Desert Peaks, White & Inyo Mtns, stay at UC Crooked Creek Research Station
Details
THIS IS PROBABLY OUR MOST POPULAR GEO-HIKE.
PLEASE READ THE BELOW CAREFULLY. MEMBERS THAT HIKE WITH GEO-HIKES FREQUENTLY AND GEOLOGIC ASSOCIATES HAVE PRIORITY TO ATTEND. YOU WILL GO ON A WAITLIST AT THE START.
PLEASE DO NOT SIGN-ON TO GEO-HIKE EVENTS UNLESS YOU INTEND TO GO AND CAN AFFORD TO GO. SIGNING ON AND NOT GOING DEPRIVES OTHERS AND CREATES COMPLICATIONS ON MY END.
YOU NEED TO BE A GOOD HIKER AND ABLE TO SPEND FIVE DAYS & FOUR NIGHTS AT AN ELEVATION GREATER THAN 10,000 FEET. THIS EVENT HAS CROSS-COUNTRY HIKES IN STEEP DESERT TERRAIN. THE HIKES ARE IN REMOTE AREAS AND WE NEED TO HIKE TOGETHER AS AS A GROUP TO AVOID ANYONE GETTING LOST. YOU'LL NEED TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS AND STAY-UP WITH THE GROUP, THERE ARE NO SWEEPS.
IF YOU ARE ADMITTED TO THIS EVENT (YOUR STATUS GOES FROM WAITLIST TO RSVP), YOU NEED TO SEND YOUR FULL NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS TO GEOLOGICMAPSFOUNDATION@GMAIL.COM. STATE WHAT EVENT YOU ARE ON. THIS IS A NECESSITY TO BE ON OUR OVERNIGHT EVENTS AND TO RECEIVE UPATES AND ATTACHMENTS. DON'T ASSUME I HAVE OR CAN FIND YOUR EMAIL EASILY.
Geo-hikes has a reservation for 5 days and 4 nights at the UC Reserve's White Mtn, Crooked Creek Station that has lodging and showers. The Station prepares and serves all meals; we have to help with clean-up of meals and our rooms before departing. The Station is above 10,000 ft elevation. The cost is $590/person based on the cost for room & meals. Station costs have nearly doubled since 2019 but it is still a good deal considering its lodging, food, and a beautiful area to visit. You cannot pay now. If you get on the event you will be sent further instructions about what to bring and payment.
We will be hiking desert peaks in the White Mountains (just east of the Sierra Nevada and Owens Valley), and discussing the geology along the routes. The tentative plan is to hike Buck's Peak and/or Blanco Mtn on Friday. We will explore lower Cottonwood Creek and top Station Peak on Saturday, and hike White Mountain Peak (14,246 ft) on Sunday. For those wanting to hike something other than White Mtn Peak, we'll come up with an alternative hike. White Mtn is often described as the easy “fourteener” but some folks struggle with the last 600-700 ft where it's steep and high (it's not a technical climb). Like Blanco and Buck's Peak it’s a long hike to the base. We will be able to park at the Barcroft Research Station that is beyond the locked gate which will shorten our hike by several miles. Hike from Barcroft Station 11.5 miles roundtrip and 2671 ft elevation gain. Hiking itinerary could change as we get closer to the event.
On Monday we’ll have breakfast, pack our bags, and help clean up the facility. We’ll depart about 11:00 AM. In the past some folks have driven directly home and others have visited the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest Visitor Center at Schulman Grove, which is along the drive back. There are some excellent short trails at the Grove too.
You are responsible for your transportation to the Crooked Creek Station and back home. The last 10 miles to the Station is on a good gravel road. We will arrange a vehicle caravan from the Grandview Campground (along a paved road) to the Station on the arrival day. We sometimes are short high-clearance vehicles to make it to the various trailheads. If you have such a vehicle please consider bringing it and be willing to take other to the trailheads. In the past folks have driven Outbacks to the trailheads with no issues.
The White Mountains are unknown to many and the Crooked Creek Station is in a remote location within the mountains. If you want to get away from the hiking crowds of the Sierra Nevada, see something new and unvisited, this is a good start. The ranges are very scenic, pristine, and the geology is very complex and interesting too.
2024 White Mtns video: https://youtu.be/qJ6nqeuWjbg
2022 White Mtns videos: https://youtu.be/85QBoGH5fHs, https://youtu.be/5nsYKsgVqRE, https://youtu.be/TtEis5ILqr0, https://youtu.be/3g3wAHjF768, https://youtu.be/67seBb50T5E, https://youtu.be/oSZZJrsmD-Y
Here's a great book on Desert Peaks including the peaks mentioned above: https://a.co/d/3QlVxWl
This is a fund raiser for the nonprofit GMF (Geologic Maps Foundation), www.geologicmapsfoundation.org. GMF is a 501 (c) (3) organization and donations are tax deductible. Donations pay for event expenses (in this case the facility) and GMF operating costs. Payment ($590.00) will be by check to the Geologic Maps Foundation and payment instructions and further trip details such as detailed directions and what to bring will be provided later.
IF YOU WISH TO CONTACT GEO-HIKES ABOUT THE TRIP PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO: GEOLOGICMAPSFOUNDATION@GMAIL.COM, AND DON'T USE MEETUP MESSAGES THAT ARE PROBLEMATIC.