White Mountains Summary
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Overview of Area

The White Mountains are an incredibly varied range with extending from the floor of the Owens Valley up to several summits over 13,000 ft. Many deep-cut canyons and creeks that extend from these summits to the valley floor provide unique riparian habitat in this desert range. These canyons are also of great interest to motorists heading into the White Mountain high country. With some routes founded many years ago to serve mines and grazing camps, and recent proliferation of routes by contemporary recreational users, the White Mountains has more than its share of wonder and potential problems. 

bulletAreas Surveyed
bulletWhite Mountains Areas of Concern
bulletManagement Recommendations for the White Mountains

Areas Descriptions Links
Upper Black Canyon A trail leading from the Schulman Grove Visitor Center to Black Canyon Spring.
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Mid Black Canyon Several routes downstream from Black Canyon Spring including one that captures Black Canyon Spring. 
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Lower Black Canyon A deep-cut canyon with several riparian areas, mine sites, and a rocky two-track.
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Black Mountain Route A route heading from Westgard Pass to Black Mountain and associated routes.
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Mollie Gibson Route A low-use route from Highway 168 north past Mollie Gibson Mine to the southeastern edge of the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.
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Crooked Creek A well-traveled section of canyon traveling east from the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest with a rich stream, mines, and associated routes. 
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Dead Horse Meadow A meadow on the eastern flank of the white mountains with several campsites and spur routes.
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Wyman Canyon Like Crooked Creek, another creek and canyon dropping east from the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest to Deep Springs Valley. 
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Areas of Concern: Route Hotspots

Upper Black Canyon Springs (Route T21)

This route travels directly through a riparian corridor leading to significant damage to vegetation and deep rutting. There are unstable creek crossings and lengthy stream captures. 

We recommend restoring this route by prohibiting  access to all users. It may be possible to mitigate damage by rerouting traffic to Black Canyon Spring through the parallel route Z1811.

 





Stream capture in Black Canyon. 
The route has captured the stream causing
 the stream to travel out of its natural channel. 


The creek and the route occupy the same path. At this point in Black Canyon, the creek and the route are the same with only annual riparian vegetation growing in creek/route. 

Lower Black Canyon Springs (Route T21)

This route travels directly through a unique riparian corridor and springs. There is a significant stream capture and damage to riparian vegetation, including cutting of vegetation to make the route wide enough for passage. 

Ideally, we recommend restoring this route to its original condition or re-routing it around critical riparian habitat. If not possible, at minimum, stabilize the crossing to negate the stream capture, allowing the creek to flow in its original channel.

 




Stream capture in Black Canyon. 
Note the crushed riparian vegetation at the beginning of this stream capture directly behind the sign. 

Evidence of cutting vegetation on Lower Black Canyon. Crushed and cut rose in the left-center of this photo indicates that this route is actively used, maintained, and not wide enough or in the right location to avoid affecting the riparian vegetation. 

Mollie Gibson Canyon

The largest concern in this area is the proliferation of tracks into the Bristlecone Pine Forest where motorized use is prohibited.  

We recommend prohibiting motorized traffic north of the Mollie Gibson Mine. In addition, we suggest placing signs and constructing barriers at the Bristlecone Pine Forest boundary to deter users from entering closed areas. We also suggest removing Route N2150 from the inventory (loop route bypassing natural closure on Mollie Gibson Route). 

 

 





Signs of motorized use beyond the official boundary of the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. 




Dead Horse Meadow route complex

This main, high-use route travels through the meadow and has an unstable creek crossing. In this area, spur routes travel through muddy meadows causing damage to vegetation and campsites exist on creek.

We recommend restoring these spur routes and the campsites on them by prohibiting access to motorized users. Stabilizing the crossing on the main route (06S01A) may reduce damage to riparian vegetation. 

 

 




Route passes directly through a muddy section of Dead Horse meadow causing damage to vegetation.  

Unstable creek crossing of main route through Dead Horse Meadow.  


Overall Management Recommendations

Route proliferation and routes in riparian areas are both major concerns in the southern White Mountains. There are several simple management practices that could help in both these regards. 

The Black Canyon Route and the complex of routes surrounding Dead Horse Meadow travel through critical riparian habitat.  Managers are urged to mitigate the apparent damage found along these routes by determining alternative access paths that avoid these rare areas of riparian habitat in the desert. Where this is not possible, stabilizing creek and meadow crossings may mitigate damage as well. 

Outside of the Bristlecone Pine forest very few signs indicating ends of routes and/or closed areas were found. Simply signing the ends of routes may keep users from unintentionally leaving existing routes. 

It appears that route proliferation is occurring consistently up Redding Canyon from the OHV play area to the west. If trends continue, more routes will undoubtedly be  created in this area. More vigilant management of this area, including signing of spur routes and ranger presence on routes should minimize these problems.