Visiting the Patriarch

 

Date: May 17, 2018
Place: Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Bishop, California
Coordinates: 37.517860, -118.202279
Length: 2 miles in and out
Level: easy

The White Mountains is the western range of the Great Basin desert, the highest peaks of which are home to the oldest trees in the world - the bristlecone pines. They are the only trees that thrive in the want soil and extreme weather that make up their habitat. The bristlecone pine elevation growth line has been on the rise ever since the melting of the glaciers - there are evidence that during the ice age this species grew in lower elevation and their forest covered much wider areas. Nowadays this species grow only at the mountain tops, each grove separated from the others by the lower Great Basin, like islands in a vast desert 'sea'.
After exploring the Schulman Grove I suggested driving to the higher, Patriarch Grove, where I had visited a couple of ties before. While the trees are of the same species, the views are considerably more magnificent there. Besides, there was the Patriarch tree, one of the most impressive bristlecone pines in that forest. We couldn't possibly go away without seeing it!
I didn't really need to try very hard to convince my friend that we ought to go up. We didn't have much time left, however, and the drive is long and slow.

View from the road of the higher forest where the Patriarch Grove is

The Patriarch Grove grows at 11,000 ft. When we arrived there, after nearly an hour of slow and careful drive up a sharp gravel road we found that the last mile to the grove's parking area as blocked because of snow on the path. After a short discussion we decided to hike in to the grove.
Almost immediately we came upon the snow. I believe my car would have passed it but I didn't wish to bypass the vehicle block sign.

The road to the Patriarch Grove 

Large clouds passed swiftly above us and we were walking between patches of shade and sunlight. The wind was blowing hard and we wrapped ourselves well and moved slowly along the road. We were slow because of the elevation and the wind, but also because of the numerous tiny flowers that we found right at the ground level.
Needless to say, we came down on our knees to take a close look at these.

Brewer's Cinquefoil, Potentilla breweri 

Many of these little flowers we've seen already at the Schulman Grove. Nevertheless, We gave due attention to the higher elevation individuals as well.

Indian Springparsley, Cymopterus aboriginum

Around the trees of the Schulman Grove grew many low shrubs and there was much activity of burds and squirrels. The hills where the trees of the Patriarch Grove grew, however, were almost bare, and we saw very few birds and no squirrels. It could be that it was too early in the season there, or perhaps it was the late hour in the afternoon and the strong wind that chilled us and everything else. I cannot imagine having to live there year-round, but I admit that the thought does entice me.

The south-facing side of the Patriarch Grove peak.

The road wasn't entirely flat but very easy nonetheless. Not being used to the elevation, however, we took it slow and easy, pausing often to look around and take pictures. There was one more car at the road block so we did expect to meet other people, but we saw no one, nor did we hear anyone. In fact, we didn't hear any birds either. The only sound was that of the wind.

We sat down for a brief breather and to explore a few more of the ground dwellers, those tiny belly flowers that were barely visible from standing position. All of these were completely new to my friend, of course, but also to me. I was glad to have come there at that time of year to see them in bloom.

Few Seed Draba, Draba oligosperma 

The Patriarch Grove is much less dense than the Schulman Grove. The trees are further apart and the ground between them almost bare. And it was quiet there. eerily quiet.

There are two short loop trails in the Patriarch Grove. One of them goes up the hill. There's a nice view from there and the trees it goes by are absolutely stunning in their beauty. I have walked up there a couple of times before but this time we decided to stay down.

Add caption

Not that the trees below the hill were short of any beauty ...The second loop goes around the other side of the parking area and passes near the Patriarch Tree, after which the entire grove is named.
This tree is about 2000 years old. Not the most ancient in the park, but very impressive in size and age nonetheless.

The Patriarch

And why it is called 'The Patriarch' I can not guess. It is still fertile despite of its old age, and produces female cones as well.

Bristlecone Pine mature and open female cones

As in my previous visit of the Patriarch Tree I photographed it many time, and from every possible angle that didn't require climbing it. I posted such photos on my previous post of this place. This time I settled for a bit of snow that we found hidden in a crevice of the tree.

We spent a lot of time near the Patriarch. Meanwhile, a small group of people came along the path and joined us at the tree. We chatted a bit, and took each other's group photos. Then said goodby and my friend and I departed and headed back to the road whence we came.

