While our son, Jay, was visiting from Florida, I wanted to show him the lava flow fields that are off Highway 395 south of Gardnerville. I remembered them being just south of Bishop " not too far for a day trip " and figured we could visit Mono Lake and the Erick Schat's Bakkery along the way. When we didn't see them by the time we got to the Lone Pine Visitor Center, we decided to stop and ask about them. Turns out they are 45 miles north of Ridgecrest and about 40 miles south of the visitor center. Relying on memory isn't always a good idea.
We got to Bishop and headed straight for the bakery. Schat's was started by the Basque sheepherders who settled the area during the days of the Gold Rush. They are famous for their sheepherders bread as well as their pastries. The sign in the doughnut case said they were voted the best donuts. The breads, cakes, and pastries are made with water from the Sierra Nevada, stone-ground unbleached flour, real butter and cane sugar. They still shape the bread by hand and bake it in stone hearth ovens like their European ancestors. It is absolutely scrumptious.
With our breads in hand, we continued south to Fossil Falls, the site of a volcanic eruption from the last Ice Age. The lava has been polished and carved over thousands of years by the Owens River into some very interesting shapes. From the highway it appears to be a gently rolling field, but after just a short walk on the trail, you come across a deep gorge that snakes through the field. Rock climbers enjoy scaling the 80-foot wall that rises above the trickling remains of the Owens River. Pieces of obsidian can be found in various areas, remnants of tool-making from the settlers. There are rounded indentations in the rock where the native people pounded the seeds and plant pieces for food.
On the northern edge of the lava field is a red cinder cone-shaped hill that formed when gases and molten material were trapped during a violent eruption. The cooling process formed the red rock known as scoria which is mined for use primarily in landscape projects.
There is a small campground between the cinder cone and the gorge with minimum facilities. It is said to be a great place for stargazing between October and May. The summer months bring winds that stir up the sand in the surrounding desert making visibility difficult.
While it made for a long day, I would still recommend stopping by if you are in the area of Lone Pine.
Have a ramblin' good week.
n Reach Gail Davis at 265-1947 or RuhenstrothRamblings@yahoo.com
