we get there... 
LAShuns (our target audience) think we pack it up and close down the 
town between Labor Day and Thanksgiving.

If you need more help with anything, let me know!

:-)

L8R

Kath

Kathy Myers and Mark Blanchard
Active Periphery Press
Blanchard Products
Mammoth Lakes, CA