The clouds grew more massive and I wondered if it's going to rain. It certainly got colder. The clouds, however, were very impressive and pretty too, and cast an interesting shadow pattern on the hill.

I wasn't so much concerned about the possibility of rain. I was, however, much more worried about the approaching sunset. I really didn't want to be driving down in the dark.

It did rain. Not exactly where we were, but nit too far from us, in the southeast. I'm amazed at how local these desert rains can be. I wonder how much water actually reach the ground on these rain events.

Local rain

The sun was very low when we arrived at the car, and we both were very cold. My friend was very quiet and thoughtful. The ancient trees had gotten under her skin. We were both very tired too, for it has been a long and busy day. And we still had the long drive down and out of there.

There is a warning sign at he beginning of the road leading from the Schulman Grove to the Patriarch Grove. The sign urges slow driving and warns that the road gravel is very sharp and that tire punctures are common. There's no cellular reception along the road, said the sign (true), and towing costs can exceed $1000 (thankfully we have no confirmation for that). Driving up I did drive very slow and careful. Driving down, however, I allowed us a bit more speed, trusting the tires to hold. Thankfully, we were not the last vehicle there. I hope that the people who did remain behind ys made it downhill safely.

The big bonus of the drive back was the magnificent view of the Sierra Nevada to the southwest.
It was night by the time we rolled into Big Pine. A bit later we arrived at Lone Pine where we would stay the night. It was the end of a magnificent day at one of the most interesting and beautiful places in California, and I'm very glad that my friend got to see it too.
Many thanks, Anenet, for giving me an opportunity to visit this place again, and of course for identifying all the little belly flowers we saw!

The Timeless Trees of the Schulman Grove of Ancient Bristlecone Pines

 

May 17, 2018
Place: Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Big Pine, California
Coordinates:
Length:1 mile
Level: moderate

When I planned the road trip with my botanist friend to the Eastern Sierra region I naturally included the White Mountains in our itinerary. Pappa Quail wondered about snow blocking the road but considering the low count of precipitation in the previous months I didn't think that would be a problem. In any case, I wasn't about to get by the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest without at least trying to see it and show the place to my friend.
After a restful night in Bishop we drove south to Big Pine and then turned east toward the White Mountains. Snow wasn't a problem: there was none on the way up. What did slow us down was the pretty display of wildflowers along the road. In a couple of places where there was a particularly pleasing display of colors I pulled over and we got out of the car to explore the flowers more closely.

Checkerspot butterfly (Chlosyne leanira) on a Brittlebush, Encelia actoni

I was very please to see cacti blooming. Ot always amazes me to see how delicate and attractive are the flowers produced by these thorny entities I dare not touch.

Hedgehog Cactus, Echinocereus engelmannii

My friend was pleased with the blooming cacti too, but she was truly thrilled to see the desert mallow in bloom. After seeing it without bloom at the Travertine Hot springs and the photos I showed her of my previous sightings of this plant in spring colors, she was really happy seeing them blooming in person.

Desert Globemallow, Sphaeralcea ambigua

There were many other wildflowers in that pretty roadside spot and also all the way along the road in places where we couldn't stop. If I include them all It'll be a roadside botany pst rather than a White Mountains hiking post, so I keep this part short.

California Primrose, Oenothera californica

Well, except for this one more cactus for which we pulled over on a very thin shoulder in a very narrow canyon pass. It was very high up the cliff but the bright red blossoms clearly visible.

Mojave Mound Cactus, Echinocereus mojavensis 

There was no sign of an snow by the Schulman Grove visitor center. The visitor center itself was closed so we didn't linger, but got to hiking right away.
Well, almost right away, first we had to greet the local squirrel that posed for us by the parking lot.

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel 

We selected discovery Trail - a short, 1 mile loop that covers the essentials: wonderful ancient trees along with younger, vigorous ones, sweeping views of the area and of the Sierra Nevada peaks on the west, and early spring wildflowers. Although to view the wildflowers we had to go down on our bellies.

King's Bladderpod, Physaria kingii

While the valley flowers were already blooming beautifully as we've seen on our way earlier, up here in the heights f the White Mountains, spring bloom was at its very beginning. We didn't see many flowers and those we did see were some of the tiniest I've ever seen. Not just the flowers - the entire plants were diminutive.

Popcorn Flower, Cryptantha sp. 

