Travel Information

There is a lot of driving involved in this trip. Because of the distances, we'll have two (possibly three) nights in motels.

On Friday, July 23rd we'll drive to San Dimas, CA and stay at the Motel 6. It's a 460 mile drive to San Dimas, so we'll have to leave Tucson about 8:00 AM that morning in order to get there at a reasonable time. The cost for this hotel is about $55.00 per room per night. You might want to consider sharing a room with one of the other backpackers.

On Saturday we'll arise early and make the 260 mile drive through Three Rivers and on to the Lodgepole Campground. We will pick up our permit and hike a few miles in and camp at Cahoon Meadow for the night.

After our six days and five nights on the trail, we'll travel a short distance back down the road to the lovely little town of Three Rivers and will stay at the Choice Hotel for the evening of Friday, July 30th. This hotel is a bit more expensive, but I think the cost is worth it after such an arduous trek.

The drive back to Tucson is about 700 miles, so we might stop in Blythe on the way back and stay at the Motel 6 in that ugly little town on Saturday evening, July 31st. We stayed there in 2006 and again in 2007 on our trips to the Sierra Nevada. I'll try to make a consensus-based decision early in the year and will let everyone know well in advance if reservations are required here.

We will each have to make our own hotel arrangements. Remember that it doesn't cost anything to make the reservation, so get your room early! Remember, too, that we're traveling in peak travel season! Some of those rooms are already fully booked, so you'll have to move fast!

Of course, everyone who goes on this trip will be expected to share in all other travel-related expenses. That means paying your share of the gas and paying your share of the fees at the National Park and at the campground. I don't know what those fees are yet, but I'll pass the info along when I get it.