I've camped in the desert below and drove as high as possible early morning and completed the climb. Long day, but if you're in shape and you get nice weather, very doable. Haven't done Little Bear, yet. I'm saving it for a spring climb.
As for driving a stock Jeep up the road. I saw a brand spanking new Jeep Rubicon parked just below Jaws 1. No after market anything. Even had the temp tags. So it can be done. No other vehicles beyond Jaws 1 except for totally tricked out Jeeps above the Lake.
Camping at Lake como
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mtree
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Re: Camping at Lake como
- I didn't say it was your fault. I said I was blaming you.
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pmeadco
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Re: Camping at Lake como
I talked to a SAR guy down there a few years ago who claimed he had driven a stock Jeep up to the lake. I don't know how -- seems crazy to me -- but that's what he said. (He gave us a ride up to tree line in his rock crawler so I was in no position to doubt him. 
)
Anyway, my opinion is it is very likely you can get to Jaws 1 without too much trouble.
)Anyway, my opinion is it is very likely you can get to Jaws 1 without too much trouble.
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bbass11
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Re: Camping at Lake como
Cool, thanks for the replies. If we do end up camping, do you think it is a good idea to try to hang our sleeping bags when we leave for the hike, or will a bear interpret any hanging bag as food and try to get it down and tear through it? I could fit my sleeping bag in my canister, but that doesn't help my three companions any.
Re: Camping at Lake como
still working on my TR from last weekend, but my buddy and I camped just beyond the lake.bbass11 wrote:Cool, thanks for the replies. If we do end up camping, do you think it is a good idea to try to hang our sleeping bags when we leave for the hike, or will a bear interpret any hanging bag as food and try to get it down and tear through it? I could fit my sleeping bag in my canister, but that doesn't help my three companions any.
short version of bear notes:
- we did everything "right", bear canister w/ most smelly stuff, too much food that went in a hanging bag ~12 feet high and > 4 feet from either tree, didn't cook in tent, did hike in the clothes that we ate in, etc...
- we did NOT pack up our tents, etc.. and hang our non-food stuff --> our stuff was un-molested. but, not sure how big a role luck played here.
- both campsites next to ours were ransacked by the bear on Day 2 of hiking; this includes one site where they hung their tent and frame packs (but the bear got them anyway -- I didn't see the hang)
- people who camped a couple miles down the road still had bear trouble. some reported problems worse than we had at the lake.
- we took a can of bear spray but never encountered Barney ourselves
Insta: hokiehead
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mtree
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Re: Camping at Lake como
Obviously, the answer to the bear question is to bring disposable gear. Preferably biodegradable. Protect the environment and all that stuff ya know.
- I didn't say it was your fault. I said I was blaming you.
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youngk2844
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Re: Camping at Lake como
I just climbed Blanca and Ellingwood on 7/24. Parked my Subaru Outback at about 8,500' up Lake Como Road on Thursday evening. Started hiking before 3 am and made both summits before noon. Definitely doable as a single day push. I ended up meeting some folks and hiked back to Lake Como with them. The bear got their food bag that was hung high between two trees. Bummer. Thanks to Walker and Kendra for the ride down and saving me the last mile of hiking that miserable road!
