Mammoth 2011

I decided it was time to show Whit my childhood playground from as far back as I can remember:

We started our journey on Friday and headed up 395 to our first stop, Manzanar War Relocation Center:

My family has been here more times than we can count, reading all the plaques, information and personal stories that we can wrap our brains around.  Being Whit’s first time, and with a Japanese heritage, this hit home for him like it does every time for me. 

Both of my grandparent’s families were unfortunate enough to be ripped from their homes back in 1941-42, lose almost everything, and placed in a random desert area until the war was over.  It seriously makes my blood boil that the country I live in, did this to the people of my heritage.

Anyhow, up the desert and mountain we went to the town of Mammoth Lakes!

Yay!!!  I love this place more than I could ever describe with words.  I’m a small down girl at heart so a mountain town is something I would love for everything it has.  No wonder I live in one now, right?!  The only difference between this one and my home is an extra 4,000-5,000ft elevation and many more lakes for fishing, birding and hiking!  Yay!

We took our time just taking in the town, showing Whit around, and got dinner before hitting the sack pretty early; we had an early morning the next day anyhow!

Before today, I hadn’t been up to Devil’s Postpile National Monument since…gosh, probably almost 2003 with my family.  You take a shuttle back through the San Joaquin Valley to the monument then make your way into the forest to see the postpile and so many other beautiful places.

Devil’s Postpile is very unique in it’s geographical formation as the entirety of the columnar basalt pile is hexagonal!

Here are my size 9.5 shoes for size reference:

Aren’t they cool!?  I’ve always been amazed by them and it’s amazing how nature goes about things like…conserving space by making these asymmetrical shapes!

We finished off at the postpile into the Ansel Adam’s Wilderness Area, part of the Inyo National Forest and one of my favorite hikes of all time.  Though it hasn’t been the same since 1992:

I remember when this area was completely covered in forest…but in 1992 a forest fire ignited from a lightening strike, torching 9,000 acres of forest, almost 80% of the national park. It’s amazing how much it’s changed in the almost 10 years since I’ve been there.

I can’t wait until the yearlings start popping up in the really burnt areas and we get some forest cover again!  I probably won’t be alive to see it, but I hope my kids or theirs might!

I couldn’t help but take pictures of the chipmunks.  They hold a special place in my heart.

They’re so cute because they follow you along the trail in hopes of getting something to eat…sorry little one; I know how domestication can kill you in the long run.

Next stop, my favorite of them all:

Rainbow Falls.  You can’t see a picture of the rainbow, but it’s there.  And the water is heavy and flowing this year!  I’ve seen it in years where it was just a trickle!  Thank goodness Mammoth had a HUGE snow level this year!  Saweeeet!

We made out way back to the pack station to take the bus back to the resort where our car was parked and onto our next adventure for he afternoon!  But you’ll have to wait and see what we did until tomorrow!  I’ll just say, it involves, EARTHQUAKES!