The White Mountains of California
Natural History Trip at the Crooked Creek Field Station
Saturday, July 11th to Tuesday, July 14th, 2026
Trip Details | Registration | Naturalists/Presenters | Accommodations | Resources
Guests enjoying a guided hike
Enjoy four days of wildflowers, ancient trees, geology, and birds in the majestic alpine wilderness of the White Mountains, in Inyo National Forest, on the eastern edge of the Owens Valley. Limited to just 25 people, our group will stay at the Crooked Creek research Station (10,200’), part of the University of California’s White Mountain Research Center complex.
Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva)
Knowledgeable and enthusiastic scientists/naturalists will guide small groups through the variety of geological and ecological communities found in the Whites, as we study and enjoy the fascinating natural history of this scenic and unique California mountain range, emphasizing geology, botany, and bird life. The Whites are home to ancient bristlecone pines (Pinus longaeva) - the oldest trees in the world.
We will stay at the Crooked Creek Field Station
We are privileged to be led by three field staff: Steve Junak, Botanist and emeritus Herbarium Curator at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Dr. Sabina Thomas, geologist and former Nature Education Manager at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, and Santiago M. Escruceria, birding expert in the Mono Basin and the White Mountains.
Our relaxed pace will also include hiking opportunities and visits to the Schulman Grove (location of the almost 5,000-year-old Methuselah tree) and the Patriarch Grove. Evenings will include natural history slide shows. Daytime drives and hikes will take us above 11,000’. Though hiking will not be strenuous, participants should be able to acclimate to this high altitude.
If you have any questions about the trip, please get in touch with John Ziegler by email at john@cirweb.org or by phone at (805) 448-1501.
Registration
$700 for General Admission, $530 for Island Fox members, and $598 for Ironwood members—includes 3 nights’ indoor accommodations and use of research station facilities, eight delicious meals prepared by station staff and naturalists, and materials (animal and plant checklists, bibliography, and more).
Please email John Ziegler at john@cirweb.org for Ironwood and Island Fox member rate registration links.
Our Trip Naturalists and Guides
Santiago M. Escruceria - Birding
Santiago is a Colombian-born American citizen, has resided in California for the past 47 years. He graduated from Sonoma State University and has taught environmental education in both Spanish and English for the past 34 years, 27 of which he has spent with the Mono Lake Committee. At Mono Lake, he oversees the Committee’s Outdoor Education Center program for Los Angeles youth. Santiago is an avid birder and bird photographer. Through his company, Guadualito Birding Tours, he leads birding excursions in Colombia during the winter. He also conducts guided walks for school groups in the Mono Basin throughout the remainder of the year.
Steve Junak, M.A. - Botany
Steve is an active researcher and expert on the flora of the islands of California and Baja California, Mexico and has led nearly a dozen field trips to the White Mountains. Steve earned a master’s degree in botany at UC Santa Barbara, has led field trips for more than 50 years, and has coauthored several books about the Channel Islands, including “A Flora of San Nicolas Island California” and “A Flora of Santa Cruz Island.” He retired in 2014 from his longtime position as curator of the Clifton Smith Herbarium at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. He has continued his relationship with the Garden as a research associate and botanist emeritus. He also is an active researcher and expert on the flora of the islands of California and Baja California, Mexico.
Sabina Thomas, Ph.D. - Geology
Sabina Thomas grew up in Germany where she received her PhD in Geology. She left Berlin for the U.S. in 1989 and taught at colleges and universities in Texas and Ohio until she moved to Santa Barbara in 2010. Starting out as a naturalist, she later worked as the Nature Education Manager at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History until 2023. In 2023, she worked as a Backcountry Ranger at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and also as Nature Educator. Sabina also teaches earth-science courses at Santa Barbara City College and has led five-day field trips for students as well as adult learners through the Eastern Sierra and White Mountains and Death Valley. She took several courses in Botany, earned the California Naturalist Certificate in 2019, the Climate Stewardship Certificate in 2022, and loves going on field trips.