BCM Course Area Guide

Agnew Meadows

Base Camp

College Track of Oakland

Boy’s trip July 29-August 4

BCM San Francisco Bay Area Office

Camp Mather, property of San Francisco Recreation and Park

General Information
BCM Headquarters
1667 Vine St.
Denver, CO 80206
303.271.9200
/ BCM CA Office
c/o Mountain Hardwear
1414 Harbour Way South
Suite 1005
Richmond, CA 94804
(510) 558-2795 / BCM “cage” at The North Face
2013 Farallon Drive
San Leandro, CA 94577
(back of building, 3rd drive way, just past basketball hoop)
Day 1 Camp
Agnew Meadows Campground
Inyo National Forest, CA / Day 6 Base Camp – Camp Mather
35250 Mather Road
Groveland, CA 95321
(209) 379-2284
Gear Pick Up: Pick up gear at BCM’s “cage” at The North Face in San Leandro on Day 1 at 9am.
Permit Pick Up: BCM special use and wilderness permits are provided in the instructor binder. Make sure you have copies--they are available at the Regional Office. Additional wilderness permits may need to be picked up at a ranger station on your way to the trail. Refer to the trip binder (section 1) for permit instructions. The Backcountry CAG lists wilderness permits if they are needed.
Grocery Store: / Save Mart Supermarket
1449 E F St (CA 120)
Oakdale, CA 95361
209.847.7044 / Vons: Grocery
481 Old Mammoth Road
Mammoth Lakes
760.934.4536 / Busy Beez General Store
6201 Minaret Road
Mammoth Lakes, CA
760.924.2899
Pharmacy/
Hospital: / CVS Pharmacy
1520 E. F St./CA-120
Oakdale, CA 95361-9611(209) 845-1866 / Vons: Pharmacy
481 Old Mammoth Road
Mammoth Lakes, CA
760.934.4337 / Mammoth Hospital & Sierra Clinic
Mammoth Lakes, CA
760.934.3311 (Hospital)
760.934.2551 (Clinic)
General Store: / Busy Beez General Store
6201 Minaret Road
Mammoth Lakes, CA
760.924.2899 / Tuolumne Meadows Store
Tioga Rd
Yosemite National Park
209.372.8428 / Camp Mather General Store
35250 Mather Rd
Groveland, CA 95321
209.379.2284
Camping Gear: / McCoy Sports
6201 Minaret Rd
"The Village at Mammoth"
Mammoth Lakes, CA
760.924.7070 / Big 5 Sporting Goods
1596 East F Street
Oakdale, CA 95361
209.847.2537 / Tuolumne Meadows Store
Tioga Rd
Yosemite National Park
209.372.8428
Laundromat: / Camp Mather
35250 Mather Rd
Groveland, CA 95321
209.379.2284 / Alternative:
Housekeeping Camp
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite National Park
Celebration Dinner: / Stan’s Que – Catering to Camp Mather @ 5pm
18745 Back St, Groveland, CA 95321 Pam Morgan:
209.403.2826 / Alternative, only if Stan’s Que cancels:
Camp Mather Dining Hall
($18 per dinner) / Alternative, only if Stan’s Que cancels:
Priest Station Café
16756 Old Priest Grade
Groveland, CA 95305
209.962.1888
Gas Stations: / Groveland Gas
18707 Main Street, Groveland, CA
209.962.6234 / Norco Texaco
3670 Main Street
Mammoth Lakes, CA
760.934.6690 / Tuolumne Meadows
Tioga Rd
Yosemite National Park, CA 209.372.8428

Pre-Expedition Diving Directions

Day 1

Directions from BCM cage at The North Face to Agnew Meadows Campground:

Start: BCM cage / The North Face, 2013 Farallon Dr, San Leandro, CA 94577

Turn left out of parking lot towards Wicks Blvd (0.3 mile)
Turn right onto Wicks Blvd (0.2 mile)
Turn left onto Manor Blvd (1.2 miles)
Manor Blvd turns right into Kesterson St (0.1 mile)
Turn left onto Beatrice St (171 ft)
Turn left onto I-880 S ramp towards I-238 S (0.7 mile)
Merge onto I-238 S (2.2 miles)
Merge onto I-580 E (29.3 miles)
Continue on I-205 E (14.6 miles)
Merge onto I-5 N (0.8 mile)
Take Exit 461 onto CA-120 E toward Manteca/Sonora (6.4 miles).
Stay in the left lane and exit onto CA-120 E / CA-99 N toward Sonora/Sacramento (1.7 miles)
Stay in the right lane and take Exit 242 for CA-120/Yosemite Ave toward Sonora (0.2 mile)
Turn right at E CA-120/E Yosemite Ave (signs for Oakdale/Sonora) (19.8 miles)
In Oakdale, turn left at E F St. Continue to follow CA-108/CA-120 (25 miles)
Turn right at CA-120 E (at Yosemite Junction)

Between Oakdale and Yosemite, CA-120 has several names: Montezuma Rd., then New Priest Grade Rd., Main St., Big Oak Flat Rd., and Old Yosemite Coulterville Rd.

