Devils Postpile to Cesar Chavez June 19-21

June 19
After a long great sleep we woke at 9:00 a.m. to the neighbours un-neutered Pit Bull howling at regular intervals. Sonaa was convinced that he was just dying to get his paws on her and she would not leave the RV. We packed up and drove the short distance down to the Grant Lake Marina.

Grant Lake Reservoir

We were in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada so the minimal rainfall led to a baked prairie landscape. The water level of this reservoir had dropped a dozen feet and we had to walk a fair way out on the dry lake-bed to get to where Sonaa could have her swim. A strenuous (for the dog) round of fetch and Sonaa was tired, wet and happy. I'm always impressed with the powerful swimming mechanics of Goldens.


We traveled a short distance south to the vacation resort of Mammoth Lake. Well, that was the plan but somehow we sailed right past the well marked entrance to the village and ended up past the Mammoth Lake Airport. You know you are headed to a high-end resort when the place has its own private airport.

Magellan suggested a 70 km turnaround route but a quick u-turn on the highway shaved off 69 km.

Emma and Sonaa at Mammoth Lake

The Mammoth Lake village complex was impressive. It has all the bells and whistles you would expect of a playground for the rich and famous. Recreation activities included world class skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking. The free-standing climbing wall in the central square was equally impressive.

Climbing wall in Mammoth Lake

For $60, we checked into the Mammoth Mountain RV Park. The facilities were excellent but Emma was not pleased at the price. However, when you go where the rich and famous play, you pay.

It was just mid-day so we headed toward Devils Postpile National Monument. Our plans changed when we were required to park our RV in the village and take a shuttle bus to the Monument. Surprisingly, dogs were allowed to ride the bus as long as  they wore a muzzle. Being a world-class resort, Mammoth Lake Village naturally carried a selection of dog muzzles in various sizes.

I should have taken a picture of the look on Sonaa's face when she was required to wear a muzzle for the first time.
"Really .... really!!! I think my masters are losing it", seemed to be the expression on her face.
Fortunately, Sonaa is as friendly and tolerant as they come. She calmly walked on the bus then started working the isle seat passengers for pats. 

The one-mile hike to Devils Postpile was an enjoyable stroll through a pine forest and adjacent meadows.

Devils Postpile is a rare sight in the geologic world. It represents one of the world's finest examples of columnar basalt. The symmetry of the columns was particularly impressive.

Emma at Devils Postpile

Devils Postpile - Detail

After viewing Devils Postpile from the bottom, we hiked around to the top of the Monument.

Columnar basalt columns when viewed from directly above

From the top of the Monument, the columns looked like a cross section of a bees' nest. Here is another application of nature's most efficient shape. The hexagonal shape (honeycomb) has been proven to be the best way to divide a surface into regions of equal area with the least total perimeter.

Middle  fork of the San Joaquin River

June 20
The morning was sunny and very hot.  This was the day we discovered that our roof-top air conditioning unit was not working. All night we lay on top of the covers as the sweat rolled off us. Ah well, RVing is an adventure say I. Emma was decidedly less stoic.

On the plus side, we were still up in the mountains and the altitude buffered us from the worst of the heat.
On the down side, we were headed south to Lone Pine which is at the west entrance to Death Valley.

The drive along the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada was one of the most scenic roads we have ever been on. The road goes up and down several thousand feet as it heads south toward Lone Pine. The four-lane highway was excellent and, at times, there was no other traffic is sight. What a pleasure it was to drive this route after the densely packed kamikaze traffic along the I-5. 

The valleys start out fairly high with trees and sagebrush leading up to pine forests and snow capped peaks. As you proceed southward the valley drops steadily in altitude and the trees give way to a more parched dry prairie and desert landscape.

 Manzanar National Historic Site

We arrived at Manzanar National Historic Site under a scorching hot sky. The walk just from the RV to the air conditioned barracks was intense. Fortunately for us, the truck air conditioner worked as long as the engine was running.
This location was one of the sites where Japanese-American citizens were incarcerated during World War II. It was a good reminder of how societies set aside their high-minded principles in favour of popular expedience  when they felt  threatened. The displays of this small historic site packed a big impact.

