The compilation of albums below are from one trip to the Sierra Nevada in Eastern California in August of 2014.
The Range of Light
At 14,505 feet, Mt. Whitney is the tallest mountain in the Sierra Nevada Range and in the United States outside of Alaska. After two nights camping at the Whitney Portal campgrounds, I attempted to summit Whitney in one day, hiking the “Mountaineer’s Route” on a day permit. Although one too many misidentified landmarks and wrong turns put the summit…
Hiker’s Dessert
A short drive from Bishop, California lies an 11,700 ft mountain topped with a distinctive summit cone of brown scree. The aptly named Chocolate Peak is surrounded by a system of small lakes and proved to be a scenic acclimatization hike in the John Muir Wilderness. Chocolate Peak, CA
The Devil’s Own Geology
These curious basalt prisms, hexagonal in cross-section and up to hundreds of feet tall, have long evoked demonic comparisons. Located within the Ansel Adams Wilderness of the Inyo National Forest, the Devil’s Postpile National Monument is home to these strange geometrical columnar formations as well as Rainbow Falls, a 100 foot waterfall. Devil’s Postpile National Monument “I am sure…
John Muir Wilderness
Outside of Bishop, CA, in the John Muir Wilderness of the Inyo National Forest, lies a placid alpine lake. Ruby Lake sits at over 11,000 feet and is the perfect destination for a high altitude acclimatization hike. Ruby Lake, CA “One day’s exposure to mountains is better than cartloads of books. See how willingly Nature…
Tufaceous Limnology
Located between Yosemite National Park and the Nevada border is an ancient saline lake, named after the county in which it lies. Mono Lake, which was formed about three-quarters of a million years ago, has no outlets to the ocean. Consequently, the lake has a lot of salt build-up and is very alkaline. This has…
Ghost Town
During a recent trip to the Sierra Nevada of Eastern California, I visited the abandoned ghost town of Bodie. Located near the Nevada border, Bodie was once a thriving gold mining town with a population of about 10,000. Now a state park, you can walk around the remaining buildings and peek in windows, peering into the past to…
What do you see in them thar hills?
In the Owens Valley, between the city of Lone Pine, CA, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains lies a curious geographical formation. Weathered rocks reminiscent of shapes ranging from a T-rex to a Mobius strip make up a strange and unique landscape. The site of numerous feature films, Alabama Hills are the subject of a local…