Little birds hopped in the thick-needled pines like fleeting flashes of movement, too quick to catch by eye, let alone by camera. we were luck that at least one of these tiny energized feather balls came out in the open for a few moments while poking for pine nuts. There were other species of birds there, but the only one I got a good image of was the pygmy nuthatch.

Pygmy Nuthatch 

Tiny wildflowers and hyperactive little birds aside, the stars of this place certainly were the Bristlecone Pine trees.

Bristlecone Pine, Pinus longaeva 

The longest living trees in the world belong to this species. The oldest known tree, named Methuselah, grows somewhere in this grove. It's exact location is kept secret to avoid vandalism.

Bristlecone Pine, Pinus longaeva 

But even not knowing which of these magnificent trees is Methuselah, we were in complete awe of these trees. Each and every one of them is an impressive individual.
The trail led us uphill. We walked slowly. Very slowly. Taking a close look at each of the trees along our way. Enjoying the clear, cool air.

Bristlecone Pine, Pinus longaeva 

Many of them look gnarled and weather-beaten. They, as all other plants there, have evolved to withstand the harsh White Mountains weather.

Bristlecone Pine, Pinus longaeva 

In fact, all the trees up at the heights of the White Mountains are pines, and nearly all are the Bristlecone pines. The few yellow pine that manage to germinate and establish themselves there, never actually reach the size of a full grown tree.

Bristlecone Pine, Pinus longaeva 

The bristlecone pine is named after the little bristles at the edge of the developing female cones. The female cones take two years to mature and release the seeds.

Bristlecone Pine, Pinus longaeva, mature and open female cone

The Discovery Trail is a short loop. Although we were walking slowly soon we were  at the highest point and started heading back downhill. We came out of the forest, which was't very thick to begin with, and our path took us down a mostly exposed hillside, covered with scree.
There were a few plants there that were not bristlecone pines, nor belly flowers. A few 'fern' bushes grew on the more exposed western slope and we encountered them as we looped our way back and down the trail.

Fern Bush, Chamaebatiaria millefolium 

A few individual pines were growing outside of the main forest area. They looked wide and very impressive.

Looking to the southwest we could see the towering snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada range. On the morrow we would drive up to the Whitney Portal to get some mountain air over there, but on this day we were enjoying the desert scenery of the White Mountains.

The bristlecone pines grow very slowly. The growth season up there is very short and the weather extreme. What looked like small young trees can be a few centuries old.

Because of the dry climate there decomposition is also very, very slow. Dead logs can lie about for millennia before turning to dust.

In fact, dendrobiologist (tree scientists) were able to reconstruct a climatic timeline of the area that goes back nearly 13,000 years by matching tree rings of living an dead bristlecone pines.

Dead but still standing. 

From the final stretch of the loop trail we had a good view of the Schulman Grove. We snacked quickly, then got in the car and started driving up the road to the Patriarch Grove, about 2000 ft higher up the mountain.

Schulman Grove of Ancient Bristlecone Pine trees

Visiting the Oldest: The Patriarch Grove of Ancient Bristlecone Pines

There are many places in California that look outlandishly beautiful. The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is no doubt one of these places. I was fortunate to be there several times already. this post is about my latest visit there with my family, Grandma Quail and Papa Quail's nieces last August. 

 

Date: August 12, 2016
Place: Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Big Pine, California
Coordinates of Schulman Grove: 37.385581, -118.178912
Coordinates of Patriarch Grove: 37.527341, -118.198014
Length: Two  1/2 mile loops
Level: easy*
* Altitude: 11,300 ft


The second phase of our family summer road trip was at the Eastern Sierra region. After a long day in which we spent a few annoying hours in traffic jams at South Lake Tahoe, hiked the beautiful Hope Valley Wildlife Area, drove down Monitor Pass, and took a dip in Buckeye Hot Springs, we ended up in the town of Bishop, the big city of Inyo County. We had big plans for the following day: to go up the White Mountains, hike at the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, and hopefully see a Pinyon Jay - a bird that Papa Quail would very much love to add to his list of photographed sightings.
The first wildlife we saw there, however, was a golden-mantled squirrel that was hanging out right by the parking lot of the visitor center at the Schulman Grove.

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel

The Schulman Grove of the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine is the lower (10,100 ft) of two pine groves that were arranged for visitors. There is an education center there, built brand new recently after the previous one was burned down by arson.

