This is Year 26 for me on the mountain. Obviously, there are no big surprises, so I detoured a bit on the auto drive to Lone Pine. The long drive eastward through Tioga Pass is accented by the clarity of Tenaya Lake (center) as viewed from near Olmsted Point.
^ Tenaya Lake is nestled into the depression among these several domes of Yosemite granite.
^ Hot Creek
Just east of Mammoth Lakes is a favorite swimming hole for the locals. The Hot Creek Geothermal Area combines a cold mountain stream with a geothermal vent to the underlying magma just a few kilometers under the surface. Note the cold mountain stream coming from the foreground to the first pool with swimmers. Beyond that is the second pool with the most swimmers. Beyond that is the hottest vent.
^ This second pool is the most popular. Note the light blue pool beyond.
^ This is the hottest pool that drains out into the main stream. The warning signs are quite clear, "Danger".
^ This shows the steam rising into the 70 degree F air. I believe that we will all stay out of this one!
^ Continuing southbound on US Highway 395, the view from the Sherwin Grade is most spectacular. One edge of the John Muir Wilderness is on the right side of the photo and one edge of Kings Canyon National Park is in the center . On the left side is the beginning of the Owens Valley, whose water drains down toward Los Angeles.
Further south, between Independence and Lone Pine, is an interesting national historical landmark. Manzanar was one of the internment camps during World War II where Japanese aliens and Japanese-American U.S. citizens were kept. About 10,000 made up the camp population here, and over 100,000 such people were interned at all of the internment camps across the western states. After the war, they were released to return to their home towns, and the Manzanar camp was dismantled and abandoned. Now there are some concrete and stone building foundations and some structures still visible.
^ Near Lone Pine CA, the vertical relief of the Sierra Nevada Crest is most extreme. Here, the high desert is at 3700 feet elevation. The brown Alabama Hills are seen across the middle. The Mount Whitney trailhead is in the dark green patch near the center. The summit of Mount Whitney (right and above the snow) is 14,497 feet according to the latest survey.
^ This current Whitney Portal trailhead is the only one that most hikers recognize. The historic pack trail actually starts 100 yards west and is still visible. I know, I hiked on it in 1976 when it was the only one.
^ This expanse of light granite is Thor Peak. When the early dawn light hits it, it lights up Outpost Camp (10,300 feet).
^ This is the last trail junction at the south end of the John Muir Trail. Many weary backpackers have walked over 200 miles of trail to get here. Their packs are temporarily stashed here while they dash up to the Whitney summit. Yes, the view is fantastic!
^ This silver-back marmot was waiting for those unattended backpacks to be stashed at the trail junction. A marmot can quickly gnaw through the best nylon fabrics to get food.
^ The old 1909 summit hut still stands to hold the summit register. The weather was breezy and clear enough to see 100 miles and the air above 14,000 feet is clean and thin. I'll try to be back next year.
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