Obsidian Dome, California and more, August 18-22

This summer is going way too fast since I last posted.  Although, I have spent most of the last few months on my property in Portola, I have ventured out on a few short trips with the airstream trailer.

Last weekend I ventured south towards June Lake which is is near Mammoth Lakes, California, to catch up with a small Airstream gathering at the base of Obsidian Dome which is in the Inyo National Forest and part of the Ansel Adams Wildness.  Well, this group is not for the faint of heart when it comes to boon docking.  I caught up with the leader at the turn off to the Obsidian Dome Road  and followed them in on a dirt road which turned into a Jeep road to our destination at the base of Obsidian Dome.  We were about 3 miles from the main road.

I must admit I would not have attempted to navigate  this road by myself towing the trailer. There were several turnouts which would have allowed me the opportunity  to  bail out, but since I was following our leader who was using a B-Van as a tow vehicle towing a vintage 28 foot something trailer , I figured I could do it.  The last 50  yards were steep, bumpy, and narrow.  I told myself that if there was a turn around at the bottom  I was bailing!   However, the bottom was our destination!.

The site was nestled up at the base of the Obsidian Dome and there was a nice creek less that 50 yards away.  We backed our trailers in ( I didn't back in, because I found the perfect pull up/pull through) and settled in.

We were nestled at the bottom.  Note the black obsidian rocks.

Looking down from the trail at our camp.  I'm located at the lower left of the picture.

 We had a nice view of the Owens River Headwater Wilderness area

 That's my trailer a little away from the "crowd"

 You can see the trail which winds up the dome.

The next morning I headed up the trail to the top of the dome which is an old bull dozed road and now a quad trail.

 Lots of black glass, aka obsidian.

 Once on top the trail continued around the dome.

Next I headed up to the Owens River Headwaters Wilderness trail where I was told I would find some water falls. The trail head was a short distance from our camp site.  After about a steep,  what seemed like a 2 mile very steep climb, I came across some small falls, which I consider beautiful large cascades. I continued on the trail which finally leveled out, but did not find any other  "falls".

I ventured out one day on the "Mammoth Loop" and ended up walking up to the Inyo Craters.  I was able to walk to the North and South Craters but did not climb the trail up to Deadmans Craters.  It was pretty steep, and the skies were starting to open up and rain on me!

OK, that's about it.  I don't have any exciting trips planned for a while.  I am close to the Lakes Basin, near Graeagle, California   which affords lots of hiking so stay tuned.