Rabbit Brush (Ericameria nauseous), near the Schulman Grove Education Center

Papa Quail and I had hiked the Schulman Grove before and we planned to do a short hike there this time too, with Grandma Quail and the nieces. But when we entered the education center to get a map we found out that there soon be a naturalist talk so we stayed for that.
The naturalist told us a great deal about the bristlecone pines and their environment. He told us of dendrology - the science of timing past events and climate changes based on tree growth rings. He also told us of the bristlecone pine sex life, of which we found evidence growing on nearly every tree.
I listened closely to the talk. The chikas soon drifted off, looking at other things, and Papa Quail was soon off too - he saw some birds and followed them.

Grey Flycatcher, Patriarch Grove

As this place is unique for plants, it is also unique habitat for animals. Not that any of the animals we've seen there was endemic, but we did see some species there that we've never seen before.

Cassie's Vireo, Schulman Grove

One of these animals was the Uinta Chipmunk, which is common throughout the Great Basin but in California it lives only in that White Mountains corner of the State. I probably wouldn't have been able to tell but the naturalist was kind enough to identify the chipmunk fir Papa Quail. It is the only chipmunk species that lives there.

Uinta Chipmunk, Schulman Grove

The naturalist talked about many bristlecone pine topics, including this species sex life. As he talked, he pointed and I photographed.
Like all other pines, the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine trees bear male and female cones on the same tree. The male cones are small and clustered at the end of the branch. They produce copious amounts of pollen and release it to be carried by the wind.

Male cones of the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine 

The female cones are larger and fewer than the male cones. In their first summer they are open to receive the pollen and then they shut off and go into winter dormancy as the rest of the tree.

1st year female cones ofGreat Basin Bristlecone Pine

After coming out of dormancy in their second summer the female cones grow and the seeds develop inside. The cones are covered with resin to protect them from those who can't wait to have their pine nuts.

2nd year female cones ofGreat Basin Bristlecone Pine

An average tree produces thousands of seeds each year but only few of them will germinate. From those that germinate, even fewer will survive their first year.
The naturalist pointed at a small pine twig that was poking from the ground between some old cones. Papa Quail pointer his camera there too.
"This," said the naturalist, "is a 10 years old bristlecone pine."
I should probably add (for the benefit of scale) that the cones of this species are nowhere near the size of e sugar pine cone.

It takes many years for a bristlecone pine to become tree-size. They only grow 3-4 months a year. The rest of the time they lay dormant. 

The talk took a while and it was nearly lunch time when it was over. At that point it was clear to us that we won't have the time to hike both the Schulman Grove and the higher, Patriarch Grove. So we de decided to pass on hiking the Schulman Grove again and drive right away to the Patriarch Grove.
The Road to the Patriarch Grove is a dirt road covered with loose sharp rocks. The naturalist warned us to drive slowly to avoid getting a flat tire. He told us that they get 2-3 of these each week.

White Mountain - the road north to the Patriarch Grove

We heeded the naturalist warning and drove very slowly. It was a beautiful day and the views from that road are spectacular. 

There were also quite a few wildflowers in bloom along the road - mostly shrubs. We halted occasionally for Papa Quail to take a quick shot through a rolled-down window.

Pine Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja applegatei)

It took us a long time to get from the Schulman Grove to the Patriarch Grove. Not only was the driving slow, but we also had plenty reasons to stop along the way. One of those reasons was a lone feral horse that was grazing by the roadside. The horse didn't seem bothered by our presence. He raised his head and flicked his tail a few times, but other than that he simply kept on grazing. Later we were told by the naturalist that this horse is a fugitive from one of the ranches in Nevada, east of the White Mountains. Each winter the horse would come down to the ranch to be fed and every summer he would take off westward and cross into California to roam the mountains. 

I only wish I could do that. 

Everyone was famished when we finally arrived at the little Patriarch Grove parking area so we started our visit there with a picnic lunch. 

There are two short loop trails at the Patriarch Grove and we had hiked both of them. The first one we hiked was the Cottonwood Overview Trail, leading up to a small peak east of the parking lot. 

Our hike on Cottonwood Overview Trail as captured by Papa Quail's GPS

We were at the Patriarch Grove only once before, several years ago when the chikas were little. It rained that day and we were already tired after having hiked at the Schulman Grove. I did a quick hike by myself on that hill loop trail while everyone else remained in the car and dosed off. 

On our latest visit, however, we had the most beautiful weather we could hope for. Sunny and warm, and no wind. No one remained in the car this time. We packed the picnic leftovers back in the car and headed onto the trail up the hill. 

