THE FALL–WINTER 2007 VOLUme V, IssUE II Power & Grace Winter Raptors of the Eastern Sierra Eastern Sierra Stewardship Corps Making a difference from desert oases to mountain peaks Crater Mountain Hike through a volcanic wonderland Snow Cones in the Lakes Basin. photo: John Dittli Advocacy, education, and stewardship for the public lands of the Eastern Sierra Jeffrey Pine Journal Volume V, Issue II THE President’s Message Jeffrey Pine Journal by Frank Stewart V OLUME V , I SSUE II F ALL /WI NTER 2007 t’s so nice to see the first dusting of snow on the Sierra crest, especially when it Newsletter of comes in September; that way you get a nice background for fall color hikes in Friends of the Inyo Ithe aspens. I write this message today on the last day of summer, while an early snowstorm clears out of the high country. We even got some drizzle of rain here on the desert floor. Thus marks the end (hopefully) of a particularly devastating fire season in the west. Post Office Box 64 This past summer Friends of the Inyo Board and Staff held an organizational retreat Lee Vining, California 93541 to review our progress over the last few years and establish new goals for the future. Sometimes it’s easier to see what you’ve accomplished if you are able to look back 699 West Line Street, Suite A and check your progress against a list. In our case, the “list” is a development plan Bishop, California 93514 we first drafted about five years ago. I remember at the time thinking that we were (760) 873-6500 being pretty ambitious with our goal setting. Back then there was no Jeffrey Pine www.friendsoftheinyo.org Journal newsletter; we weren’t even a membership organization. We had one staff Board of Directors person (Paul McFarland) working for us in an office space in Lee Vining not much Frank Stewart, President larger than a dining room table. I kid you not. It’s sure easy to see where you’ve James Wilson, Treasurer been when you look back in your “rearview mirror,” but sometimes even the view Paul Spitler, Secretary out the windshield is not so clear. You know where you want to end up, you’re just Bill Mitchel, Director not sure which route to take unless you have a map. Staff At our summer retreat the FOI Board and Staff layed out a “map” or strategy for Paul McFarland, Executive Director the future of Friends of the Inyo: programs to implement; membership and funding Laura Chamberlin, Watershed Program goals; wilderness legislation we want to see passed… Even though our list seems a Manager, AmeriCorps Member bit daunting, I can tell already that we’re going to get it done. Take this summer for Darren Malloy, Operations Director example. Our Eastern Sierra Stewardship Corps has logged record number of hours Michelle Pettit, Director of in the field, and our new Water Watchers program is going full steam. (Please check Communications & Development out the related articles in this issue.) Todd Vogel, Stewardship Coordinator On the legislative front, we continue to see slow but steady progress. Congress- Friends of the Inyo is a local non-profit con- man Buck McKeon recently sent his new Deputy Chief of Staff Bob Haueter to the servation organization dedicated to preserv- Eastern Sierra for his first official visit. His office hours were dominated by dozens ing the ecological, cultural and recreational of pro-wilderness citizens and business owners from Independence to Bridgeport. values of the Eastern Sierra’s public lands. He actually promised that McKeon’s staff would meet with Senator Boxer’s staff to discuss the pursuit of a new Bill. I would love to have been a fly on the wall when Printed on Recycled Paper he reported back to his boss about the overwhelming pro-wilderness message he received from the Eastside. Senators Feinstein and Boxer have both expressed The Cover Photo renewed interest and demonstrated leadership toward preserving extensive Wilder- ness, perhaps even in this session of Congress. They have demonstrated that they are committed to protecting California’s remaining wild places, and we are grateful Check out more of for that. John’s work at Some personal notes: our Board Member Linda Emerson recently resigned at the johndittli.com conclusion of her term. We are grateful for her five