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| Crowley Lake - Mammoth Lakes, CA USA
Wind Conditions: Excellent Water Conditions: Good Launch facilities: Good Beach conditions: Poor Traffic conditions: Good Safety: Good Charges: $18 to launch About the place: Located on Highway 395, about 8 miles south of the Mammoth Lakes ski area. This lake is very scenic, has strong winds for sailing and the prevailing winds allow for a long reach along the long axis of the lake. The major drawback is the cost to launch, which in September 1995 was $18 ($12 for the car and $6 for the boat). I didn't care, it was a real treat to sail there. This is a lake for summer sailing, only open to sailors from Memorial Day to Labor Day, probably because it is at 6720 feet elevation and is too cold the rest of year. The lake was surprisingly warm in late summer. High winds can be a hazard. When we were there over Labor Day, we were the only sailboat on the lake, but a patrol boat was cruising around, which is reassuring if a capsize somehow turns ugly. There is a small marina on the south end of the lake. This is a popular lake for trout fishing, don't try sailing here on the opening weekend of trout season as it gets mobbed then. Stay out of the shallows on the western edge of the lake, your daggerboards and rudders will collect an enormous amount of weeds there (it took us a while to realize why we were going so slow in so much wind). We stayed nearby at Mammoth, which offers restaurants, hot springs and other amenities. We alternated Hobie cat sailing with mountain biking. Mammoth is a superb area for mountain biking and a good destination for a dual-purpose vacation. Just make sure the Hobie cat mast doesn't interfere with the bikes on the roof rack (don't ask me how I thought of this hot tip). Submitted by: Paul Miller <paul.miller@tek.com> Sacramento, CA USA - Wednesday, September 18, 1996 at 13:47:28 (PDT) |