August 18, 2011

August 18, 2011

One of the reasons the eight-mile road to Devil’s Postpile is reserved for busses and campers is that it is treacherous. The first four miles is a narrow winding cliff-hugging road. It made Aimee very nervous. On the route in, Aimee closed her eyes and yelled for me to go slow; I went fast because I don’t know how a bus and my wide RV can possibly share this road. We got lucky on the way in and only met a car. I am not taking any chances on the exit trip; so we rise early and drive out still in our pajamas. Once we are safely out of the Monument, we stop at a vista turnout, and have our coffee and breakfast while enjoying the view.

After breakfast, we make a stop at a geologic fissure exhibit. Because of the intense mountain building going on, the ground here pulled apart some six feet leaving a deep scar on the terrain.

Our next stop is the Lake Mary area just outside Mammoth Lakes. There are a half-dozen alpine lakes close together with easy road access. It is also very crowded with lots of families. We make a driving tour looking for a good campground. When we pass Horseshoe Lake we notice lots of dead trees lining it. It turns out that geologic activity is spewing Carbon Dioxide killing the trees. This volcano stuff is giving Aimee the willies so we pass on staying here and drive north to June Lake where we find a spot and relax for the afternoon.