A few miles outside Bishop, the "green zone" abruptly changes to brown. Here in the desert is a large area known as the Volcanic Tablelands, with countless mounds of rock put here by volcanic activity nearly a million years ago, now exposed by erosion. Despite the harsh environment, Native Americans lived here for thousands of years. Part of their culture involved pecking symbols, perhaps messages, on the exposed volcanic rock. I visited some of these petroglyph sites in 2010, but went to even more on this trip. I won't post many of the images from there, as you've seen many similar photos in the past.
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First light
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In that same area is a chalk bluff, said to have formed in the bottom of the sea that once covered this region. It was then hidden by layers of rock from lava flow that has now eroded away.
I mentioned the Owens River being a source of greenery for this area, so the next photos show the river and some of its effects.
Nearby, a county park is mostly for athletic events, but there is a small pond that attracts some wildlife, including yours truly. The view of the mountains was what appealed to me.
North of Bishop are numerous canyons formed by water flowing from the mountains. In some cases, lakes have been formed either by Mother Nature or the hand of LADPW. Looking for fall color, I drove to the head of several canyons. It was too early for color in several canyons, but the scenery was still impressive.
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Convict Lake
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| Convict Lake |
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McGee Creek Canyon
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| Rock Creek Lake |
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| Rock Creek Lake |
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| Rock Creek Lake |
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| Rock Creek Lake |
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| Rock Creek Lake |
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Pine Creek Canyon
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Driving along US 395, there is a distant view of Crowley Lake, made by LADPW to control flooding in the lower Owens River. I did not take time to thoroughly explore this area, but it's something I'll do if I return this way.
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