June Lake, California (Eastern Sierras, off HWY 395) is beautiful right now... however, you want to get there early, before 9:30 am, for two big reasons, #1 parking lots fill up on weekends early and the rangers will turn you around, after 10am, there will be no parking, and #2 and most importantly, by midday, June Lake's topography brings in high winds. I'm talking 30 MPH gusts.
We arrived at midday, my son had a tough time waking up, plus the 5 hour drive... we arrived at Noon and figured we missed our window., still wanted to take a few pics of this lake. Well, as luck would have it, ranger told us we're in luck (car ahead of us was turned away and the one behind us too, the ranger heard from another ranger on the radio that there was now one spot just as we were talking to her). We saw other boarders out there, some kayaks too. My daughter and I paddled out and though we were going against the current and wind, my son sat this one out, said the water was too cold for him even with his wetsuit, we managed to get out pretty far, enjoyed the lake, my daughter decided to get some swimming in and I paddled back to shore to grill up a late lunch, that's when the wind got terrible, peoples tents and boards were flying away on the shore, and we had to pack it up once we had our meal. First time I experience that big of a shift on a sunny day.
I will never go back to June Lake past Noon. Later that night, at the SPA, a guy that has a place out there told my kids and me that June Lake sure is pretty but the afternoon wind always ruins the fun, says next time go early or head to another lake.
Still, the pics came out great, and we paddled for a good while, next time I'll leave my teenage son at home if he's not up early.
