White Mountain (14,252')

To be perfectly fair, White Mountain is only a 2,000 foot-tall volcano.  It just happens to be standing on a 12,000+ foot-tall plateau.  And THAT makes it a fourteener, and since it's in California...it must be climbed.

To reach the trailhead, you drive up, up, and up White Mountain road.

We stopped at Grandview Campground, apparently a popular place for ameteur astronomy buffs, to spend the night and adjust to the altitude before the hike.

 This is a very large sandwich, with Mark laboring up the mountain under its bulk.

 The Summit is in sight!

 Polemonium, sometimes called "Sky Pilots".  This one is growing, apparently without soil, at about 13,700'.

 Dad, on the side of a very large mountain.

 The summit of White Mountain, which is 14,252' above sea level.  (I bought a new flag!)

 Click here for a panorama view.

 

The summit, oddly, is only halfway.  Parts of this hike were pretty moon-like, I must say. However, despite the moon-like terrain, there are quite a few things living up there.

 There are more marmots than you can shake a stick at.  We saw a pika or two, and a weasel, which was faster than my camera.

This was my second 14er, and I can't wait to do the next.  It's too bad I can't fit all the good pictures in here!