Druid Stones (Inyo County, California)

This weekend I have a lot of driving to do. Tomorrow, I'm tour a rock art site on private property with the California Rock Art Foundation and then driving to San Jose to run a Half-Marathon on Sunday morning. To break the driving up a little bit, I decided to spend the night in Bishop, CA. After leaving the hot springs, I headed to my destination town for the evening, but as there was still several hours of daylight left, I decided to get anther hike in rather than retire so early.

I learned of the Druid Stones trail some time ago while looking for local trails on the internet. As the trail head is just few miles outside of town, I arrived and parked the jeep before heading off into the high desert along a well-cut trail. The first part of the trail is relatively flat, but offers some gorgeous views of the Sierra Nevada to the west. After about a half mile, the trail quickly begins to gain elevation as it makes it's way up the side of one of the foothills. This uphill is really relentless and very steep. 

I'm making good time, but I'm really getting a work out making my way this harsh incline. All along the way, I note the sandstone rock formations, which must be the druid stones. Some jut vertically out of the ground resembling the stones the ancient Celts used to fashion Stonehenge in southern England. The stones here, though, are naturally placed. The geologic upheaval of this entire area has made a number of interesting landscapes and this is certainly one of them.

As I continue up the mountain, the trail gets even steeper in a few places . . . to the point that I'm reaching down for handholds in a couple of places. Wow . . . this trail really is kicking my butt, but I'm glad for the physical challenge. To make matters worse, the sun is now beating down on me and the temperatures have reached the low nineties. It's not even may yet . . . it's not supposed to be this hot . . . 

Finally reaching the high point of the trail, I turn and head back down the other side of the loop. This side seems even more steep, but luckily, it's downhill now. Gravity forces me to run some parts, but it certainly makes the time go by faster. All along the way, I'm extremely cautious of overhanging rocks and small sagebrush along the trail. This kind of day would force any rattlesnakes in the area into the shade and the last thing I want is to get bitten.

Getting back to the jeep, I check my mileage and I've covered almost exactly 5 miles. Now that I have gotten my exercise for the day, I'm going to head back into town and enjoy some beer and a quite evening before my busy weekend continues. As for the trail, it does offer some nice views, but there are more scenic trails in the region. If you want a workout coupled with some nice views, this is a trail for you, but otherwise, I'd recommend moving along.