The dirt roads are rough -- about 17 miles one-way, 34 miles total, of rutted, rocky, narrow, and sometimes sandy "road" -- and I use that word loosely -- climbing in those 17 miles about 6000 feet where, at Coyote Flat, you feel like saying, to quote the James Cagney character in the classic movie "White Heat" -- "Top of the world, Ma!" So come along for the ride...
The route to Coyote Flat begins just outside Bishop with a sandy road -- I reminded myself that I DID have a shovel in the back of Tundra just in case I got stuck. Then the road climbs a narrow "shelf" (I took these photos in "safe" areas, not where I'm inches from the precipice) and you can see the wall of the eastern Sierra Nevada to the west.
The "green" area in the distance between the two piñon-juniper pines is my starting point of Bishop, with the White Mountains, home of the Bristlecone Pines, "oldest living things on earth", behind it. The Whites are the eastern wall of the Owens Valley, the deepest valley in North America.
The views behind are spectacular and far-ranging...
But what's up ahead is new, and surprising -- past-peak, "Go Now!" aspen along Coyote Creek. The Palisades group of the Sierra Nevada, with their 13,000 to 14,000-foot peaks and glaciers, are in the distance. The road goes down to the creek...
And the aspen stands that still have leaves are brilliant, reddish-orange in color.
I did NOT adjust the color; it's all courtesy of Mother Nature...The clouds cooperated today, too, as you shall see...
The road along Coyote Creek...
And a closeup of the Coyote Creek aspen -- again, all natural, no color enhancement used. :o)
The road crosses the creek; it's about a foot deep...
The road climbs out of the creek drainage -- and off in the distance to the southeast is Coyote Flat, a huge vale at an elevation of more than 10,000 feet. This photo was actually taken in the afternoon as I was leaving the area; the sun was facing me in the morning.
The vast expanse of Coyote Flat, looking northwest. The small stream in the center is Cow Creek.
And looking southwest, from the vantage point of 11,400 foot-plus Coyote Ridge, is the Palisade group of the Sierra Nevada, up close -- the Sierra's second highest cluster of peaks (the Muir group including Mt. Whitney is the highest). You can see Palisade Glacier, the Sierra's largest, and Middle Palisade Glacier.
The view in the afternoon, minus the glare from the sun.
And here's a closeup of the Palisade Glacier, courtesy of the 100-400 f/5.6 IS L lens; it's just not for birds... ;o)
And even a little closer than the previous photo, showing both Palisade and Middle Palisade Glaciers. In this light, you can get more of a "feel" for the glaciers.
Opposite the viewpoint are primitive campsites among the pines -- and that's the road in the clearing to the left that I'll be taking down to hike the trail to Baker Lake. That part of the road was actually worse than what I'd already traveled on...
Along the Baker Lake trail -- and I KNOW I climbed at least another 600 feet after I saw this sign...
Baker Lake, a tree snag with a neat formation -- and those clouds again...
Baker Lake looking south.
The area near the Baker Lake trailhead is meadow and a meandering stream...
The view at Coyote Flat, looking northwest.
There were a few small herds of deer at Coyote Flat; here's one, with the White Mountains as a backdrop. Taken with the 100-400 f/5.6 lens.
Going back to Coyote Creek, the aspen are already in shadow, with a distant sunlit hill.
Some of the rock formations along the road are impressive in the late-afternoon sun -- and once again, those clouds....
As I start to head down to Bishop, the White Mountains are sunlit,along with the trench of the Owens River. You can just make out the road down in the center foreground.
The pyramidal peak of Mt. Humphreys seems to be casting off clouds as the sun sets over another memorable day in the eastern Sierra...I arrive back in Bishop, and Tundra gets a well-deserved rest.
It's now the early morning of Thursday, October 23, and after breakfast I think I'll head back to the South Lake trailhead and head in the direction of Bishop Pass...
