A few notes for others trying to get to the Patriarch Grove this month. Locals already know this,…read morebut...you're not going to get here with anything but high-clearance 4WD right now. It's already a little slushy near the Schulman Visitor center, but beyond that, it's deeper, messier, and just not possible without an offroading vehicle. And even that might be a little dicey. So you might make it as far as the visitor center until it snows again, but it is now closed for the winter. A few other things to note: the elevation will make you THIRSTY. Bring more water than you normally would. And a hat/sunscreen, because the sun is more intense up here! Lastly, it takes a little *more* than an hour to get as far as the visitor center but is absolutely worth the drive!

The drive to get here from downtown Bishop was an hour! It was looping around the mountains and we…read morehad to drive slowly at the curves. The views were so gorgeous that we did make a few stops. We parked in front of the Visitor Center and went on the Discovery Trail. It took us an hour to complete. We started on the right side of the loop, and I was just gasping for air. We saw the beautiful Bristlecone trees on the trail. As we continued on to the left side of the loop, we had to walk on the big red rocks. That part was not enjoyable at all as we had to be careful not to trip. However, the views were so wonderful. It's a clear trail, so there is no getting lost.

Plane landed in Bishop 90 mins ago and we waited for another plane to deplane and grab luggage so…read moreit will take us 3 hours to get to our Mammoth Village accommodations, not the hour that was advertised. Do yourself a favor and rent a car so you don't have to deal with MAWS.

If you are going to or from the Mammoth Airport, they are very bad at communicating with Advanced…read moreAir at Mammoth Airport. If your flight is delayed or arrives late you will be left without a pick-up as I was . There was no communication after that to resolve the issue . On my return to Los Angeles my flight was delayed, and the dispatch was unable to handle a change of pick up time. It's really only a 4 mile drive to the airport. Don't need to be there two hours early. I'm very disappointed in their service.

I just returned from a weekend of fly-fishing lessons with David and I cannot say enough good…read morethings about him and the overall experience that we had. Fly-fishing was something I'd been wanting to do for decades and our weekend of lessons/guiding by David resulted in an amazing positive experience for us. David's passion for fly fishing and for the elements that compose the environment where we fished were greatly appreciated. David is not only extremely knowledgeable on all aspects of fly-fishing, but when he learned we have an appreciation of the local environment there too, he gladly shared lots of his knowledge with us. This included the environment and life cycle of the various species of trout where we fished and their food source, trout fishing up in the high country, the many various types of birds and other wildlife in the environment, some ranching history, etc. His local knowledge of where to fish in the Bishop area was on point. Both days we were at nearby locations that were easy to get to and extremely scenic, but with virtually no other fishermen or other people around. David's enthusiasm for fly-fishing was evident from the beginning. We got us geared up and on the water quickly, and his teaching was mostly hands-on with just a few minutes of coaching before we got our lines in the water, then further coaching from there as we progressed. Before long we were catching beautiful and healthy trout. When we'd hook up David was right there to guide us on how to keep the fish on and safely land and release it. As our skills and comfort on the water increased David would introduce new techniques to us and guide us to other close-by spots to wade into and fish. We caught numerous trout of various species both days. He provided all the fishing-related gear to us and everything worked flawlessly. We had minimal snags and lost flies, and when we did he was on it quickly to get us back fishing. His stoke for fly-fishing and the Sierra is contagious and I plan on getting out there again with him. I highly recommend Sierra Trout Magnet!

Another great trout fishing experience in Lower Owens with Dave! He knows all the right spots and…read moreprovides expert guidance throughout the trip. Highly recommended for beginners, a refresher, and advanced anglers alike, #GOAT! Thank you, Dave!

I recently completed a 2-day weekend intro to ice climbing course with SMG and couldn't have been…read moremore pleased. Guides Bernard and Michael were incredible! The gear list was provided upon booking the trip and another more pointed one from the guides 3-days prior. The usual ice climbing tools were included without any added costs along with mountaineering boots, crampons, helmets, snow shoes, harnesses, belay devices, etc. if you needed it. Gear was in great condition. I'm deathly afraid of boot rentals having had a few bad, blister-inducing pairs in the past, but their Scarpa boots were comfy enough. Men sizes only, but I dislike women shoes, in general, so this worked out for me (I actually only buy men athletic shoes these days). Communication for designated meeting times and places was seamless and allowed for a stress-free travel. The guides identified Lee Vining Canyon as the venue for our ice climbing adventure. The hike into LVC was a short one (45 minutes to 1 hour) which allowed for optimal climbing time. The guides were great about easing any fears which everyone acknowledged having beforehand. Zero judgement zone. Guide ratio was 1:4 participants which was optimal and our group of 5 was well taken care of. The world of ice climbing is fascinating and SMG made it very accessible for this first timer. Happy to have added ice climbing to my climbing repertoire and conquer some fears while at it! Add stabbing and kicking ICE to death to make for quite the accomplished, ultra satisfying weekend.

