I'm leaving for a trip in a few days to the White Mountains in CA for some night photography. I am traveling up the mountain to the Ancient Bristlecone Forest. I'm a little worried about the type of wildlife I may encounter up there in the dark. Does anyone have experience shooting in the area at night, and if so...what should I be aware of to stay safe?
Dangerous wildlife will likely be less of an issue than road and weather conditions.
The NWS is calling for a wet period beginning this Thursday (11/15) and continuing into the weekend. This will bring snow to the higher elevations. Highway 168 East, and the White Mountains road are steep, narrow, and winding, so great care will be needed, assuming the roads are open.
My advice would be to check with the USFS at the White Mountain Ranger Station in Bishop before heading into the mountains.
As fire as wildlife: Black Bear, Mountain Lion, and Bobcat have been seen there. Normal precautions should be fine.
I hope you can access the area, as it is very beautiful in stark and lonesome sort of way.
Posted by Rudy Ruberti on November 12, 2012 at 12:06 PM
I wouldn't worry too much about wildlife; instead, I'd worry about the weather. I just returned from a ski trip at nearby Mammoth Mountain and the wind chill factor was well below zero, with about 3 feet of new snow at the higher elevations. There's another possible storm coming in at the end of the week. The White Mountains can get hammered by winter storms and the roads are not plowed. In addition, it can get extremely cold in the Whites this time of year. I would pay close attention to the weather forecasts and road conditions before heading up that high. Not to worry though, if you can't make it to the Bristlecones, there are still plenty of good areas to shoot, including the Alabama Hills (I stopped by there yesterday), Buttermilks, Mono Lake, etc. As far as wildlife, I've never seen anything bigger than a jack rabbit, but maybe someone else who knows more about what roams around up there this time of year can chime in.
Discussion
2 repliesI'm leaving for a trip in a few days to the White Mountains in CA for some night photography. I am traveling up the mountain to the Ancient Bristlecone Forest. I'm a little worried about the type of wildlife I may encounter up there in the dark. Does anyone have experience shooting in the area at night, and if so...what should I be aware of to stay safe?
Much appreciated!
-Natalie
Dangerous wildlife will likely be less of an issue than road and weather conditions.
The NWS is calling for a wet period beginning this Thursday (11/15) and continuing into the weekend. This will bring snow to the higher elevations. Highway 168 East, and the White Mountains road are steep, narrow, and winding, so great care will be needed, assuming the roads are open.
My advice would be to check with the USFS at the White Mountain Ranger Station in Bishop before heading into the mountains.
As fire as wildlife: Black Bear, Mountain Lion, and Bobcat have been seen there. Normal precautions should be fine.
I hope you can access the area, as it is very beautiful in stark and lonesome sort of way.
Be safe,
--P
Edit: Mammoth Mountain Weather: Sierra Forecasts