Dec 10

Dec 10 Our Amazing Stay at the Eastside Guesthouse and Bivy

Road Trips, Rock Climbing, Eastern Sierra

When Will and I travel to Bishop, we usually stay in our pop-up truck camper aka “The Land Yacht.” There’s so much BLM land in and around Bishop that it’s easy to set up camp almost anywhere. But this last trip went a little different and we couldn’t be happier because we discovered our new favorite place to stay on the Sierra Eastside.

For the past two years we’ve spent Thanksgiving week in Bishop. It’s my favorite time of year there because the weather is nice, the trees are turning colors, and there’s usually a fresh layer of snow on the surrounding mountains. That wasn’t the case this year. Thanksgiving week in Bishop was a full on snow storm. There was so much snow that the Buttermilks looked like a winter wonderland. There were six-foot icicles hanging down the top of many of boulders. I don’t think Bishop has seen that much snow since 1969. While the snow shut down any hope of climbing, it wasn’t going to stop us from having a good time. We got a powder day at Mammoth Mountain, ate our weight in pastries from Great Basin Bakery, found some steals at the local gear exchange, and discovered our new favorite place to stay off Highway 395: The Eastside Guesthouse and Bivy.

All of the snow and cold (it was 16 degrees at night) made camping a little uncomfortable, to say the least. We were very cold and wet. So after a few days we decided to change it up and stay at the newest hostel in town, The Eastside Guesthouse and Bivy. Neither one of us had ever stayed at a hostel before, so we didn’t know what to expect. Needless to say, the Eastside Guesthouse exceeded all of our expectations.

The sign for the Eastside Guesthouse and Bivy as seen from Main Street

The cozy common room at the Eastside Guesthouse and Bivy

Upon our arrival, we were warmly greeted by the staff members. The check-in counter is located in the common room so we both instantly noticed the fireplace in the corner and couldn’t wait to sit by it later that night. It looked so cozy and inviting and was nice to see after a few days of camping in the snow.

The rooms are named after the surrounding mountains

After checking in, we were promptly shown to our room. All of the rooms at the Eastside Guesthouse are named after the surrounding mountains, which is a nice ode to the environment. Our room was named after Basin Mountain, which is one of the most prominent peaks seen from downtown Bishop. We opted to stay in one of the Family Private Rooms, however, they also have Bunk Rooms, Deluxe Private Rooms, and Micro Private Rooms.

Morning light on a rubber rabbitbrush bush with Basin Mountain in the background

Our room at the Eastside Guesthouse and Bivy

It was so nice to be in a warm and comfortable room. We were very happy with our choice to get out of the snow…and to see a shower for the first time in a week. We easily settled in.

When morning came around, we happily helped ourselves to the complementary coffee and tea bar, located in the common area. The Eastside Guesthouse provides freshly ground coffee from Indy Coffee Roasting Company, who roast their beans right up the street. We made our coffees to go because we were headed to Mammoth Mountain for the day to ride some fresh powder. The Guesthouse is only a 45 minute drive to the base of Mammoth Mountain, making it a perfect home base for anyone coming up to ski and snowboard.

The coffee bar includes locally roasted beans

Driving north towards Mammoth on Highway 395

Here’s Burning Rubber Necklace (V4), a super fun and low traverse in the Happies

While the Buttermilks were covered in snow, we were able to sneak in an afternoon of climbing at the Happy Boulders. We were able to find some dry rock in caves and overhangs. We ended up running into a group who were also staying at the Eastside Guesthouse and shared crash pads with them.

Will climbing on Monkey Hang, a must do v3 in the Happy Boulders

One of our favorite things about the Eastside Guesthouse and Bivy is its location. Since it’s located on Main Street, it’s in walking distance to everything in downtown Bishop. In fact, it’s located right next door to the famous Erik Schat’s Bakkery. A quick walk over to Schat’s rewards you with pastries, breads, soups, sandwiches, and much much more. It’s hard not to get overwhelmed there. We ventured over to Schat’s one night to buy some chili and bread to take back to the Guesthouse to enjoy by the fire.

Working on the community puzzle. I didn’t make much progress.

Will contemplating which bread from Schat’s to take home

The Eastside Guesthouse calls themself a hostel but looks and feels more like a boutique hotel. It’s cozy and luxurious at the same time. While the snow caused us to retreat to the Eastside Guesthouse and Bivy, we'll definitely be staying there in the future, with or without snow. Whether you are traveling with your family, your significant other, or solo, consider the Eastside Guesthouse and Bivy for your next stay!