Natural History Wanderings

McGee Creek, Smokey the Bear Flat and East on Highway 120

We drove directly to McGee Creek Trailhead without stopping along the road to beat expected crowds and started hiking at 8 AM.  Didn’t see any other hikers except backpackers coming in off the trail for at least an hour.  McGee Creek had the best flower displays we have seen this trip, but had less species than we have seen on other days. At the beginning where the trail splits the lower trail has more flowers than the upper trail; they eventually join near the wilderness entrance sign so you can take the other route on the way back. Especially impressive is the latter part of the trail (we went as far as the stream that came down from the waterfall).  This is where the good displays are.

McGee Creek Plant List: There were good displays of yellow buckwheat contrasting with red Paintbrush.  We also saw many Sego Lilies (Calochortus bruneaunis), Scarlet Gilia, and Cream Bush.  Other plants in bloom were Wire Lettuce, Wild Licorice, tiny Gayophytum, Coyote Mint, Lupine, Mules Ears (those at the beginning of the trail were past, the later ones were still blooming), Whitney’s Locoweed in bloom and with its colorful spotted inflated fruits, Paper Locoweed in fruit, a tall white Buckwheat, Blue Elderberry, Red Penstemon, two more species of Buckwheat, Cactus, Red Columbine, Variegated Bracted Blazing Star (a small species of Blazing Star), Wild Rose, Popcorn, Dogbane, Antelope Bitterbush, Wallflower, Coffeeberry in fruit (berries), a white Ceanothus, a Phacelia, Angelica, Blue Mantle, a white Erigeron, Yellow Monkeyflower, Sierra Onion, Monkshood, Cow Parsnip, Snowberry, and Evening Primrose.  There were also small amounts of Stinging Nettle along the trail.

Also seen were Swallowtails, Red Admirals and a small Blue (unidentified) butterflies.

We stopped at Smokey the Bear Flat on 395 south of the Mammoth turnoff.   There was still some Evening Primrose that would bloom later in the day, but most were past.  This species of Evening Primrose is unusual in that the plant’s ovary is completely underground.   We did see some lupine, a few yellow violets, a tiny Buckwheat,  Antelope Buckbrush, and a Phacelia.

Next we drove east on highway 120 from 395 for almost 20 miles.  After passing the Mono Lake South Tufa turn off you will see some Prickly Poppy and large Blazing Star. At about 12.5 miles a lupine appears that I believe is endemic to the Mono Lake area.  It is Lupinus duranii Mono Lake Lupine.  You then drive through the largest stand of Jeffrey Pine in the World. If you look carefully in the sandy areas next to the road you will find more Mono Lake Lupine.  If you stop and get out you will find a very small pink monkey flower.  It is called Skunky Monkeyflower Mimulus mephiticus.  There was an even tinier flower, Spurry Buckwheat that is white with red veins and is an unusual buckwheat as there is only one flower at the end of each stem.  Even smaller yet is minuscule popcorn flower.

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McGee Creek is hike # 49 in Best Short Hikes of the Eastern Sierra by Karen and Terry Whitehill.

A forest service description of the McGee Creek area including directions to the trailhead:  http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/pacificsouthwest/McGee/index.shtml

For more information on visiting the Eastern Sierra Nevada check the posting: Best of Two Worlds Eastern Sierra Nevada & White Mountain: hikes, drives & wildflowers