Continue on CA-120 E to Entrance of Yosemite National Park (about 21 miles)
Stay on CA-120/ Big Oak Flat Rd. (about 27 miles)
Turn left at Crane Flat Station to continue on CA-120 E / Tioga Pass Rd (66.3 miles)
Turn right at CA-120 E /US-395 and continue to follow US-395 (19.8 miles)
Turn right onto Dry Creek Rd (3.2 miles)
Turn right onto Minaret Rd (dirt) (4.4 miles)
Slight left onto 3511 Forest Rd / Lookout Point Rd / Postpile Rd (dirt) (2.7 miles)
Turn right onto Agnew Meadows Rd (steep dirt road) (0.3 mile)
End: Agnew Meadows Campground

Estimated Time: 4 hours 49 minutes

Estimated Distance: 243 miles

Day 2

Driving from Agnew Meadows Campground to Shuttle Pick up area

The trailhead is right out of Agnew Meadows Campground, however, you can not leave the cars there. You must drive them to the Mammoth Mt Adventure Center or the Main Lodge Parking lot and take the Shuttle back to the campground. Shuttles runs from the Adventure Center once an hour between 7:15am – 8:15am, every 15-20 minutes between 9:00am – 5:00pm, and every 30 minutes between 5:00pm – 7:00pm every 30 minutes.

The shuttle costs $7 per adult.

See Shuttle info and map for more details.

Post-Expedition Diving Directions

Day 6

Directions from Agnew Meadows to Camp Mather: 35250 Mather Rd, Groveland, CA 95321

Take the first left onto 3511 Forest Rd / Lookout Point Rd / Postpile Rd (2.7 miles)
Veer left as the forest rd turns into Minaret Rd (4.4 miles)
Turn left onto Mammoth Scenic Loop (2.7 miles)
Continue onto Dry Creek Rd (3.2 miles)
Turn left at US-395 N 19.8 miles)
Turn left onto CA-120 W / Tioga Pass Rd (58.6 miles)
Turn right onto CA-120 W / Old Yosemite Rd at Crane Flat Station, signs for San Francisco (8.8 miles)
Continue on CA-120 past Yosemite Park Entrance/Exit
Turn right onto Evergreen Rd (7.4 miles)
Turn right onto Hetch Hetchy Rd
End: look for signs for Camp Mather Office

Estimated Time: 2 hours and 27 minutes

Estimated Distance: 108 miles

Day 7

Directions from Camp Mather to BCM cage at TNF / HOME

Head southwest on Hetch Hetchy Rd
Turn left onto Evergreen Rd (7.4 miles)
Turn right onto CA-120 W / Big Oak Flat Rd (25.9 miles)
Veer right to stay on CA-120 W down New Priests Grade (13.7 miles)
Slight left to stay on CA-120 W (sighs for Oakdale) (3.5 miles)
Turn left at CA-108 W / CA-120 W (25 miles)
Turn right at CA-120 W / N Yosemite Ave (also called California St and Main St in Eacalon). Continue to follow CA-120 W (19.9 miles)
Turn left to merge onto CA-120 W / CA-99 S towards San Francisco 0.4 mile)
Stay right and take the exit into CA-120 W (6.3 miles)
Take the I-5 S exit toward San Francisco (2.3 miles)
Follow signs for I-205 W toward I-580 W, San Francisco) (14 miles)
Merge onto I-580 W on the right (29.5 miles)
Slight left onto I-238 N (signs for I-880) (2 miles)
Keep left at the fork, follow signs for Washington Ave (0.6 mile)
Turn left onto Washington Ave (0.2 mile)
Take the 1st right onto Beatrice St ( signs for I-880 S, San Jose, Washington Manor)
Turn right onto Kesterson St (0.1 mile)
Kesterson St turns left and becomes Manor Blvd. Continue for 1.2 miles
Turn right onto Wicks Blvd (0.2 mile)
Turn left onto Farallon Dr.
The North Face will be on your right

Estimated Time: 3 hours

Estimated Distance: 153 miles

Getting Acquainted with Camp Mather

Upon Arrival & Parking

Park at the main office located near the general store. Check in at the office, telling them you’re a Big City Mountaineers group and ask for the camp manager, Claudia Reinhart. Claudia will show you were you can set up camp.

Sleeping Arrangements

You will need to use your BCM and personal tents, sleeping bags, and pads. Because we ask you to do laundry and clean the gear (clothes, sleeping bags, tents, etc) on day 6 of your expedition, we understand that you’ll need to use some of the gear after it is clean. This is ok! Please be very considerate of who will be using the gear after you; be sure to continue using the sleeping bag liners, as you are not supposed to wash the sleeping bags in the laundry machines. When you pack up the tents for the final time, please just be sure to shake them out completely and wipe off access dirt so the next group can use them. Let BCM staff know exactly what is returning to our warehouse dirty.