Stay far away. I had…read morea trip scheduled with this company in the Sierra. Although fires were raging in Sequoia NP next to our route, Danny in their office told me a constantly-changing story in an attempt to bait me into still attempting the trip. First he offered me an "alternate route" which went in the opposite direction, which I declined as I told him I signed up for the trip specifically to climb Mt. Whitney. Then, when I declined the new route, he told me the trip could go on on the planned route. The day before I was to leave, as the Sequoia fires raged, he admitted we might have to turn back two days into the 7 day trip bc of smoke, but didn't offer refund or rescheduling. I proceeded to Lone Pine, CA on his assurances the conditions would somehow magically improve. They did not. On the morning the trip was supposed to start air quality was at 347 (hazardous), and my eyes and throat were burning even while in the hotel room with windows closed! When I arrived at the trailhead the guide and I agreed the trip very likely couldn't be completed as planned, so I went home. Today I received an email from Danny with a list of charges he wanted to charge me, but he stated he would be "lenient" and credit me less than half my payment for a future trip. Needless to say I would never patronize this company again, so that credit would be useless to me. I see a lot of positive reviews in the past, so maybe this was a good company at some point. Maybe they're close to going out of business because of the pandemic. But Danny dishonestly tried to bait me into going on a trip in clearly unsafe conditions, where the trip I was promised could not be safely completed, because he didn't want to refund my money. His behavior was more like a used car salesman than someone concerned with the well-being of his clients. As an outdoor guide the one thing you absolutely CANNOT do is press your clients to endanger themselves because you want their money. That's just plain unacceptable. I have asked for an apology and full refund, but not holding my breath,

Amazing experience summiting Mount Whitney via the Mountaineers Route with Sierra Mountaineering…read moreInternational! Kurt was an exceptional guide- knowledgeable, professional, and fun to climb with. He made the entire experience feel safe and well-supported while also teaching us new skills along the way. Highly recommend SMI.

Horrific and Traumatizing Experience with SMLGuides - Guide Kurt…read more I recently participated in a guided Mt. Whitney hike with SMLGuides, and it was, without question, one of the most distressing and disappointing trail experiences of my life. What should have been an empowering and memorable climb instead became an experience marked by poor leadership, lack of professionalism, emotional distress, and equipment negligence. To begin with, the backpack I rented from Kurt was completely inappropriate--it was a men's backpack, not sized or fitted for me, and it caused immediate and ongoing issues throughout the hike. I had to stop repeatedly to make adjustments, relying on another guide, Ben, to help me manage the situation. These delays were not due to my fitness or preparedness but solely due to being provided improper gear. Supplying correctly fitted equipment is a basic responsibility of any guiding service, and this failure directly impacted my hike. What followed at the trailhead was even more troubling. After arriving with excitement and anticipation, I was subjected to an invasive and humiliating experience when Kurt went through each of my personal belongings from the rental backpack--handling and examining items that were clearly private--before abruptly tossing the bag into the van. This behavior was unnecessary, intrusive, and deeply uncomfortable, and it immediately set a tone of disrespect and intimidation. Despite my clear and repeated communication--both prior to the hike and in person--about my extensive hiking background, including summiting Mount Kilimanjaro, completing Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim, finishing the Triple Crown Hike in Virginia, and numerous Appalachian Trail hikes, Kurt continuously questioned my ability in a way that was demeaning and demoralizing. This was not constructive guidance; it was discouraging and dismissive. Rather than offering solutions, encouragement, or leadership, Kurt repeatedly suggested that I should quit. At no point did he attempt to properly address the gear issue or support me in continuing. I felt pressured, unsupported, and frankly treated as an inconvenience. It genuinely felt as though he had his own agenda and was eager to drop hikers rather than guide them. Ultimately, I turned back--not because I lacked the physical capability to summit, but because my equipment failed me and my guide failed me. The mountain did not defeat me--the leadership did. This experience stands in stark contrast to my Rim-to-Rim hike, where teammates stayed with me, encouraged me, and supported me through challenges. That is what real leadership and camaraderie look like. That is what hikers deserve--especially on a trail as demanding as Mt. Whitney. Additionally, we were informed there would be four guides, yet only three were present. There was no explanation provided. In contrast to Kurt's behavior, Ben was kind, patient, and genuinely helpful, doing his best to assist me with the oversized backpack and offering the support that was otherwise missing. I left this experience emotionally drained, shaken, and traumatized. I was forced to turn around under circumstances that could and should have been prevented with proper gear, professionalism, and support. Given that I could not complete the hike due to these failures, I am requesting a full refund. I sincerely hope SMLGuides takes this feedback seriously. No hiker should ever be made to feel disrespected, intimidated, or abandoned on a guided expedition. Future participants deserve competent leadership, properly fitted equipment, transparency, and basic human decency.

