A Few More Scenes from the Sierra Mts

Sitting in front of one of the swamp coolers trying to keep cool, I decided to reminisce once again about the chilly nights and snow covered mountains a bit longer. Like birthdays, I like to stretch happy moments out as long as possible.

Traveling along Hwy 395 is so beautiful! How often can you say that a highway drive is beautiful? 

It's always inspirational to learn about the work of dedicated, passionate people who work tirelessly to save a natural place. Mono Lake is a perfect example. Go to their website to learn more about their successes and ongoing efforts. It is located at the junction of Tioga Pass which leads to  famous Yosemite.

Unfortunately, we were only here for a short visit but we managed to see an Osprey's nest with a chick....

 

...and a rare Yellow-headed Blackbird!

The great benefit of being a "birder" is that fellow birders share special places to go searching for birds. While hanging out here, I met someone who shared a nearby place to go visit.

Hot spots for birding include water treatment plants and dumps. Natural beauty isn't a requirement. Our mouths dropped once again when this was our recommended destination!!! We are keeping this pristine place a secret!!! Sorry!

Our traveling ended at Lake Tahoe. Apparently, thousands of others visit here daily as well. 

Luckily, there are places in the wilderness where people can find solitude if they are willing to put on their boots and do some hiking. I will always be thankful for those who worked hard to preserve land to be set aside in its natural state where future generations can visit but not alter the landscape. We all benefit from these special places!

 

 

Fortunately, the ranger at the USFS ranger station gave us a tip for a less traveled trail. The views were amazing! Lakes, snow covered mountains and birds singing from the highest treetops overlooking the majestic sight.

The magnet for many birders who travel is to see new birds even if they aren't appreciated where they are found. I was thrilled to see this Black-billed Magpie strutting across the lawn one day. Most birders notice other cool stuff especially when there aren't birds to see...That was the case when we found this One-eyed Sphinx Moth. It looked like tree bark until it opens up its wings revealing its beautiful eye spots!  How neat is that!

Birthday celebrations eventually come to an end. Vacation reminiscing also comes to an end. This is the last installment of my "cool" trip to the Eastern Sierra Mts( until I return once again)... Hope it helped keep you "cool" as it did me!

Click on photos to enlarge.

Photos and content by Robin Roberts.

 

 

 

Return to Winnedumah Hotel

"Independence" by Ruby Garza in Mt Whitney Fish Hatchery

Independence is a tiny town along Hwy 395. Most people pass through without stopping because they have much bigger destinations to reach...Mammoth, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe...

My Friend's Mexican Bird of Paradise Plant 

 If not for a dear friend who lives in this quaint, quiet town, we never would have discovered it!

We've stayed at Winnedumah Hotel a few times and it continues to draw us back! I love it's historic charm. Spending a night or two here encourages you to slow down the journey. Celia and Frank Montoya continue to welcome guests. On the most recent trip, we discovered that Frank is quite a storyteller with treasure hunting adventures to share!

The lobby and dining room are quite comfortable and inviting. 

We opted to stay in the room John Wayne resided while filming nearby. Lots of cowboy actors made there way here since westerns and other movies were filmed in and around Alabama Hills.

A short walking distance from the hotel, you can step back in time walking around a garden dedicated to Mary DeDecker, an early botanist in the area or Mary Austin's home, author of The Land of Little Rain (1903). Once you've seen the town, there's plenty of great hiking trails including the John Muir Trail and other places to explore like Manzanar, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest and Mt Whitney Fish Hatchery all within a short driving distance.

Few of us have positive, lasting memories staying in chain motels. Staying at the Winnedumah Hotel with Celia and Frank is a memorable experience, indeed! Best wishes to you both! Look forward to returning in the future!



Click on photos to enlarge.
Content and photos by Robin Roberts.

In the Shadow of Mt Whitney

What a majestic sight! It's been a couple of years since we've been to the Eastern Sierra Mts. The biggest change is seeing beautiful snow covered mountains, abundant flowing rivers and waterfalls.

It's difficult to climb in the higher elevations right now unless you have all the needed snow gear so we opted for a trail that begins/ends at the portal for Mt Whitney and leads down to Lone Pine campground. 

We didn't get many miles in since we were constantly stopping to enjoy the sights and sounds of the rushing streams alongside the trail.

 Our trail was full of reminders from the mountains further south including this cabin which would fit in perfectly in Idyllwild.

  

There were other familiar sights like the bright red Snow Plant peeking through the forest floor and the American Robin boldly feeding near the river.

Seeing the Steller's Jay in this position was a first. It probably was "anting" which is a behavior that involves ants crawling on the bird's feathers where the ants emit a noxious formic acid. In doing so, the ant is more tasty to the jay. Perhaps, it was sunning itself. To learn more about "anting", go to allaboutbirds.org 

The highlight of the hike started at the waterfall! While we were "feasting" our eyes on the spectacular cascading waterfall, a bird on the edge of the water caught our attention.

We recognized this little bird! We saw it for the first and only time on a stream in the Redwood forest last Summer. One unique feature besides its ability to swim underwater is the flash of white that appears when the extra eyelid is revealed.

 We observed it gather up nesting material than it flew with a full beak onto a boulder in the middle of the rushing waterfall.

What happened next was amazing! It flew straight into the waterfall with its nesting material. After a few minutes, it emerged, shook off its feathers and flew off in search of more additions to its hidden nest. Wow! We stared at each other with big eyes and open mouths. 

 To be sure we really witnessed that unique behavior, we continue to watch the waterfall. Sure enough, it returned again and again bravely flying through the pounding water!

Later in the afternoon while getting a snack at a local souvenir shop, I saw lots of "I Climbed Mt Whitney" t-shirts. I longed for a t-shirt celebrate the incredible waterfall bird that we discovered in the shadow of Mt Whitney!

Click on photos to enlarge.

Photos and content by Robin Roberts.