Water Source

You will be near one of Camp Mather’s 4 bath houses where you can use toilets, showers, and get drinking water. There is also a laundry facility near the bath house where you should do laundry. There is a deep wash bin in the laundry room where you can clean your cooking utensils, water bottles, and other gear.

Cooking and Dishes

Take a break from cooking on night 6! You’ll be having your celebration dinner catered to Camp Mather by Stan’s Que (bbq). Pam and Stan Morgan have been serving BCM meals for several years; Pam was born and raised in East Oakland and now manages their restaurant in the foothills of Groveland.

Please call Pam from the Camp Mather office phone no later than 4pm on day 6 to confirm where your group will be at 5pm; this is so she can deliver your celebration dinner. She can be reached at (209) 403-2826.

Please remember to wash your group dishes and utensils at Camp Mather before you depart on day 7. Breakfast on Day 7 should be picked up on the road home.

Gathering Locations

No specific information is available. The camp manager, Claudia, can give you some ideas for private meeting places. Feedback would be great!

How to Handle Garbage

There will be bear-proof garbage receptacles in the campground, as well as bear bins. Please be sure to store and dispose of food and garbage appropriately to protect the wildlife in the area.

See the included map of Camp Mather for a general layout of the facility.

Camp Mather Rules and Guidelines

Camp Mather is a family camp operated by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, and is a vacation spot for many. Please be extremely mindful of this environment while you’re staying at Camp Mather on Day 6. Keep in mind the challenges that arise when you’re in a new space with different people and lots of distractions, and remember the many objectives you need to reach with your group on the last days of the expedition. Keeping interactions with other campers to a minimum is a good idea. All of BCM’s policies still apply while at Camp Mather.

Camp quite hours are from 10:30 pm to 7:00 am. Please lower your voices and music after 10:30 pm. No basketball playing after 9:00 pm.

Camp Mather staff especially request you do not write or carve your name, poetry, or drawings, etc. on any surfaces, structures, or trees.

Organized activities put on by Camp Mather, including teen recreation events in the dining hall, are NOT for BCM participants.

At Camp Mather only (NOT during your backpacking expedition), swimming in the pool or lake is allowed when 2 Camp Mather lifeguards are on duty. Swimmers must pass the swimming test either in the pool (15 year olds and younger) or in the lake (16 year olds and older, including adults). The swim test schedule will be posted at the pool and the Office. The pool hours are posted at the pool and the Office. The hours are subject to change due to staffing and/or the weather conditions.

Please do not purchase meals in the Dining Hall, and monitor purchases in the General Store.

Wear close-toed shoes around the camp.

Watch out for poison oak, tent stakes, and wildlife (bears and rattlesnakes).

Do not feed wildlife.

Keep all food, drink and snack items in the bear canisters or lockers. Do not put food in tents.

Securing the screen door tent flap inside the tent each time you enter or depart will help reduce the number of bugs that come into the tent.

Please don’t smash mosquitoes or other bugs against the tent wall.

Keep tents DEET-Free. Check types of bug repellent brought by team members. DEET will deteriorate tent material. Please keep the following in mind if using it: Apply repellent to the back of your hands for applying to other parts of your body. This will keep the DEET off the palm of your hands and thus off the tents and gear.

Also, please apply DEET only when you are outside and away from the tents.

Wear sunscreen.

Please don’t use candles, stoves, or open flames in the tents.

Wash dishes in the laundry area wash bins if possible. Otherwise please wash dishes in the buckets provided by BCM at the tent site.

Make sure to “sweep” the camp area when you leave for home. Shake out the tents and ground tarps. Make sure everything is packed in an orderly fashion. Make sure all the trash is removed, and nothing is left behind. Remember that another group will be using the same gear after you, so please pack things neatly, the way you would want to receive them.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Post-Trip Responsibilities

Cleaning Gear

Please refer to the Backpacking Trip Gear Cleaning Instructions in the instructor binder.

Laundry (coin operated)

Towels

Fleece: tops, pants, hats, and gloves

Long Underwear

Rain gear: jackets and pants

Sleeping bag liners

Showers

Showers and bathrooms are available in the nearby Bath House.

Celebration Dinner

Stan’s Que will cater barbeque (and vegetarian options), sides dishes, desserts, and beverages to you at Camp Mather. Please call Pam Morgan to confirm delivery: (209) 403-2826.

Before Leaving Camp Mather:

Make sure you thoroughly shake out BCM tents and pack them neatly as they will be used again for the next expedition. Please separate any remaining gear that hasn’t been cleaned so BCM staff are sure to take care of it back at the warehouse. Call the CA Regional Program Manager as soon as possible with your estimated time of arrival.

Instructor Paperwork

Refer to the Paperwork Checklist in the instructor binder.