Natural Perspectives:Keeping cool in the Eastern Sierras

We love Southern California’s San Bernardino Mountains, but for real mountain majesty you can’t beat the Eastern Sierras. They’re a mere day’s drive away, perfect for a long weekend getaway.

Vic leads his birding class for seniors to Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite for a spectacular finale field trip. This past weekend marked the end of the summer session at Irvine Valley College, which meant it was time for one last weekend of mountain birding.

We drove to Mammoth Lakes last Friday after teaching our respective morning classes ? natural history for Vic and conservation awareness for me. We were delightfully delayed for departure by a surprise visit from our son Scott and his wife, Nicole. They brought with them our adorable 7-month-old twin grandbabies, Allison and Lauren. Their news is that the babies have an agent! They were on their way back home after a second audition for a part in a commercial in Los Angeles. We’ll let you know if they get the job.

Vic and I spent a few hours in horrendous rush-hour traffic through Corona and San Bernardino on Friday afternoon, but the rest of the trip north was easy sailing. We made it to Mammoth in eight hours, about two hours longer than it takes if traffic cooperates.

Vic dragged me out of bed at an unholy hour on Saturday so we could meet his class at 6 a.m. at the Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center just north of Lee Vining. Rose-colored clouds announced the imminent arrival of the sun, which chased the last twinkling stars from the cool lavender sky. Almost on signal, dozens of cliff swallows emerged from their nests under the eaves of the visitor center. Swarms of swallows set about their day’s work of catching insects on the wing to feed their hungry babies.

Our next stop was Mono Lake County Park just north of the visitor center. We took a short hike down to Mono Lake, past tufa towers that are prehistoric relics of underwater springs. Vic and his class were delighted with flocks of Wilson’s phalaropes, cinnamon teal and yellow-headed blackbirds. I had a good time photographing white bog orchids and other wildflowers.

Vic had arranged for educational passes into Yosemite National Park, which is where we spent most of the day. We drove up and over Tioga Pass, picnicking by Tenaya Lake. On our way back, we stopped to enjoy Tuolumne Meadows and other stops. The short drive to Saddlebags Lake along Lee Vining Creek is one of our favorite side trips.

On Sunday, Vic and his class started the day at 6 a.m. at the Minarets vista point and Devils Postpile. They hiked to Rainbow Falls, enjoying good birding along the way. Some highlights were black swift, calliope hummingbird and black-backed woodpecker.

I spent Sunday on my own. I shopped for some new hiking shorts in Mammoth, then drove up Old Mammoth Road to the Lake Mary area. At the Poko- nobe Resort, I lounged in an Ad- irondack chair by the lake, watch- ing drifting clouds cast shadows on the cold granite peaks. Sometimes the most delightful thing to do is nothing at all.

At Horseshoe Lake, many trees had been killed by the carbon dioxide that is seeping out of Mammoth Mountain. Magma lies close to the surface in this volcanically active region. There are frequent micro-earthquakes, most too small to be felt. Someday Mammoth probably will blow, but no one knows when. Meanwhile, it is a beautiful place to visit.

I stopped at Twin Lakes to eat my picnic lunch. I was lucky enough to get a table with a view of the spectacular waterfall that feeds Twin Lakes. Lake Mary Road took me back to the town of Mammoth Lakes, but I wasn’t finished exploring. I had one more place to visit, a geological site that I’ve always wanted to see.

I drove down Highway 203 to Highway 395, headed north and turned left on Obsidian Dome Road. I traveled on a good dirt road about a half mile to Obsidian Dome. This volcanic butte towers 100 feet or more over the surrounding forest of Jeffrey pines. Giant blocks of obsidian laced with layers of pumice and red rhyolite lay everywhere. If volcanic magma cools slowly underground, it forms granite. But if the magma pushes to the surface and cools quickly, as it did there, the result is obsidian, pumice and rhyolite.

Sunday evening, the class gathered for pizza in one of the condos where some of the students were staying. Vic went over the bird list for the weekend, tallying up 65 species. We had a marvelous time socializing while lightning flashed in the distance, thunder shook the building, and rain lashed the windows.

Typically, mornings in the mountains are lovely, while afternoons promise thunder- storms. True to form, Monday dawned clear and beautiful. Even at this time of year in the Sierras, gray granite peaks are covered with large patches of snow. As the snow melts, water cascades down steep slopes, creating beautiful waterfalls. The profusion of wildflowers forms a lush palette of colors splashed over green moraines.

We try to go to the Eastern Sierras once or twice every year. This time, we returned home to find Southern California sweltering in record-breaking heat. We’ll let memories of glacier-fed streams tumbling through fragrant pine forests keep us cool.