After visiting the state park, the road sign said 13 miles to Lee Viking - very rough road.
Should it be back the same way we came 3 miles on rough road, or 13 on very rough road?
Of course, we took the very rough. The rough road seemed not-too-rough, so the very rough maybe be just about rough. What’s the point of an SUV anyway?
Indeed the road wasn’t bad at all - dirt road, but wide enough, and plain. Plain not smooth. That was the rough part.
We passed by cars braving the road.
Stopped after the while to let the tire pressure low.
Rebecca has dozed off by then, and we managed to get lost. The directions led to a ranch with fiercely barking dogs, and then a road that seem to go
for ever. We could see 395 running parallel far away. So, weren’t back about 2 miles and then took another route. The sun was setting, and we wanted to
Set up camp before dark. Mono lake as usual looks splendid and serene. It looked wider to me than I remembered. 40 feet below its original level, it
Waters Los Angeles. Stopped by for coffee and air for the wheels. Decided to set up camp before hunting dinner.
Bishop is at 4000 odd feet elevation, and further Big pine is at 7000 odd feet, while the bristlecone forest is at 10,000 feet.
Ideally it is good to acclimatize at a slightly lower altitude before moving to higher ground.
Actually that would be a sensible thing to do.
Of course we weren’t so concerned.
We drove past Bishop, bright lights, and shops. Galen and Barbara Rowell's Mountain light gallery on the main street. Wasn’t Bishop a small town that
Friends of ours who had earlier lived complained about. Didn’t look small to me, there's a big casino, signs of parks and campgrounds, hotels and shops.
Signs of the tri-county fair. We even spotted the fairgrounds, small tents all shut down for the night.
Nah, we want to go to the mountains. Hoping we would get an empty spot.
The bristlecone forest is high on the White Mountains off 168 easts from Big Pine which is about 15 miles from Bishop. The difference is in the
Elevation. But then who cares with the destination being so close?
We noted a county campground board, but decided to check the White Mountains first.
Stopped off the turn for the visitor information center with a Hugh American flag.
Rebecca woke up, and soon we drove off.
No services for the next 57 miles the sign warned. We crossed the road that diverts to 75 miles off to Death Valley. Taken that road 3 years back, but
is still just as exciting.
Harsh weather places that you need to be overly cautious about as you travel. Fuel, food, importantly water.
We drove with an occasional car in the opposite direction in the canyon. A part of it is very steep - steep canyon that is. Most trees looked like small
Shrubs or even dwarfed trees.
I was concerned about the temperature drop and the dreaded winds I had read about. Didn’t want to wake up in a windy tent in the high mountains.
We drove in silence in the dark. The moon was up and bright, highlighting the canyon walls. Rebecca was unusually quite. Dharma mentioned acute
Mountain sickness that he had read about in the visitor's center. I wondered if the darkness around and the shadow of the canyons and the trees in the
Moonlight bothered her.
We reached the 10,000 ft elevation but seemed to drive forever. Where did the 3 campgrounds go? Where they unmarked to discourage too much traffic?
We drove back and located the Grandview campsite. This was supposed to be the best. When we wake up, the bristle cone would be right there facing us in
the sunrise.
It was hard to figure if there was an available spot in the campsites. Were the stumps marking the sites? Should there be numbered spots? We stopped at
at least 3 stops in confusion and looped back to the entrance. Dharma got out to check on foot, and Rebecca was just happy to get out of her car seat.
She moved to the drivers seat and promptly threw up and cried. In the silence of the place, her cries were magnified loud and clear through the night air.
We decided this was just not right, and drove down immediately. I sat with Rebecca making her talk. Forget camping, let’s check in a hotel, and get her
to recover and comfortable, forget camping. We drove to all the hotels and motels we could see on Bishop. No luck. All rooms booked for the tricounty
fair. The family campgrounds in Big Pine were crowded and revolting. We stopped by the casino parking lot, the camping guide said try the county
Campgrounds further to Bishop, and so off went back and mercifully found it just the place we wanted.
Already the altitude difference was great.
This is a big campsite with fewer compspot, so each spot was spacious and just right. We pitched the tent, and went to sleep. Streams of water was
running closely. The sounds lulling us to sleep.
We woke up early, Rebecca in good spirits. The White Mountains seemed tall and hugh right in front. Everyone else seemed to be part of the southern
California Ford Broncho club. hugh RVs, tough looking men and women, with a hint of a smile and their mean machines.
We made tea, took our time sipping it with marmalade sandwiches and packed back the tent.
No more rush.
Let’s just relax and keep a steady pace. No rush.
The plan was to drive to the ancient cove, hike a short one, and come back to the lower altitude.
No hanging around at 10,000 ft.
In the bright morning light, the drive seemed altogether different. We were relaxed and refreshed keeping a close watch on Rebecca. Any sign of
Difference in her behavior, and we would call off the hike.
Mercifully she was happy and chirpy as usual.
What a great relief. Children can be a nuisance with their energy levels, yet it is a million times better than an unusual quietness. The silence can be
deafening, the mind fears the unspeakable.
The sun was bright, and day was brilliant. Deep blue skies, white brilliant clouds, the air clean and the breeze and temperature just right.
Wow, is that wonderful or what. Just for a slice of sheer perfection in the mountains.
I shot a prayer of gratefulness. For the simple pleasures of living. For the health to travel and to enjoy the incredible.
We stopped by the picnic area, there was piñon , duglous fir and bristle cone trees all over. Beautiful spot, finished lunch, and decided to go for a 1
mile self-discovering nature trail.