The trees in the grove are nicely spaced, allowing much room for the little plants to grow between them. Some of these plants are truly unique to that area, like the White Mountains Buckwheat with its outstanding crimson inflorescence.  

White Mountain Buckwheat (Eriogonum gracilises)

The little plants were also well spaced, nestled in the gravel. Other than the standing out buckwheat there were other, softer colors decorating the mountain surface. I was walking with my eyes on the ground, trying not to miss (and certainly not to step on) any little bloom.

Clokey's Fleabane (Erigeron clokeyi)

These minute mountain plants are beautiful to see, but the center stage is reserved for the stunning bristlecone pine trees. 

Most of the trees there are not actually ancient, most ranging from round saplings to a few centuries old. Here is a (relatively) young bristlecone pine near the trail that didn't seem to be affected much by the elements:

Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longavea)

Grasses are so common everywhere that they are almost transparent to my memory-capturing camera. But up there at the mountain-high where there are very few plants, everyone stands out. And when there are so few and in such a unique habitat, identification becomes much easier.

Spike Fescue (Festuca kingii)

I, who had spent the previous week backpacking at the high elevation Mineral King area, hopped lightly on the uphill trail, while all the rest of the family trailed behind me.

The view from the hilltop was no less than spectacular. Too bad the air wasn't as clean and a murky haze tainted the view. Still, we enjoyed the vastness that stretched 360 degrees around us.
To the northeast grew the rest of the grove - nicely spaced bristlecone pines, dark conifers dotting the pale earth of the mountain.

Bristlecone Pine Forest

Fewer trees grew on the eastern side. As I looked eastward I noticed a point of intensely bright light shining miles away. It was so intense, like a little sun that made a landing on Earth.
Papa Quail immediately knew what that light was - a solar tower. With his zoomed photo image and the calculated direction and distance he was able to also identify which one. We were looking at the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project - a bombastic 'green' power plant that contributes most to the environment by incinerating unfortunate birds that fly through the mirror-focused sun-heated air around the tower.

Crescent Dunes Solar Plant

As we came down the hill the trail took us near some really twisted looking trees. Environmental conditions on the white mountains are harsh and many of the older trees are partially dead. Unlike animals, trees continue to live as long as they have intact strip of bark from roots to foliage. While parts of the tree succumb to the harsh conditions and die, the living part of the tree continues to grow and thrive, shielded to some extent by the dead wood mass it's still attached to. 

And these partially dead trees are very beautiful and impressive to look at.

As we made our way back to the parking lot I looked back at the hill. Such a beautiful and unique place it is. I hope to go back there again soon.

Patriarch Grove

We had a quick break and then I pushed on to the second loop - the Timberline Ancients Nature Trail. On this loop, I was told, was the Patriarch Tree - the oldest tree in that grove and the one after which the entire grove was named.

Our hike on Timberline Ancients Nature Trail as captured by Papa Quail's GPS

This track doesn't involve any climbing and now wide views distract from the magnificence of the nearby trees.

For a trail among the ancient trees it featured many much younger pines, all growing vigorously.

A few bird calls - and Papa Quail was off to follow the caller.

Black-throated Grey Warbler, Patriarch Grove

Further down the trail we found the older trees. Pines of this species can live for millennia, and the harsher the conditions they got in the longer they live and gnarlier they look.

 

And as old as they may be, they are still reproductive, producing cones.

1st ab 2nd year female cones

Each tree in that grove was more impressive than the other. One of the hardest things in writing this post was selecting a handful of images from the multitudes I've taken on that hike.

Ancient Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longavea)

The Great Basin Bristlecone Pine is almost a monoculture in the 9000-11,600 ft elevation range on the White Mountains. I was surprised to learn from the naturalist at the Schulman Education Center that there was one more pine species that grows (barely) in that area - the limber pine. I found a few along the trail - all of them looked small and stunted. Under these environmental conditions it cannot compete with the bristlecone pine. It can't even grow to full size.

Limber Pine (Pinus flexilis)

Almost every step along the hike (and the previous one too) I saw this little yellow composite: it was in peak bloom at the time of our visit.

