There are places that I see and decide that I want to visit, and eventually I do visit them. Three short, steep and beautiful hikes during my weekend in the Eastern Sierras, including a quick one in Granite Mountain Wilderness before leaving.

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I wake up to a beautiful autumn morning at tranquil Obsidian Campground
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Now-yellow cottonwood trees line the road as I drive out of Obsidian Campground
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I hate to be leaving Obsidian Campground so soon, but I have some exploring to do
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The 50+ mile drive down Highway 395 to the Mono Lake area has many scenic moments
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I eventually find myself in the Inyo National Forest, in an area called the "Punch Bowl"
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Back on Hwy 395, I find a nice stop between the Sierras and the Mono Craters
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Without a plan, I've just decided to drive a few of the dirt roads in the area of the Mono Craters
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I wind around Pumice Valley, ending up on a dirt road that passes some of the Mono Craters
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Burnt plant stumps tell that there was a brush fire here in Pumice Valley not too long ago
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Sometimes it's worth driving these dead-end roads just to see what's at the end
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This sandy road seems to lead up into the foothills of the Crater Mountain area
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I pause to take a look back across Pumice Valley to the Sierras
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Well-worn tire tracks tell me I'm not the only one to drive up this way
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My road ends near one of the smaller Mono Craters
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I'll park under these pine trees, since I might want to camp here tonight
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Let's go for a walk, maybe one of these steep hills is hikeable
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A lot of rock falls down these hillsides
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Hey, there's a bit of a trail here!
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The trail started out steeply, but I've reached a stretch where the grade is reasonable
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Jagged rocks look down from above
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As I continue, the world is getting steeper
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It's a slippery landscape, but, so far, I'm able to hike up it
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I'm not sure what's at the top of this big hill, but I'm almost there
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I've just arrived on what turns out to be a saddle between more hills in the Mono Craters
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So this is what it looks like higher up in the Mono Craters...
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And there's Crater Mountain over there
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I've started climbing that adjacent hill, but the wind is almost blowing me over
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I climb another nearby hill for more views over to Mono Lake
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To the east, I see the Cowtrack Mountain plateau in the Granite Mountains Wilderness
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A few pine trees do manage to grow up here in this sparse landscape
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A network of roads remains from the days when the Mono Craters were being mined
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This heavy cable is residue from when these Mono Craters were being mined
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Here, an old road cuts through a rough upper edge in the Mono Craters
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Mono Lake looks close below from up here in the Mono Craters
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Here's another view over to the Granite Mountains Wilderness plateau from the Mono Craters
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I'll follow that dirt-bike track...
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Terracing is visible from here in the old Mono Craters mining operation
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Not all the rock up here in the Mono Craters is gray...
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I'm on the moon!
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I think I'll walk through that Mono Craters gateway...
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I'm standing here wondering if there's a hiking route to Crater Mountain over there
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I'll walk past this pinnacle and start looking for a way back down to the FJ
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It looks like I'll be heading back down to Pumice Valley on my uphill route
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It's a steep and slippery downhill, but the footing isn't too loose
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Down we go...
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Pine cones, rocks, and me, we all go down
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I stop to take a look back up the slanted world that I'm hiking down
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A small pine tree appears to grow out of a boulder sliding down the hillside
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I arrive at the bottom of the hill, along with many rocks
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Sedimentary layers in this rock contain shell-like bubbles
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I'm back at the FJ now and have just decided that I won't camp here tonight
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I drive back down into Pumice Valley toward the Sierras, past pines and rabbitbrush
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Goodbye Mono Craters for now, I enjoyed visiting you
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Sunlight weakens as I drive up Pumice Valley toward the Panum Crater area
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A fading sunset illuminates the Granite Mountains Wilderness as I drive Hwy 120
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I've just stopped near Sagehen Summit to enjoy the sunset, and it's a good one
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I wake up to solitude at Sawmill Meadow, then suddenly, the sound of chain saws
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I'll walk around and see what's here, since I arrived here after dark last night
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Hmmm, here's the trailer for the folks who are sawing down a tree or two nearby...
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And here's the Sawmill Meadow outhouse, which I'll use shortly
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Sawmill Meadow has an old cabin
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Property of the United States and has Frank and Steve's graffiti
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Inside the cabin, some of the framing appears to be rather recent
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Sawmill Meadow is that open area behind the FJ and the tent
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The outhouse is in decent condition, to my surprise
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I walk over to Sawmill Meadow itself and see many baby pine trees growing
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A nameless mini-mountain at the north end of Sawmill Meadow gets my attention
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The loggers leave with their freshly cut tree and I begin my hike up to the Glass Mountain Ridge
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I almost walk on these little California aster-like flowers
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This part of the trail up to Glass Mountain is quite steep
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The steep trail provides great views across to the White Mountains
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The trail rises across a scattering of obsidian
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I zoom out for a wider glimpse across the Sawmill Meadow valley to the White Mountains
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Upward...
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Old pine trees lay across the land in abundance
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The trail is powdery and slippery in a few spots
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The Glass Mountain trail rises on an interesting angle
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I'm glad I brought my hiking poles along with me today!
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I pause to catch my breath and take in the views some more
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This looks like a good place to sit and relax before vertigo catches up with me
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After a 15-minute break, I decide to hike back down to Sawmill Meadow
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Back down through the pine trees...
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This obsidian field calls for another short break to take in the view across the valley
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The obsidian trail!
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A few switchbacks help tame the route a bit
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This trail seems fairly well used, but I haven't met any other hikers here today
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It hasn't taken long: I'm already back down in the yellow cottonwoods and near the FJ
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I fuel up with a cup of coffee and a bowl of Orlik Golden Slices at the FJ before leaving
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It was dark when I drove up to Sawmill Meadow, so I'm enjoying the views on the way back down
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I get to drive through another bright patch of cottonwood trees
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In the distance is Granite Mountains Wilderness, my next destination
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Back on Hwy 120, I look across fields of rabbitbrush to the White Mountains
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Highway 120 escorts me across yellow Adobe Valley to Granite Mountains Wilderness
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I feel happy to leave pavement and drive the dirt road into Granite Mountains Wilderness again
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The FJ parks at the end of the dirt road and I begin a short late-afternoon hike
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My hike begins on an old road that's supposedly closed, but obviously is still driven
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In no time, the FJ is a mere blot in a landscape of yellow rabbitbrush
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A single set of tire tracks continues as I hike up the closed road
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Aha, there's one of the wild horses that are known to inhabit Granite Mountains Wilderness!
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How long will this wild horse allow me to look at it before running away?