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Before the Field Trip -- Drama

We had some drama before the trip started.  The massive Garnet forest fire (over 60,000 acres, started by a lightning strike,  burning large areas of beetle infested and dead trees for 32 days ) produced thick smoke that flowed into the places we were planning to visit, in the Eastern Sierra, producing terrible air quality and poor visibility.  We developed a Plan B, where the dates would stay the same but the trip would be to Big Sur and Monterey.  Fortunately, thunderstorms and firefighters largely contained the fire 10 days before the trip was to start, and fully contained the fire 5 days before the trip started.

The original Eastern Sierra Trip was to start with a meetup on October 1 in Oakhurst, so on the following day we would enter Yosemite through the south entrance, go to Glacier Point and make great photography stops through Yosemite, ending the day at Mono Lake and taking lodging & dinner in Mammoth Lakes.  As of Sept 26, it looked likely Yosemite would not admit visitors due a a Federal Shutdown starting on Oct 1 . The plan was changed to starting in Bridgeport on October 1, so Yosemite being open or not would not impact the field trip.  Members were however able to drive through Yosemite on their return home.

Once started the trip exceeded expectations.

When talking to locals at North Lake, several said this was the best year for change of color in memory.  We arrived at the best location on the best day of the season, in an exceptional year.

See the slide show immediately below to get a taste of what we saw

The Eastern Sierra is a towering mountain range.  Mount Whitney, in the Sierra mountain range of California, is the highest point in the lower 48 states, with an elevation of 14,505 feet. Most of the lower altitudes, are covered by dry chaparral.  Most trees are evergreens in this alpine setting.  However, there are many aspens near the lakes and creeks that can produce spectacular change of color vistas.

The slide show presents what other change of color areas looked like.

Our lodging was in Mammoth Lakes at the Village Lodge, one of the best places in the area with 1, 2 or 3 bedroom apartments with fireplaces and balconies.  Great restaurants for breakfast or dinner are immediately outside the lodge.  Nightly price in the Lodge is lower than motels in Bridgeport and June Lake - as when we went was peak season for June Lake and Bridgeport, but off-season at Mammoth Lake ski resort.

While in Mammoth Lakes we had 2 surprises

- Light Snow

- A calm but large bear -  when we were visiting the Twin Falls Overlook.  Pro Tip: a Calm Bear is still a Bear

See the slide below

We visited the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest on White Mountain at about 10,000 ft elevation.  Great views along the way on the drive up the mountain - see Mt Whitney and the Sierra range.

The oldest living trees in the world are Bristlecone Pine trees in this forest.  The Methuselah Grove in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is the location of the "Methuselah", a living Great Basin bristlecone pine that is 4,857 years old -- so it was alive for a few hundred years before the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt was built.  To me, it didn't look a day over 4,100 years old.

These trees are not especially large but have other interesting features.  They are extremely slow going. Its tree rings showing growth are extremely dense - I estimate about 20 times more dense than redwoods.  They can take very twisted shapes.

A few photos here

We visited Bodie, the famous ghost town that is now a California State Park.  This has been a long favorite location for photographers, and little of it has been spoiled.

See below