Alpine flames (Pyrrocoma apargioides)

The Timberline Ancients loop is also very short and without noticing, we were at its end. Right before we stepped back into the parking area we met the Patriarch - the oldest tree in that grove.
(And Papa Quail's niece wondered why did we have to hike the entire loop just to see the this tree when it is right by the car ... )

The Patriarch (Pinus longavea)

I recognized it immediately. I didn't even need to see the plaque that was posted on its other side. For a change, I was well ahead of the others, so I had a few good minutes to quietly appreciate this magnificent being without interruptions. I approached it, caressed it, and yes, I hugged it. And who wouldn't?

A look up the Patriarch Tree 

What I do not understand is why this wonder tree was named The Patriarch. After all, it was bearing female cones. Yes, at 4000 plus it is still reproductive. How's that for impressive!

The rest of the family caught up with me and we all circled The Patriarch and admired it thoroughly, until one by one our little group dispelled and moved back toward the car.
Just as we were pulling out of the parking area Papa Quail noticed a mountain bluebird standing on a nearby dead tree.
The first time we've seen mountain bluebirds was on the White Mountains. We've seen them on several occasions since but here was an opportunity to finally get a good photo of this pretty bird.

Mountain Bluebird, male

And Mrs. Mountain Bluebird also dropped by to pose:

Mountain Bluebird, female

On our way down from the Patriarch Grove we noticed a couple of hawks circling the sky. Papa Quail asked to stop and left the car with his camera.
One of the bonuses of mountain birding is that you also get to see the bird from above :-)

Red-tailed Hawk, Juvenile

It was getting later in the afternoon and the sun was right above the Sierra Nevada, and as we exited the Patriarch Grove area we were driving west, facing that wall of granite that stood between us and the mild California Central Valley and coast.

A view of the Sierra Nevada from the White Mountains

We stopped a few times on the way back, mainly to photograph some shrubs in bloom - the same I've seen when going up but didn't stop for then.

Desertsweet (Chameabatiaria millefolium)

Some were quite familiar to me, like this lupine. It was probably the most common shrub there that was still in bloom.

Silvery Lupine (Lupinus argenteus)

And it wasn't the only publish-blue bloom there. The mountain monardella, however, wasn't blooming much at the time.  I was happy to see it (and smell it) nonetheless.

Desert Mint (Mountain monardella)

On the way down to the Schulman Grove I drove much faster, trusting that the car won't get a flat. And it didn't - not on that drive.

Approaching the Schulman Grove of Great Basin Bristlecone Pines. 

We arrived at the visitor center again about 10 minutes before closing time and immediately hogged the naturalist, showing him pictures and asking for his help in identifying the animals and plants we've seen. I don't feel too bad about it because he was most eager to help us, and even directed me to where I could see some of the other wildflowers he had in his little picture notebook that were still in bloom.

Soda Straw (Angelica lineariloba)

Of the plants the naturalist directed me to I only got to see the Soda Straw. Eager to see a Pinyon jay, Papa Quail wished to take a look in the Grandview campground area.
The campground is at a considerably lower elevation than the bristlecone pine area. There are no bristlecone pines there, but the common Pinyon Pine-Utah Juniper community that is characteristic of the Great Basin mountain ranges.
On our first visit to the White Mountains we had camped there. Our elder chika was then the only chika and she was 18 months old. Papa Quail and I were busy pitching our tent, and when we finished and I turned to look at my daughter I found her standing by  the nearest juniper and stuffing her mouth with its cones.
Needless to say I got panicked . But she didn't choke, and later I found out that juniper 'berries' aren't toxic. Still, it was a frightening experience.

Utah Juniper (Juniperus osteosperma)

But returning to our latest visit there last August, we took off on one of the dirt roads that extended from the campground deeper into the forest in search of pinyon jays I drove the car through some rough rocky part of the 'road' and it was there that we got the flat tire.
And it was there that we discovered that the jack that arrived with the car when it was brand new didn't really fit it. We had to get a rock underneath the jack to get the needed lift and even with that we had to dig some under the tire.
The whole ordeal took us over an hour, during which the chikas and even their cousins got into fights and ceaseless nagging. Needless to say by the time we were out of there on out spare tire we were all exhausted and not interested at all in chasing the pinyon jay any more.

Pinyon Pine (Pinus monophylla)

We made it back to Bishop in time for dinner and bed. On the following morning Papa Quail got the car fixed at one of the local tire shops and then we checked out and drove north to our next destination: to the Devil's Postpile National Monument.


Many thanks to members of the Birding California group for their help in identifying the birds, and to members of the California Native Plants Society for their help in identifying plants!