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Traveling 395 East of the Sierras: Planning Charging and Energy Usage
- Thread starter Bobrrr
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- California USA
mspohr
Well-Known Member
Gardnerville SC (Topaz Lake) is close just to the north of Lee Vining and Mammoth is just to the South so you can make it up into Tuolumne Meadows - Yosemite but it would be really nice to have a SC in Lee Vining.
The pass is closed in Winter but I did ski up to the Tuolumne Meadows Hut a few weeks ago from Lee Vining. It is a grunt. 21 miles and 2000+ ft elevation change.
cpa
Active Member
Mspohr,
Topaz Lake is about 70 miles from Lee Vining, so I would not necessarily agree that it is "close" for a BEV, especially if they are coming from Yosemite Valley (in season, of course) and wish to head north into Nevada. Glad you surmounted Tioga Pass on skis.
Topaz Lake is about 70 miles from Lee Vining, so I would not necessarily agree that it is "close" for a BEV, especially if they are coming from Yosemite Valley (in season, of course) and wish to head north into Nevada. Glad you surmounted Tioga Pass on skis.
mspohr
Well-Known Member
Yes, it might be a squeaker. I was trying to get EVtripplanner to rate a drive from Topaz to the Valley but it wouldn't route over Tioga Pass... probably because it's still closed for the Winter.Mspohr,
Topaz Lake is about 70 miles from Lee Vining, so I would not necessarily agree that it is "close" for a BEV, especially if they are coming from Yosemite Valley (in season, of course) and wish to head north into Nevada. Glad you surmounted Tioga Pass on skis.
Congratulations on your trip into Tuolumne! It's worth emphasizing that while the net elevation gain is about 2000' / 600m, the initial climb up to Tioga Pass is about 3300' / 1000m. Well done.
Just to be clear, I'm very grateful that there are even Superchargers at all along 395. It'll be some time before we see any other fast chargers (CCS/CHAdeMO) along that corridor. However, if Tesla is going to add more Superchargers along 395, my $0.02 would be to put them in Bishop and Lee Vining.
mspohr
Well-Known Member
The first week I had my car (Feb 2015), my daughter was at a meeting in Las Vegas and invited us to visit... as good an excuse as any for a drive.
We drove from North Lake Tahoe to Lone Pine and just barely made it. There were no SC in Mammoth or Topaz but it was a net elevation loss of a few thousand feet. The next leg was almost as bad. We drove from Lone Pine through Death Valley to Beatty to Las Vegas and made it with 20 miles on arrival. No SC at Beatty.
Good exercise in hypermiling but frustrating as I had to drive about 60 or less the entire way. Return trip we stayed and charged at Furnace Creek to get out of Death Valley but the next leg from Lone Pine we stopped in Gardnerville where we charged during dinner for the last push (in a snowstorm) over Spooner summit. Home with all of 7 miles.
I am planning a trip to Tuolomne, and yes, you cannot plan any route through there, using almost any program, until the pass is actually open. I did find one trick in google maps, though I cannot seem to find out how I did it: somewhere there is a setting where you can choose when you are leaving. If you change it to mid summer, the route opened.
Tioga is currently plowed to May Lake. I need the pass to open by the 4th of July weekend, but not sure if they'll make it. Even if they do, I do not know if the trails will be open.
Bet TSLA
Active Member
I currently have reservations to visit two High Sierra Camps with my 12 year old boy. We did this same trip a couple of years ago. Even if the pass opens, I am concerned that some minor streams may turn into difficult crossings. My back-up plan will be to either stay home, or go to Mammoth and get a few local hikes in. Maybe even a few turns on the slopes (with my rock skis of course).
I currently have motel reservations on both sides of the Sierras, one in Lee Vining, and the other in Fish Camp. The western approach to Tuolomne will be open, though it is a 2.5 hour drive to the trail head, making for a long day.
McManX
Member
I believe Yosemite said that services in Tuolumne won't open until Aug 1 this year (looking for my source), road may be open sooner. Luckily my mammoth/ Yosemite hiking trip this summer is planned for later in august than usual. Will still be lots of snow in the high sierra camps in early July.
Woah Nellie in Lee vining would instantly become my favorite Supercharger! Also want one in Mariposa. With those 2 Yosemite travel would be completely covered.
Woah Nellie in Lee vining would instantly become my favorite Supercharger! Also want one in Mariposa. With those 2 Yosemite travel would be completely covered.
