Buttermilk Hill winter hike
California High Sierra promoted a winter hike on Buttermilk Hill in the Eastern Sierra for panoramic, extendable routes — the post (Mar. 16) pitches it as a spring‑ready outing you can lengthen for more challenge [].
Buttermilk Hill sits in the Tungsten Hills just west of Bishop and rises to about 6,035 feet. (summitpost.org) The hill’s trail network includes numerous dual‑tracks and single‑track options that locals say make the route easily extendable for longer outings. (californiahighsierra.com) Summiting involves short sections of cross‑country scrambling and provides simultaneous views of the White Mountains, Owens Valley and the Sierra Nevada. (summitpost.org) Access is from Highway 395 via Line Street (Highway 168) — a 7.3‑mile drive to Buttermilk Road with parking on the right shoulder — and the dirt approach becomes a faint footpath toward the peak. (summitpost.org) Buttermilk Road is generally drivable in most vehicles but deteriorates quickly once past the initial access, so conditions change with seasonal weather and maintenance. (mountainproject.com) The Buttermilk area is also a world‑class bouldering zone with granite blocks rising more than 20 feet, a development that has driven visitor growth addressed by the Buttermilk Infrastructure and Recreation Planning Initiative (BIRPI). (media.visitcalifornia.com) BIRPI has already funded on‑site improvements including a double‑vault toilet and is advancing a two‑phase plan to document recreation needs and coordinate agencies such as the Inyo National Forest and BLM. (escog.ca.gov) For hikers wanting to turn a short climb into a longer loop, guides list nearby Buttermilk Country loop options of roughly 16 miles across mixed desert and forest terrain, and camping in the Buttermilk Country is allowed year‑round though facilities are minimal. (theadventureportal.com)
