Trip Report
%*3&$5*0/4
The turn-off to WMRS is Hwy 168, one half
mile north of Big Pine, about five hours north
of Los Angeles on U.S. 395. The road is paved
before changing to dirt shortly after passing the
turn-off to the Schulman Grove Visitor Center,
now being rebuilt after last year’s tragic fire.
White Mountain is an extinct volcano. A
high-clearance vehicle is recommended to get the
visitor to the trailhead for this ride, a high-altitude
desert adventure unique to California. The facility
is usually open to the public the first Sunday in
August.
For more information: www.wmrs.edu, www.
fs.fed.us/r5/inyo, www.mapquest.com
Astro Dome
Author Joe Merriman melting, my thoughts once again turned to White Mountain and the research station perched on its summit.
lives at 8,000 feet in the So when the first weekend in August came, I loaded my bike onto the car rack and was joined for the
Eastern Sierra resort day by my wife Maxine and our friend Becky. They both planned on touring the main station and taking in
community of Mammoth a few of the lectures and perhaps a short hike in the desert while I challenged the mountain. Smart, those
Lakes. Born in San Francisco two. The two-and-a-half-hour drive there took us through the Bristlecone Pine Forest, past the Schulman
and raised in San Francisco Grove Visitor Center, home of the Methuselah tree, at more than 4,600 years young the oldest living
and the neighboring cities of organism in the world.
Berkeley and Oakland, Joe As we headed for the entrance gate, we passed into the lunar landscape surrounding White Mountain.
finds mountain life exciting There is no desert like the high desert east of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Not only home to the world's
and satisfying. Employed as oldest trees, it is one of the most stunning landscapes in the world and truly must be seen to be believed.
a waiter, bartender, cook, Past the road's open gate we noticed a few tents sent up in a shallow depression just beyond the road's
schoolteacher and forest shoulder. Not a bad place for hikers to spend the night acclimatizing. Soon enough we arrived at the car
ranger in his younger days, park, full of vehicles, staff and excited visitors. I grabbed my bike, spent a moment saying goodbye, and
Joe now supports his outdoor then, starting the climb, made a rookie mistake.
adventures and freelance I was so excited to finally start the climb I raced right off and found myself out of breath inside a
writing by working as a hundred yards. On the first hill behind the station, I had to dismount to catch my breath. I knew then if I
registered nurse. were to climb this desert giant I would have to pace myself. I rested a few minutes, then rode slower, but
steadier and began to find my rhythm as I gained altitude.
The road to the summit is a very rough Jeep road, a mixture of dirt, sand, gravel and unsecured rock
ranging from fist to football size. With cool but not cold temps, and no wind on the mountain, the riding
conditions were ideal. Not only could I maintain a steady pace, but surprisingly I caught and passed dozens
of hikers. Living at 8,000 feet is an unfair advantage!
Gradually, as the elevation increased, the rocks became larger and looser, though none of the hikers
were able to catch and pass me as I struggled with the deteriorating conditions. Very near the summit, with
only a few switchbacks to go, the rocks became so loose on the steepening road I had to dismount and
push. But with the summit in sight a bit of hike-the-bike up the last couple hundred feet of vertical wasn't a
chore. Then came the satisfaction of the summit panorama – a high, dry moonscape unlike any other.
After chatting with researchers who were testing volunteers for the effects of altitude, I decided to
descend. A cold wind had come up. Lightly dressed, with wife and friend waiting below, it was time to go.
The technical ride on the rocks below the summit went well. Gravity became my friend. Thicker air
filled my lungs as the descent unrolled beneath my bike's tires. The ride up took exactly two hours, the
descent just under one hour.
The White Mountain Research Station ride was a truly spectacular out-and-back, three-hour trip. ◆
26 July | August 2009 Mammoth Sierra Magazine
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