Don't get your hopes up. Those locations are not shown as "coming" on the recently revised map at Find Us | Tesla
It appears to me that Tesla considers 395 east of the Sierras adequately served with the existing Supercharger locations, and that travel to and from Yosemite from the west side is covered as well. I for one am quite happy to have Groveland and Fish Camp! Will be spending several days at White Wolf at the end of July, that trip will be my first time using the Groveland Supercharger. Hopefully Hwy 120 will be open by that time.
Many of us tried to get Tesla to put the SC in Lee Vining a few years back, but they put it in Mammoth instead. That's great for the people going to or staying in Mammoth, but not much help for those of us who are just down from Tuolumne for the day to visit the lake and/or Whoa Nellie Deli, or who are heading up to Lundy or Virginia canyons, Bodie or Bridgeport/Twin Lakes, as it's a 56 mile round trip from Lee Vining to Mammoth and back. One of the problems with putting it at the Deli is that it isn't open year round, and walking the 3/10ths of a mile down to restaurants in town while the Deli's closed (the gas pumps work all-year) can be a safety issue, as there are no sidewalks or much of a cleared shoulder, and there can be snow/ice on the ground. Parking's also very limited in season, not just at the Deli but also in town.
Re Bishop, I like Schat's too (and it's also walking distance to White Mtn. Ranger Station to pick up permits), plus it's at the junction of U.S. 6 and at the base of the climb up to Sherwin summit, but wonder if a site in Big Pine might not be preferable. From Mammoth or Lone Pine you can fairly easily do the round trip to trailheads at North/South/Sabrina Lakes. OTOH, if you want to do the round trip up to the White Mtns /Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, especially if you drive all the way out to the locked gate below the Mt. Barcroft research station, the distance and elevation gain to/from either Bishop or Lone Pine strikes me as a pushing it in a 60. Doing the round trip from Mammoth to Glacier Creek trailheads might also be tough.
Re Bishop, I like Schat's too (and it's also walking distance to White Mtn. Ranger Station to pick up permits), plus it's at the junction of U.S. 6 and at the base of the climb up to Sherwin summit, but wonder if a site in Big Pine might not be preferable. From Mammoth or Lone Pine you can fairly easily do the round trip to trailheads at North/South/Sabrina Lakes. OTOH, if you want to do the round trip up to the White Mtns /Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, especially if you drive all the way out to the locked gate below the Mt. Barcroft research station, the distance and elevation gain to/from either Bishop or Lone Pine strikes me as a pushing it in a 60. Doing the round trip from Mammoth to Glacier Creek trailheads might also be tough.
Have you forgotten about the Inyokern Supercharger? Usually we have a quick stop there on the way to Mammoth before the required longer stop in Lone Pine. Limiting speed to 80 on falls/downhills and 75 on uphills will barely get me to Lone Pine from home with a full 280 rated miles range. With significant wind or weather the Inyokern stop becomes mandatory.
Going home we like the new Thai place across the parking lot from the Mojave supercharger. Fully charged making it there from Mammoth is close but reasonable. The problem is that the top off charge at Mammoth is the night before, so with overnight vampire plus driving up to the Mill for the last ski day we're down to ~255 mile rated range leaving Mammoth. In April Liz had to limp the last 10 miles into Mojave at 40mph. The trap there is that the road looks level from the bottom of Red Rock Canyon south to Mojave but in reality it's gradually rising 700 feet. So on last week's trip home we stopped in Lone Pine to put an extra 30 miles rated range on.
In Late March we drove to North Tahoe for skiing. After a half hour charge in Mammoth browsing across the street at Footloose, we made it to the Reno supercharger at the Atlantis for dinner with no Topaz stop necessary.
Last June we left Mammoth fully charged and went into Yosemite fora couple of days. We arrived at the Fresno charger with 96 miles rated range. Going east to west the elevation loss plus slower speeds in the park mean very low consumption. Obviously west to east with uphill is tougher, but Tesla probably thinks that problem is solved with Groveland and Fish Camp.
I do believe a South Tahoe supercharger is needed and we will not take the Tesla there in ski season until there is one.
And finally I don't think Sequoia/Fings Canyon is practical in a Tesla until a supercharger is put in Tulare/Visalia.
South Tahoe is on the gray proposed map but Tulare/Visalia is not.
cpa
Active Member
Nor is Visalia/Tulare on the Tesla website as "coming soon."
And, while we are on US395, Susanville could use one.