They had no air conditioning here in the 1940s. It must have been hellishly hot but the residents managed to create a thriving community while raising and educating their children.

Manzanar National Historic Site

At 3,700 feet, Lone Pine is situated in the high desert terrain of the Owen Valley. It is both the gateway to the Sierra Nevada and Death Valley.

Even in the early evening, it was boiling hot when we arrived at the Boulder Creek RV Park. The name was appropriate as the surrounding desert was mostly a collection of baked rocks. Fortunately, the park itself was well shaded with each tree having its own little earthwork moat that filled with water at night. 

Many movies have been made in the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine and the town itself has several memorabilia-filled restaurants. Given the heat we kept our sight-seeing to a minimum and hunkered down for another long hot night.

June 21
As the sun rose over the desert we packed up and headed out to skirt around the southern end of the Sierra Nevada at Bakersfield. We drove through a desert landscape of creosote bushes interspersed with a few Joshua Trees.

Red Rock Canyon

We stopped at Red Rock Canyon for brunch. We had been to this beautiful state park before but that had been in January not June. As expected the rock formations were impressive and so was the heat.

Despite the heat, the scenic desert cliffs, buttes and rock formations made me be feel privileged to be here.

Red Rock Canyon Detail

Adjacent to the visitor centre was a small water source which acted as a magnet to the local desert fauna.
In short order, I saw several desert birds and animals as they stopped by for a drink. This trip I had not been thinking in terms of seeing desert species so I was happy to spend several hours photograhing wildlife.

 58) Black-throated Sparrow

59) Cactus Wren

A Cactus Wren had build several nests in a nearby Cholla Cactus.

60) Loggerhead Shrike

Suddenly, the Black-throated Sparrow burst for cover to avoid becoming lunch. This was a very good idea as a Loggerhead Shrike arrived for a quick drink and possibly a bite to eat.

[6] Desert Cottontail

A lounging Desert Rabbit took in all the action without batting an eye.

I went back to the running RV to let Emma know that despite the 100 degree temperature I was ready to photograph here for a few hours. She suggested that I should be thinking in terms of minutes not hours.
Such is life.

We carried on to Highway 58 then west to the Cesar Chavez National Monument.

Cesar Chavez National Monument

The Cesar Chavez National Monument was established by President Obama in 2012. It recognized the extraordinary contribution of Cesar Chavez to the civil rights movement in general and the United Farm Workers Union in particular. The park included exhibits highlighting his many human rights contributions and was set in a small but well-designed garden.

Prickly Pear Cactus

We headed north up highway 99 to Visalia then east towards Three Rivers. The road went through miles of irrigated orchards then rose into the  Sierra Nevada foothills.

At Lake Kaweah, we stopped to let Sonaa have a swim.  With the ball thrower, I can launch the tennis ball about 80 yards so she got a great workout as she repeatedly retrieved it.

Sonaa in Lake Kaweah

As we climbed further into the Sierra Nevada the hillsides turned to a golden brown with green oak trees dotting the terrain.

Near to our campsite at the Sequoia RV Ranch, pine forests started to compete with the oak trees. This campground was highly recommended in Magellan and it did not disappoint.

Acorn Woodpecker

As we rolled in, there were dozens of Acorn Woodpeckers foraging among the oak trees. Clearly, there had been a bumper crop of fledgeling Acorn Woodpeckers reared here. They were making quite a racket as they flew about the site attempting to forage and also begging food from their parents.

California Ground Squirrel

California Ground Squirrels were about in large numbers and added to the lively nature scene that unfolded around our RV.

Major bonus, a mountain stream flowed through the campsite and Emma lost no time in cooling off. She loves the side stroke and paddled up and down the creek for 40 minutes.

After a long hot day, there was nothing quite like a refreshing dip in a cool mountain stream.