Another car stopped by, and a boy, maybe 12 years old darted out. He spotted a cactus plant in excitement and shouted for us to see it too. over
Enthusiastic brat I thought, I couldn’t see his parents anywhere.
We put back out stuff, and started the nature trail. It is a challenge to keep Rebecca on the trail; her excitement takes her off to collect grass,
Stone, leaf, branch. The soil is dry and loose; the terrain is rough yet almost fragile. A short walk brings us to the open mountain facing the sierras.
far away, yet imposing and majestic. A little snow on top.
Miles away from home, ten thousand feet high up; it’s a great place to be.
We walked by reading the posted information on the native plants and interesting fact, passing another cactus, and then the Mormon tree plant. The
tea plant has bright green straight thin pipe like leaves, and looks like a bunch of green threads tied at the bottom. I picked a tiny bit and smelled
it, wonderful aroma. idea for a smoothing cuppa. Guess what the puiate Indians drank the tea since it could cure colds, rheumatism and kidney problems.
Whoa!
Wise natives knew its usage well.
Another was the pinecone, the Indians roasted them so it was eerier to break, and you needed to break open the cone, to remove the seeds 9 or nut. The
cone is hard, and has somewhat sharp edges; I have a whole new respect for the pine nut now.
and then comes the boy eagerly asking ' Have you seen the beaver tail cacti?
Oh, so this is a cactus seeker I thought.
How shallow first impressions can be.
He walked with a HP digital camera around his neck, his father carrying a bulky hogen tripod, and a contax camera. Started with, have you seen?
Beaver tail anywhere?'
What?
Beavertail cactus - you know the stems are flat resembling the tail of a beaver, that's why it’s called so. Have you seen any?
Nope, have you?
He went on rapidly about the two we had in fact seen earlier.
We chatted for a while on the native plants, the weather, and survival classes in France. About growing up in Netherlands with British English and
American accents, the French castles.
in these places, you should always wear shirts with full sleeves, and full pants, and a hat. the UV rays are very strong, and you can be bit by a
Scorpion. If you are in the middle of a desert, and don’t have water, then cactus can save you. Just cut the stem, and drink the liquid. you will live.
Oh, there are poisonous cacti in Death Valley, don’t touch them.
If you don’t know whether a cactus is poisonous or not, dig a shallow hole on the ground, cut the stem, and pour the liquid inside the hole. leave it
like that till the next day, the water will distill, and you can drink that.
Phew!
Interesting kid.
Very friendly. He showed me his pet hamster pictures.
It’s always a pleasure to meet kids like that. The world in their radar, confident and curious instead of the burdens of peer pressure and video
games.
We read and noticed Indian rice grass, Mormon tea, Utah junipers, piñon and firs, wrapped up the walk, and drove to Schulman grove. Dr. Edmund
Schulman discovered the bristle cone pines east of the Sierra Nevada, and the grove with he oldest bristle cone is given his name. These are the oldest
living trees on earth. The trees survive in the poorly nourished, alkaline soil with a minimum of moisture. In fact, the trees longevity is linked to
these inhospitable conditions. The younger trees have softer tissues, and may not live as long as the older ones. The forest is eroding away instead of
decaying. The 4,723 year-old Methuselah tree is the oldest. The biblical Methuselah lived only 900 plus years, and was the oldest man on earth.
40 centuries. Phew!
The trees live in harsh surroundings. High mountains, lots of snow, winds at high speeds, and they are fragile and irreplaceable.
We chose to hike the 4.5 mile trail, and the initial mile was the steepest.
A couple of young boys ran the trail, leaving their parents behind. We crossed each other every time either they or we took stopped for a while. Apart
from them, there are 2 more couples we met or saw on the way. No one else in the vast forest.
The first 2 miles were okay, till Dharma noticed slight discomfort in his knee. Since the trail was narrow, and the mountainside was steep, we didn’t
want to let Rebecca down. went slow the nest mile, and then let her down the last mile and a half. She walked with excitement.
The trees are twisted, exposing their roots and stem, standing in dignity as time passes still living, their shape polished by winds, snow and sand.
The soil is very dry, the views spectacular.
as we hiked, the scenery was wonderful, across us, the sierras looked shorter, although they stand more than 2000 ft higher. looked to the valley far
way, was that a dry lake there?
Away from the maddening crowd.
You need to be there to experience that.
high up in the White Mountains, it does have a kinda spooky feel, inspite of the clear sky and the wonderful weather.
We made out way back to the car, satisfied to finish the hike. Dharma's knee was aching a bit more, it was almost 5 o'clock, and we drove off to camp.
filled the tank at Bishop, and decided to camp in the mountains further west instead. 4000 ft was still warmer than the 10,000 odds.
The tall trees campground was closed, we wondered if we would have to drive back all the way again. Mercifully the next one was a small and still
mostly unoccupied. We quickly set u-p the tent, and started the charcoal fire starter.
Struggled to get the fire going, the paper caught on, but the charcoal was still stubborn. It was getting dark.
Waited, watched and tried everything, no avail.
Our neighbor campers proved very helpful. When dharma went over to ask them if firewood was available anywhere closely, the man came over leaving his
dinner immediately. The cut the wood pieces with his small axe into smaller twig sizes, rolled newspapers, placed the small pieces over, and lit. Whoa!
That was quick, the fire was roaring high in minutes. His wife came over, and we chatted for a while.
Thanks to him, we grilled our stuff.
Small mercies that make a difference.
I had emptied the veggies in my refrigerator, so we had grilled asparagus, zucchinis, tomatoes, white onions, corn
along with the marinated lamb.
Sleep was easy as we were totally tired.
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