This is a really cute park in the heart of Bishop. You can tell that the planning was intentional…read moreand very thoughtful. Although this area as a whole has plenty to do (in the mountains), the little towns are quite barren for any activity. While walking our pup here, we saw the pond with so many birds, a skatepark, an outdoor pool, tennis court, a baseball field, and more! There were a few sketchy people hanging around, but we were safe and they didn't bother us. For the most part, the people there were playing or just enjoying the grounds. Plenty of parking, and pretty well maintained. We were pleasantly surprised at how large of an area it covered, and our pup enjoyed her walk here.

Such a beautiful place! So many activities possible but also many spots to relax and admire this…read moregorgeous park. Dog park, pond with ducks, mountain bike park, pool, community garden and the list goes on and on. A gem of a place!

What an AMAZING adventure. Our pilot Ed was very informative and entertaining. The sites were out…read moreof this world. If you are visiting Mammoth you really need to include this in your plans. I'll add some pictures but I doubt they will do it justice. Ed also kept the ride very smooth and comfortable! Well worth the money! My only concern is that we did it on our first day and the bar is set VERY high!

We had an amazing time on our helicopter tour around Mammoth and the nearby Eastern Sierra…read moremountains. Ed, the owner and pilot was extremely competent. I'm not the most comfortable flyer and yet I was completely comfortable during the flight because of his preflight overview. Ed provided up front information of what to expect that made me understand what was happening during the flight so there were no surprises. I loved every minute. I'm a backpacker and have traversed a large area that we flew. Seeing from the air what I know from the ground was such an amazing perspective. I highly recommend it!

Had a great brewery tour today with Matt and Sabrina! The whole experience from start to finish…read morewas exceptional. Booking a reservation was a snap, just logged on to their site and saved my party's seats! They were on time at our pick up location (Rafters) and knew their way around the area, so we maximized our time at each brewery. We visited 3, June Lake Brewing, Mammoth Brewing Co and Black Doubt Brewing. We were provided with a great lunch from Ohana's Hawaiian BBQ, which happens to be a top notch gourmet food truck (check them out under my reviews as well). Matt had sampled all the beers at each brewery and was able to guide us based on our taste pallet as well. My favorites in case you need to know, GulllllLager from June Lake Brewing, Insatiable Saison (I might have the name wrong) from Black Doubt and the Gold Trout Ale from Mammoth Brewing. This was a great afternoon spent in the Mammoth area. Good beer, good food and of course, the scenery! The van was also bitchin. Looked like something out of Universal Soldier (I'm old, I know). Definitely plan on doing this again next summer, if not sooner! Thanks Matt and Sabrina!

This a great tour of the local breweries and our tour guide, Mike, was great! He even picked us up…read morefrom our condo because we were the only ones on the tour. Great beers, Ohana's food truck at June Lake Brewery is amazing, and overall great experience. Two thumbs way up

We stopped by Sierra Cider right at opening (12pm) as part of our day trip before heading into…read moreYosemite for my birthday, and it was such a fun and refreshing visit! The owner and staff were super welcoming and walked us through all their offerings, which made the experience even better. We kicked things off with a cider flight--our favorites were Early Harvest and Graveyard. Early Harvest was simple, crisp, and just sweet enough, while Graveyard reminded me of a Scottish smoky cider aged in whiskey barrels. I do wish there were a few more sweet options overall and possibly a current up to date list of what's on tap somewhere online, but everything was well-crafted and flavorful! To cool off, we grabbed a cider slushy (highly recommend!) and wandered the property. We visited the goats, strolled through the apple trees, and made friends with their big fluffy Pyrenees who was living his best life napping in the shade. I picked up a bottle of Early Harvest and a t-shirt to bring back to DFW. It was the perfect stop--relaxed, local, and a great way to start the afternoon before heading into Yosemite. After our tasting, we walked through some of the apple trees, visited the cutest goats, and made friends with their big, lazy Pyrenees dog who was living his best life soaking up attention. I picked up a bottle of Early Harvest and a t-shirt to bring back to DFW--both worth it! Such a charming little spot--relaxed, scenic, and just the right detour before Yosemite!

Great cider, great vibes, great place for the family…read more The cider they have is very good. The tasting flight I got was primarily focused on the drier varieties and they did a great job of making well balanced, delicious ciders that let the quality of the apples shine through. The grounds are very cute. They have a petting zoo and "ghost town" area that are perfect for small children or photo ops. All of the animals were very well behaved and friendly. You can also pick apples or flowers for a very reasonable fee. They have an area of food trucks and today Yosemite Pizza was there. The pizza was great and went well with the cider. The staff was kind and helpful. If you are in the area and want a cold cider, or a place to let the little one explore a bit this is an excellent choice.