years of service to Friends of the Inyo, especially regarding her efforts towards establishing our annual Earth Day Fun Run. Thanks Linda! This issue also welcomes back our Executive Director, Paul The Jeffrey Pine Journal, a biannual publication McFarland, who is returning from paternity leave as the proud father of a healthy of Friends of the Inyo, is named after the Eastern Sierra’s most aromatic conifer, Pinus jeffreyi. The son. Congratulations Paul and Yvette! Jeffrey Pine Journal is distributed free to members I would like to thank you, our members, for your support. Together we are of Friends of the Inyo and is available at various locations in the Eastern Sierra and beyond. Written succeeding in changing the physical and political landscape of the Eastern Sierra for material and images herein are the sole property of the better. Friends of the Inyo or are used with exclusive permis- sion. We welcome submissions of artwork, writing and field observations. Frank Stewart is a founding member of Friend of the Inyo and Please send all submissions and comments to Paul has been active in conservation issues on the Eastside since 1985. McFarland at [email protected]. Thanks. FRIENDS O2F THE INYO Jeffrey Pine Journal Volume V, Issue II Get Out Crater Mountain Wander through a volcanic wonderland by Todd Vogel TOPO! map printed on 09/15/07 from "Untitled2.tpo" 3 8 0 0 0 0 m E. 3 8 1 0 0 0 m E. 3 8 2 0 0 0 m E. 3 8 3 0 0 0 m E. WGS84 Zone 11S 3 8 5 0 0 0 m E. all is the best time of year around the Eastern FSierra. Temperatures have cooled, trees are changing color, and, for the first time in four . N . m months, hiking around the valley floor is a pursuit N 0 0 m 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 that even reasonable people might consider. Around 4 1 1 this time we usually get a couple of months of what 4 I think of as the “between” season. Not enough snow to ski but too much for hiking on my familiar . N . m N 0 0 m 0 0 0 and favorite summer hikes. Where to go for a walk? 0 0 1 0 1 4 1 1 South of Bishop some twenty miles, at the north 4 end of the Big Pine Volcanic Field, sits Crater Mountain. Crater Mountain happens to be one of . N . m N 0 0 m 0 0 the Eastern Sierra’s scenic Wilderness Study Areas 0 9 0 0 9 1 4 0 1 (or WSAs—areas managed by the BLM to preserve 4 their primeval and wild character). With spectacular views of the Sierra and Inyo Mountains, and a . N . m N 0 good chance of seeing a Tule Elk, Crater Mountain 0 m 0 0 0 8 0 0 1 8 WSA is a great place to take a hike. The Big Pine 4 0 1 Volcanic Field, of which Crater is the high point, has 4 many interesting volcanic features right off the road and ready to be explored. Thirsty desert vegetation . N . m N 0 0 m 0 0 0 7 emerges from rough “ah ah” lava (It’s called “ah 0 0 7 1 4 0 1 ah” because that’s what you say if you walk on it 4 barefoot.) Here and there old lava tubes—conduits for past lava movement—pock the landscape creating . N . m N 0 Dali-esque caricatures in the desert. Caution is advised 0 m 0 0 0 6 0 0 1 6 4 though: in places the walking is challenging and a 0 1 stumble would be a serious event! 4 This trail-less hike lends itself to wandering, so there are . N N m m 0 0 0 0 0 0 many ways up the mountain. My favorite starts at the west 5 5 0 0 1 1 Map created with TOPO!® ©2007©2007 NationalNational GeogGeogrraphic 4 4 end of the crater, off the McMurry Meadows Road. I think 3 8 0 0 0 0 m E. 3 8 1 0 0 0 m E. 3 8 2 0 0 0 m E. 3 8 3 0 0 0 m E. WGS84 Zone 11S 3 8 5 0 0 0 m E. TN MN this might be my favorite way because it is the most direct with 13.5° the least amount of irritating ah ah lava walking, though it does 09/15/07 have some. From Big Pine head west out of town on the Glacier Lodge Road and go just under 2.5 miles to the McMurry Meadows road – a signed, graded dirt road where all but the lowest clearance vehicles will be fine. Take a left on this road and follow it downhill for a short distance, around a hairpin curve, looping south for another 3 miles (3.5miles total from the Glacier Lodge Road). Park at the closest approach to Crater Mountain, in a well defined pull-out on the east side of the road. There is no real trail, but the route is pretty obvious, meandering through weird basalt corridors.