Running away from home Part 2 (of 3) 11-05-12

After spending the night in Bishop, and enjoying those HIE cinnamon rolls, I drove up through the mountains to the Bishop Creek campground which is about 8500 feet.  It was our favorite camping and fishing spot and where we camped for the last time in 1989.  I've posted about that trip before:
 http://www.delquilts.blogspot.com/2011/11/memories-in-autumn-11-03-11.html

When I arrived at the campground the gate was closed and locked until next spring - it had closed on Monday, I was there on Wednesday.  After coming so far I decided to hike in to the end of the campground road, so I parked beside the gate, locked my car and started out.  I'm not used to the altitude and I don't normally get much exercise, so I stopped many times to rest on a boulder or a picnic table.  Finally I reached the end of the road, I was sad that most of the aspens near the campsite had been stripped bare by the wind.  But along the creek there were some with their golden garb and I walked along the bank for a bit and rested again on a boulder.  It was so beautiful and the water was rushing by.  I need to get up to the mountains more frequently.   To satisfy my tree hugging heart.

For many years there was only one stop light in Bishop, at West Line Road (Hwy 168), and that still is the intersection where I turn west.  The road eventually leads to Lake Sabrina (9200 ft) where many fishing people from SCalifornia like to go.  On my very first road trip (Los Angeles to Portland, OR.) in 1958 I drove Hwy 395 and made a detour up this road - just to see what was there.  Of course, I didn't know what a large place it would have in the rest of my life! 

It was a gorgeous day with clouds massed over the mountains where there was snow the night before. You can see rabbit brush (also known as chamisa) in the two pictures above.

And here is a close up.  There are many varieties, but I have no idea which this might be
. 

Up and up and up - 20 miles from 4100 feet in Bishop to 8500 feet at the campground.

Fresh snow on the mountains.

At about 8000 Feet the rabbit brush has already bloomed and been frozen - it turns this lovely grey-white.
 

In the valleys the aspen are bright and retaining their leaves, soon the wind and the cold will strip them bare.

The pines in this area are Pinus Ponderosa - the tallest know grows in Oregon and is 268.29 ft.  This one growing along the highway is very tall.  


But not as tall as this one in the Bishop Creek campground - it shelters our favorite campsite at the end of the campground road.
   

 
They have turned the table sideways from what it once was.  I looked for our mark to see if it is the same table - and it is!  They build them well and people seem to take care not to damage them. 

 
The tree has a huge burl that has increased in size over the years.  I've always worried that someone will excise it with a chainsaw to make a table or something. 

 
Looking up to the top of the tree - probably close to 200 feet.

To be continued.....