Bishop to Hollister

1728 miles in six days and we're back home. While we saw some beautiful and magnificant places, we were ready to be home. Living out of suitcases gets old.

Again, we were up early and after visiting a nearby Starbucks for oatmeal, tea (for Diane) and coffee, we were on the road out of Bishop. During previous visits we had thought it would be nice to live in Bishop. But after having a chance to walk around town and in some of the neighborhoods, we've had second thoughts. We realized we're more in love with the surrounding mountains than the town itself. However, on the way out we did see some very nice neighborhoods, particularly the closer we got to Mammoth Lakes.

Heading out of Bishop.

On a whim, we decided to leave Highway 395 and head into Mammoth, mainly because I wanted to see a rock formation called the Devil's Postpile. It took a bit of driving on a very curvy one-lane road, but after we got there we found it was well worth the detour. We went on a file mile hike to see Devil's Postpile and Rainbow Falls.

All those broken rocks are from Devil's Postpile above

where Diane is walking.

Devil's Postpile resulted from basalt lava coming up

from volcanic vents. Their smooth surface is from glaciers.

Besides the fascinating rock formation of Devil's Postpile, the history of the location is fascinating. In 1905 the area was removed from Yosemite's protective bounderies because mining companies wanted to build a dam that would be built after the formation was blown up. Concerned citizens and the Sierra Club convinced President Taft to declare the area a national monument in 1911 and it was transferred to the National Park Service in 1933. On seeing the formation, we're happy for once that environmentalists won out.

Some of the pieces broken off from Devil's Postpile

were so perfectly shaped and smooth they looked

like they had been shaped by stone cutters.

There were streams everywhere.

Sad on one level, but very much a part of nature, we saw

the results of a 1992 fire started by lightning that burned

8,000 acres. New growth was already covering the hills.

Rainbow Falls.

We were several hours too early to see why they're

called Rainbow Falls. The sun has to be high to create

the rainbow effect.

The hike was rough on Diane's knee, but she declared she was glad we saw the formation, as well as Rainbow Falls and a meadow where we saw people flyfishing and read that it is the origination point of the American River.

One of the hurdles for a bad knee. But

Diane was game for the entire hike.

Later, we headed out of Mammoth a climbed steadily until we reached Highway 120 at Lee Vining and turned into Yosemite National Park for a twisting shortcut down into the San Juaquine Valley and home. Apparently thousands of others had the same idea. It was a very slow trip across some of the most beautiful scenery in California.

The wildest wildlife we saw the entire hike, even

though signs everywhere declared this was bear country.

Flyfishing in a meadow that is the headwaters for the

American River.

By the time we reached the western entrance to the park, we were more than ready to get home, but it was still another two hours of driving through small towns, farm lands and vineyards.

Taking a shortcut through Yosemite.

Way bigger than it looks. It's several thousand feet high.

Last look at the river coming out of Yosemite, back

in the car and no stopping until we reached Hollister.

Great trip!

As we approached Hollister we thanked God for a safe trip, the glories that we saw and the interesting people we met along the way.