California Natural History Guides

By Clarence A. Hall Jr.

Book Overview

The White-Inyo Range--rising sharply from the eastern edge of Owens Valley--is one of the most extraordinary landscapes in the world. High, dry, and amazingly diverse, it boasts an expansive alpine tundra and features the oldest living species on earth--the 4,000-year-old Bristlecone Pines. This colorful and authoritative volume assembles a wealth of information of deep interest to the hikers and scientists attracted to White-Inyo's altitude and isolation. The nearly two dozen contributors to the volume are leading experts on the flora and fauna, the geology, geomorphology, meteorology, anthropology, and archaeology of the area. The book offers descriptions of more than 650 kinds of living organisms, from the handful of fish to the abundance of reptile, amphibian, bird and plant species. (It provides descriptions of hundreds of flowering plants.) It contains an 8-color geologic map and a roadside guide that enables the visitor to make sense of the area's complex geological history. Readers will also learn about air currents that make the range a delight for sailplane pilots and create strange cloud formations. And a special chapter tells what is known of the Native Americans who moved up and down the mountain slopes in response to seasonal changes. For anyone who wishes to visit this astonishing area or to do research there, this volume will be a unique, comprehensive resource.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520068955
• ISBN13: 9780520068957
• Release Date: October 1991
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 560 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.

Customer Reviews

The White - Inyo Range

The eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada and the White Mountains are fascinating geologically and biologically. Years ago we were graduate students working on the eastern slope. Revisiting this summer we used this book as a guide to places, the plants and animals. From the bristlecone pines to the wildflowers and trees around Mammoth Lakes and Convict Lake the book was a wonderful source. We used it to find the names of birds, trees, and flowers along the trails we hiked. We brushed up on geology before visiting Devil's Postpile, Hot Creek, and the rest of the Long Valley Caldera. I would strongly recommend this book to any one interested in the Owens Valley and the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada and the White Mountains. The region is fascinating and the book represents it well.