Mammoth Sierra Magazine

Trip Report
BY JOSEPH MERRIMAN
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Road to White Mountain
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PHOTO©DENISE W
Barcroft Station Heading up to Barcroft
14,246 feet, loose rubble, high desert, endless views, the oldest trees in
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the world growing below me, clearly visible in the warm summer sun. When
friends at work told me they'd mountain biked the highest road in California
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right to the summit of White Mountain a year or two earlier, I filed that one
under the "to do list – maybe." At least a little research was in order. So I
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Googled WMRS (White Mountain Research Station) and discovered the highest
high-altitude research station in North America, fourth highest in the world, sat
on the summit of White Mountain, just 5.75 miles up an unsteady rocky road
from the main research facility at 12,500 feet.
Once a year the gate to the research facility is open and visitors are invited
to tour the stations, attend lectures and, if they choose, to hike or bike the road
to the summit. No cars allowed. Not that most SUVs would be able to handle
the challenges of the road. I noted the date on the calendar and hoped for good
weather since 14,246 feet is plenty high enough to get nasty in a hurry, even on
the first weekend in August.
I went back to my daily routine where I live in Mammoth Lakes as fall
turned to winter. White Mountain drifted farther from my thoughts as the snow
started to fly. But when summer came and the snow in the high country began
July | August 2009 Mammoth Sierra Magazine 25
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