This was our first vacation/road trip with Addy and Sasha, our beloved but occasionally naughty and rambunctious Akitas. We weren't sure how they would handle it, being the homebodies/couch potatoes that they normally are but, I have to say that, in the end, they and we really enjoyed the experience of being outdoors in alpine environments where the weather was so much more temperate and pleasant than here in SoCal in July. I was, as usual, in hog heaven photographing all the wildflowers, even though it wasn't quite a banner year in the Eastern Sierras, despite the so-called "Godzilla" El Nino that was actually hit-and-miss here in our state. And, of course, there were all those creeks and lakes that Addy and Sasha couldn't get enough of (notwithstanding the fact that they also liked to trample through the adjacent muddy, boggy areas before jumping back into the 4Runner). As usual, I took WAY too many pictures - almost 2,000. So, I've broken the trip up into separate posts by day, featuring only a few of the highlights. Gil & I were dog-tired after the trip but the dogs weren't - go figure! But we'd do it again...
9am Saturday morning of 7/2/16. Geared up and ready to head off on our first road trip/vacay with the fur babies.
Pearsonville - a fav must-stop for gassing up, stretching legs, etc., just past
the Inyo/Kern County line on Hwy. 395
View of the Red Hill cinder cone in the Coso lava field, a few miles north of Pearsonville.
Haiwee Reservoir on the east side of Hwy. 395 south of Owens Lake, Inyo County
Olancha - famous for Gus' "Really Fresh Jerky" just south of Owens Lake.
Owens Lake
Owens Lake
Owens Lake
Owens Lake
Owens Lake
Lone Pine
Whitney Portal Road from Lone Pine
Whitney Portal Road
Passing through the Alabama Hills on Whitney Portal Road
Alabama Hills
Alabama Hills
Alabama Hills
Alabama Hills
Turnoff to Horseshoe Meadows Road from Whitney Portal Road
Horseshoe Meadows Road
Ascending Horseshoe Meadows Road
Horseshoe Meadows Road
Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius), the ubiquitous Eastern Sierra shrub bedecked with its distinctively fuzzy achene fruit
Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius) growing between Manzanitas (Arctostaphylos ssp.) and Red Fir (Abies magnifica). Horseshoe Meadows Rd.
Bridge's Penstemon (Penstemon rostriflorus), Horseshoe Meadows Road
Red Fir (Abies magnifica), Horseshoe Meadows Day Use Area
Red Fir (Abies magnifica), Horseshoe Meadows Day Use Area
Horseshoe Meadows Day Use Area
Horseshoe Meadows Day Use Area
Horseshoe Meadows Day Use Area
Trailhead to Horseshoe Meadows and Cottonwood Pass
Trail to Horseshoe Meadows from parking area
Colville's Gentian (Frasera tubulosa), trail to Horseshoe Meadows
Addy, sniffing out a potential pee pee spot to mark his turf
Entering the Golden Trout Wilderness!
Sasha, poised for troublemaking.
Sulfur Buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum), trail to Horseshoe Meadows
Mousetail Ivesia (Ivesia santolinoides), gravelly area before the meadows
Sierra Juniper (Juniperus occidentalis), trail to Horseshoe Meadows
Brewer's Lupine (Lupinus breweri), trail to Horseshoe Meadows
Sierra Evening Primrose (Oenothera xylocarpa), trail to Horseshoe Meadows
Penstemon species, trail to Horseshoe Meadows
One-seeded Pussypaws (Calyptridium monospermum), gravelly area at Horseshoe Meadows
Pumice Hulsea/Alpinegold (Hulsea vestita), gravelly area at Horseshoe Meadows
Horseshoe Meadows
The very tiny Skunky Monkeyflower (Mimulus nanus var. mephiticus), growing in a gravelly area near Cottonwood Creek Skunky monkeys are what Addy & Sasha smelled like after swimming in the creek (not from the water, but just cuz they're dogs).
Alpine Goldenrod (Solidago multiradiata), Horseshoe Meadows
I'm not really thirsty but, hey, this is some really good s**#&%&!!
Cottonwood Creek
Can't get enough of this s**#&%&!! Mo' betta than stupid tap water - I'll need rehab after this trip!
Cottonwood Creek
My dastardly bro has led me to the dark side.
But I'm a wader, not a drinker...
Alpine Pussytoes (Antennaria media) growing with Club-Moss Ivesia (Ivesia lycopodiodes), Horseshoe Meadows
Cottonwood Creek at Horseshoe Meadows. Think soundtrack to "The Sound of Music"
Slender Cinquefoil (Potentilla gracilis), Horseshoe Meadows
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Horseshoe Meadows
Hey, there's a husky off leash across the creek and we're wondering why we can't be, too! Well, try obeying mom and dad once in a while, then we'll discuss off leash...
Still staring wistfully at the off-leash husky
Alpine Shooting Stars (Primula tetrandra), Horseshoe Meadows
Alpine Sheep Sorrel (Rumex paucifolius), Horseshoe Meadows
Horseshoe Meadows
Clubmoss Mousetail (Ivesia lycopodioides), Horseshoe Meadows
Western Wallflower (Erysimum capitatum), trail to Horseshoe Meadows
Mountain Parsley (Oreonana clementis), Horseshoe Meadows
Sierra Penstemon (Penstemon heterodoxys), Horseshoe Meadows
Addy, the creek addict, back in the creek
Gil looks wiped out after handling the rambunctious fur babies at 10,000 ft. elevation
Green leaf Manzanita (Arctostaphylos patula), descending Horseshoe Meadow Road
Paintbrush (Castilleja ssp.), descending Horseshoe Meadow Rd
Heavenly Blue (Eriastrum densifolium), lower elevations of Horseshoe Meadow Rd
Inyo Wild Buckwheat (Eriogonum latens), Horseshoe Meadow Rd
Descending Horseshoe Meadow Rd
East side of Hwy. 395 between Lone Pine and Bishop
Entering the city limits of Bishop at 5:30pm. What do those dark clouds portend? Actually not much - just a few micro drops of rain and some extra humidity. The adventure continues...
No comments:
Post a Comment