And, while we are on US395, Susanville could use one.
I just returned from a fantastic several days of skiing with my family. On the way back, we intended to charge at Lone Pine so we can have an extended lunch and good charge at The Pizza Factory. By the way, great place to eat. Calzones are amazing. Also, for breakfast, the Alabama Hills Cafe is really incredible. Massive menu and great pastries, better than Schatt's actually. Be prepared for a crowd though.
I had three interesting (annoying) Nav issues along the way:
First, it kept telling me to charge at Inyokern, which is reasonable, except that I had a 700 lb load and a ski rack. Traveling at 75 MPH, there was no way I could make it. Of course, 30 minutes into the trip, it warned me to slow to 60 MPH, and shortly after that, 55 MPH, if I wanted to reach Inyokern. At no time did it suggest I stop at Lone Pine, literally 30 seconds from the 395. I got tired of the warnings and just changed the destination to Lone Pine.
Then, leaving Lone Pine, it said I could reach L.A. with 13% remaining, which, given my circumstances, I knew not to be correct (nor would I expect the Nav to know). The estimate rapidly dropped to 5% within 10 minutes of driving, and, not much later, 1%, and the warning finally turned red. It then gave me the same warnings to reach L.A., never suggesting to stop at Mojave. When I was only about 2 miles away from Mojave, it finally updated the recommendation to charge there, which was obviously my intention. (FYI, Anthony's had $1 taco Tuesdays. Yum).
Finally, silliness upon silliness, upon getting sufficient energy at Mojave, the Nav directed me to drive 10 miles PAST my home to go to the Culver City Supercharger before turning back. At that time, the estimated that I would arrive at Culver City with >20%, so I am clueless why it would do that.
I had three interesting (annoying) Nav issues along the way:
First, it kept telling me to charge at Inyokern, which is reasonable, except that I had a 700 lb load and a ski rack. Traveling at 75 MPH, there was no way I could make it. Of course, 30 minutes into the trip, it warned me to slow to 60 MPH, and shortly after that, 55 MPH, if I wanted to reach Inyokern. At no time did it suggest I stop at Lone Pine, literally 30 seconds from the 395. I got tired of the warnings and just changed the destination to Lone Pine.
Then, leaving Lone Pine, it said I could reach L.A. with 13% remaining, which, given my circumstances, I knew not to be correct (nor would I expect the Nav to know). The estimate rapidly dropped to 5% within 10 minutes of driving, and, not much later, 1%, and the warning finally turned red. It then gave me the same warnings to reach L.A., never suggesting to stop at Mojave. When I was only about 2 miles away from Mojave, it finally updated the recommendation to charge there, which was obviously my intention. (FYI, Anthony's had $1 taco Tuesdays. Yum).
Finally, silliness upon silliness, upon getting sufficient energy at Mojave, the Nav directed me to drive 10 miles PAST my home to go to the Culver City Supercharger before turning back. At that time, the estimated that I would arrive at Culver City with >20%, so I am clueless why it would do that.
According to Tesla's new map, Bishop is listed again and Mojave is listed as coming soon (expansion?). Inyokern has nothing listed, but it seems that this site is needed for expansion, even more than the Mojave. Hopefully, Lone Pine will be permanently expanded too, replacing the temporary chargers. Bishop would help a lot, as Lone Pine is a mandatory stop up for everyone.
Can the new long range Model S make it from Inyokern to Mammoth? EVtripplanner does not seem to be working correctly. It's estimates are not taking into consideration the grade anymore.
Can the new long range Model S make it from Inyokern to Mammoth? EVtripplanner does not seem to be working correctly. It's estimates are not taking into consideration the grade anymore.
I’m guessing that Tesla has more data showing backups at Mojave than Inyokern or Lone Pine. That’s been my experience (1 data point ). It’s also closer to the LA population center. Bishop is a nice in-fill, especially for towing. However, Susanville is mandatory. On my last trip, I had to divert through Chico onto I-5 after the Susanville hotel was all full. A supercharger would have helped.
). It’s also closer to the LA population center. Bishop is a nice in-fill, especially for towing. However, Susanville is mandatory. On my last trip, I had to divert through Chico onto I-5 after the Susanville hotel was all full. A supercharger would have helped.
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Daniel in SD
(supervised)
San Diego folks won't need to use Inyokern if they build the Kramer Junction supercharger. That would be perfect in combination with the Lone Pine expansion.
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