Glass Creek is located in Inyo county California, just north of Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort, in what is often referred to as the Eastern Sierra and at
an altitude of 7500 ft. In my 14th summer I was staying with my Aunt Ida, in the Carny Cabin on Glass Creek. I loved the volcanic geography of the area. Later did I find out that the creek was on the north face of a Caldera (Long Valley Caldera)and like most caldera's, was covered in pumice, obsidian and other dislodged material from volcanoes (Loved the pumice because it is so light we used to pick large "boulders" of it to prove how strong we were). My journey started as just some fishing for trout as we did most summers when my dad got vacation. My Dad had taught me how to look for places that trout like to hang. Places where the water was not swift and preferably with some kind of shadow (Trout are not adventuresome). The trick was to let your bait (worms) float past the place where an intended catch might be and see if the siren song of a night crawler would get the trout to bite. I began walking along the creek constantly looking for the perfect spot and as time went on I found my self further away from the cabin by several miles. I remember dad telling me about the "meadows" above the "second falls" (Please note that they were not falls but cascades. I guess falls sounding more manly.) Well in my young mind the "meadows" sounded like some Xanadu for fisherman and being that I was (I think) halfway there, I should go on. Keep in mind that this is a continuing climb in elevation and anyone that has tried to exert themselves a 7 or 8 thousand feet would know that this should not be done without some foresight, of which I was certainly lacking. Also at that altitude the sun will beat you constantly, the ground was pumice and was crunching into dust that quickly filled my mouth and nose. My path consisted of finding shade near the creek to hike in to keep the sun away and have ready access to water to clean the nose. Unfortunately the shade gives cover to killer Mosquito's but having heeded my Dad's advice to wear long sleeve shirts I reduced that particular plague of all trout fisherman.
About noon I found myself above the first falls and this was a new look at a world I had never imagined. The creek was still the creek but the surrounding area was becoming really barren with only the sides of the mountains covered in pumice No trees, no bushes, a rather moonscape surrounding. I still had not arrived at the "meadows" and the "headwaters" and before me was another forbidding climb past the second falls and more barren landscape. I rested for some time along the creek and thought about my fishing rod and what a pain it was to be carrying it. I also thought how stupid it was to be on this trek with no food. (I guess that is how 14 yr olds learn). Having gone this far I decided that success should be mine (14 yr olds can be very determined) so I went forward. By now I was about 8500 ft. above sea level and about another 1000 to go. This fact came to me later after the journey, so in this case ignorance was on my side (I think). I came upon a Obsidian Dome. What the hell is that I cleverly asked not knowing anything about Volcanism. Later I learned that Obsidian is a unexpanded rhyolite (I think the Kryptonite was around the other side of the mountain) This material is black and glassy having been extruded as extremely viscous lava (Gooey Lava ?). I picked up a few samples and went on my way dazzled by the reflections from the glass like rock , satisfied that finally I did know how the creek got its name.
Eventually, I arrived at the meadows and was looking at a wonderful small valley of the most beautiful yellow-green grass and only interrupted by the small winding division in the middle, formed by Glass Creek. Here the creek was meandering slowly and seemed perfectly happy not knowing that its trip down would be so rapid. The "Source" I saw, was at that time of the year, several springs. The winter snows having gone, the springs provided the creeks only water. By now I was at about 9500 ft. and here the sun and sky are perfect (if not hot), the blue in the sky was embarrassing in its purity. I sat at the edge of the meadow and just look around. I could see forever. Forever in this case was Mono Lake to the distant north. The Mono Craters to the east. With Mountains to my back and West, it made looking at forever in those directions a little difficult but convinced me that I was as far as I was going. As I sat there and being a child of the City, I never knew what such a feeling of being loosed from my normal environment could be. The enormity of the view was humbling and yet it made me feel free and at rest. I chose to linger there for some time, how much time I could never tell you because such moments in your life are without the constraints of time. Time had no meaning here.
Hunger, being one essential that cannot be ignored, woke me from my idle, so I figured it was appropriate for me to return to "civilization" and get a sandwich. The return had the Newtonian laws of gravity turned in my favor. Going down was a lot easier! Past the Second Falls, past the Obsidian Dome, past the First Falls, all of these now so familiar. Somehow the fishing rod did not seem to be a burden and the travel never winded me. I like going down hill! (been doing that all of my life as all of us do) Before too long ( it seemed) I was back at the cabin. Only later did I learn the I had hiked about 10 miles that day and traveled a little over 2000 feet up and back down. I had completely forgot to fish but that seemed of no concern as I told my Aunt Ida of the journey. That night as I began to fall into an exhausted sleep somewhere in my mind I knew that I had discovered the "Source of the Blue Nile". Move over Burton!
