Took a quick swing off of US 395 heading south to Mammoth onto CA 158/June Lake Loop:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/VG0ZHB
There isn't really much to CA 158 aside from a couple reservoirs and lots of mountain scenery. I'll go through the maps and sort out the route history this weekend. What I can say is that CA 158 is very well signed and very well maintained. CA 158 seems to have very little to no damage from the winter storms, although there was some wandering Caltrans crews that I couldn't pin down on what they were actually doing. Cool little route and it doesn't hurt I like to stop at June Lake Junction for lunch.
CA 158 was originally unsigned LRN 111 before it was given an actual signed number during the renumbering. 158 is essentially unchanged from the original alignment which was apparently was adopted in 1933, this can be seen on the 1935 Mono County Road Map:
http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~247318~5515370:Mono-County-?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:california%2Bdivision%2Bof%2Bhighways;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=50&trs=163
The change from unsigned LRN 111 to CA 158 can be seen on the 1963 and 1964 State Highway Maps:
1963 State Highway Map:
http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239528~5511852:State-Highway-Map,-California,-1963?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:caltrans;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=29&trs=86
1964 State Highway Map:
http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239525~5511850:State-Highway-Map,-California,-1964?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:caltrans;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=27&trs=86
From the north terminus there are four lakes on CA 158; Grant, Silver, Gull, and June along the route. Apparently all the lakes are sub-alpine and are fed from creeks emptying out of the eastern Sierras. Apparently the section of roadway south from the north terminus of CA 158 was constructed during 1915 to Silver Lake for a hydroelectric project on Rush Creek. The roadway from the southern terminus was built from June Lake Junction, past June Lake, to Silver Lake by 1924. Apparently there was enough people in 1927 at June Lake to warrant postal service.
From the northern junction of CA 158 there is a BGS indicating if the road is open or closed due to snow. Apparently the 3.5 miles from the southern terminus is only kept open during the winter.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4217/34958870043_ef3422c21d_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Vgcm7F)IMG_1935 (https://flic.kr/p/Vgcm7F) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
CA 158 is 15.8 miles in length, interestingly the little slab of asphalt behind the BGS was apparently once US 395:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4254/34958864573_79805604e6_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Vgcjun)IMG_1936 (https://flic.kr/p/Vgcjun) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
There are some nice head on views of the eastern Sierras before reaching Grant Lake:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4262/34927759304_a1f477f492_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VdrTYC)IMG_1937 (https://flic.kr/p/VdrTYC) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4213/34927753844_aa3a833d23_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VdrSmu)IMG_1938 (https://flic.kr/p/VdrSmu) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
After this short ridge 158 comes to Grant Lake:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4213/34927749394_f6a8e4de1b_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VdrR2L)IMG_1939 (https://flic.kr/p/VdrR2L) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4257/35727874296_7396b8d366_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Wr9GhG)IMG_1942 (https://flic.kr/p/Wr9GhG) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
158 follows Grant Lake before descending into a small canyon on the approach to Silver Lake:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4235/35727864386_210265d648_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Wr9DkQ)IMG_1945 (https://flic.kr/p/Wr9DkQ) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4149/35727860936_2632a5bf5c_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Wr9Cjm)IMG_1946 (https://flic.kr/p/Wr9Cjm) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4127/35727900126_f5523cdc14_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Wr9PY3)IMG_1949 (https://flic.kr/p/Wr9PY3) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4123/35727898106_9227aeed46_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Wr9Pnd)IMG_1950 (https://flic.kr/p/Wr9Pnd) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Approaching Gull Lake the roadway along 158 becomes much more populated with resorts and people:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4287/34958829223_dd03604a0a_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Vgc8YT)IMG_1951 (https://flic.kr/p/Vgc8YT) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Despite resembling an actual town, June Lake isn't incorporated:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4259/35769024925_627b83c80b_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/WuMAWi)IMG_1953 (https://flic.kr/p/WuMAWi) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4115/35769021035_71b21e3a08_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/WuMzMe)IMG_1954 (https://flic.kr/p/WuMzMe) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Which of course is next to the actual lake of the same name with CA 158 running above the southern shore:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4131/35727840736_9859ec8a3f_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Wr9wj5)IMG_1957 (https://flic.kr/p/Wr9wj5) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
CA 158 drops from June Lake approaching US 395 at the southern terminus:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4110/34927785794_1196512393_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Vds2Rm)IMG_1959 (https://flic.kr/p/Vds2Rm) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4065/34958784743_39d692cbe6_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VgbUKZ)IMG_1960 (https://flic.kr/p/VgbUKZ) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
With a nice CA 158 END at June Lake Junction:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4139/35768990475_9126ce0780_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/WuMqGk)IMG_1961 (https://flic.kr/p/WuMqGk) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
I like to stop at June Lake Junction usually to get lunch since the deli has some pretty good sandwiches. I noticed some oddities while I was having lunch with a vanity plate that was pretty specific:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4257/35598935492_a2f88c7053_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/WeKRgS)IMG_1962 (https://flic.kr/p/WeKRgS) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
And the super rare Cadillac Durango H2:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4230/35769002825_fc99b0eeaf_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/WuMung)IMG_1963 (https://flic.kr/p/WuMung) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Might not be very clear but looking back towards the Sierra that minor rain storm I ran into on the Tioga Pass Road finally caught up with me:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4096/35598929152_d728d3ca5d_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/WeKPoy)IMG_1964 (https://flic.kr/p/WeKPoy) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr