Travelogue

My favorite Morro Bay OtterOur drive from Cambria to Pismo Beach took us right through the town of Morro Bay, a place we had visited two times in the past, but always with bad weather. Today was perfect, and reinforced my desire to someday kayak out to Morro Rock, a 576 foot volcanic plug that stands at the entrance to the harbor.

However, since we didn’t have the kayaks along, we satisfied ourselves with gazing at it from the Morro Bay T-Pier, where the cuddly little otters like to hang out. If reincarnation is a thing, I want to come back as an otter, because I have never seen a more carefree and playful creature than an otter. They are utterly adorable, as they playfully float on their bags, resting their cute little heads on each other’s bellies. You can just stand there smiling, watching them for hours.

We made one more stop at the Monarch Butterfly Grove before getting to Pismo Beach. Timing is everything, and we knew that we had missed the October - February window for the gathering of 110,000 butterflies on the eucalyptus trees in this grove. We, and a dozen or so other ill-timed tourists, saw one either dumb or very independent monarch fluttering around the grove. I wonder what he was thinking?

Our next and final stop for the day was Oceano Dunes State Vehicle Recreation Area (or OHV), a 5.5 miles stretch at the southern end of Pismo Beach that allows off-highway dune buggies to play in the huge sand dune complex. Racing around dunes is not exactly the 4Runners specialty. We were just there to be able to drive on the beach and camp.

Pismo Beach camping4WD is highly recommended, not just because of the deep sand, but also, to get to the camping area one has to cross the Arroyo Grande Creek, which is only passable at lower tides. There was very little water in it when we drove over it in mid-afternoon. The other recommendation is to make sure you camp above the high tide line, or you might wake to find yourself with the sound of the surf a bit closer than you would like.

We found a place to settle for the night, and spent the evening watching dune buggies zipping up and down the beach after returning from their more adrenaline-pumping ride through the dunes.

There was one near calamity when a pick-up truck pulling a trailer with a dune buggy on it got too close to the surf and got stuck. The next hour involved some frantic detaching of vehicles and desperate pushing onto the drier sand. Thankfully, they made it in time.

The next morning we got up early because we had a 6 hour drive ahead of us to get to Anza-Borrego State Park. Unfortunately, the tide was too high to cross over the Arroyo Grande Creek, so we had to wait about an hour for the tide to fall.

Travelogue

Day 1 - Launch at Packers Bay and camp in cove on Sacramento Arm

Herb enjoying his first sunset on Shasta LakeSince we moved the boat West in 2016, we had been anxiously searching for a place to use our Grady White. Of course, there is the ocean, and I’m sure we will eventually get to that, but we were more interested in finding a place to waterski, swim, and camp.

We would have loved to put the boat in Lake Tahoe, but they are quite strict as to what types of engines can be used. The lake is incredibly pristine, so I can see their motivation for keeping it so. Unfortunately, our carbureted, two-stroke engine is not allowed on the lake.

So that pretty much pointed us to Shasta Lake, California’s largest reservoir, which because of the heavy snows the last two winters was pretty close to capacity and back to having over 300 miles of shoreline and dozens of coves to explore and camp in. As a result, it is one of California’s top recreational destinations.

Another thing we think about when trailering our boat is the drive. For example, Lake Berryessa is nearer to us but requires us to drive up some pretty steep, twisty hills. The drive to Shasta Lake, on the other hand, is pretty straightforward - just under 4 hours and most of it on I5.

Our cove in O'Brien's InletThere are seven boat launches on the lake, but we chose to launch at Packers Bay, as it was the closest and had the biggest parking lot.

Our only mission that day was to find a place to camp for the night, so we cruised a bit up the Sacramento Arm before finding a little rocky cove to camp in, where we tied up to some dead trees near the shoreline.

Later that evening, a deer climbed down the steep rocks surrounding the cove to visit us. We had know idea as to why - there was no food and he didn’t even take a drink in the lake. However, he did take a swim to the other side of the cove. Strange.

Even stranger, after it got dark we noticed two shiny circles at the top of the rocks surrounding the cove, which we eventually realized were a pair of eyes staring down at us. As far as we knew, it had to be some kind of cat, as they are the only animals I know whose eyes glow in the dark. Mountain lions are found around Shasta Lake, so we were pretty sure that that was what was looking down at us. I just hoped he didn’t know how to swim and climb a boat ladder.

Day 2 - Cruise Sacramento Arm, select camping spot, and swim

Tommy and Erin's home for the nightTommy and Erin were planning on joining us for the weekend, so we set out today on a cruise to look for shoreline for them to camp on, as our 20-foot Grady White is not big enough to fit four people - although if necessary, they could sleep out on the back deck.

It wasn’t long before we realized this was going to be harder than we thought. Unlike Lake Powell, where there are miles of flat, sandy shoreline upon which to set up a tent, the shores of Shasta Lake are not only steep, but thickly forested with pine and oak trees.

Finally we found something that might work up the Sacramento Arm, along the O’Brien Creek Inlet. It had a small sandy beach with a small hill with a flat enough spot on top to pitch a tent. Not perfect, but workable. Plus, the cove was really nice for swimming.

We continued our cruise to see if we could find something better, but there really wasn’t, so we came back and anchored for the night. The rest of the afternoon was quite relaxing, as we spent it reading, swimming, and floating.

Day 3 - Set up Camp and relax in our cove

Lolo enjoying her floatWe were kind of afraid that if we left someone would take the camping spot we had found for Tommy and Erin, especially since it was Friday and flat shoreline was extremely scarce. So, pretty early in the morning we cruised back to the Packers Bay boat launch to pick up our tent, so we could set it up on the spot we wanted to save. That way we wouldn't have to hang out and guard our spot the whole day.

Once that was done, we pretty much just chilled the rest of the afternoon reading, swimming, snorkeling, and floating.

Later in the day, two large houseboats invaded our private cove and anchored along the shoreline about 50 yards north of us. Still, it wasn’t too invasive in that we were at the very end, so no boats would be cruising by us, kicking up a wake. Plus, there was a large tree in the water between us and them providing quite a bit of shade and privacy.

Day 4 - Pickup Tommy and Erin, Birthday Lunch at Bridge Bay Restaurant, and waterskiing

Tommy and Erin have arrivedTommy and Erin had driven up the night before and camped in the van nearby, so they were ready for us to pick them up at the boat launch bright and early.

We brought them back to our home in the O’Brien’s Creek Inlet, where we spent the morning swimming. Afterwards, we headed out on the boat for a cruise around the lake and a stop at the Bridge Bay Restaurant to celebrate Tommy’s 28th birthday, which was coming up next week.

The view from our table on the outdoor patio of the lake was fantastic, and the food was quite good as well. We each indulged a bit with a celebratory cocktail, something we normally wouldn’t do mid-day, but it was after all Tommy’s birthday.

After lunch, we went for a cruise up the McCloud Arm of the lake. Shasta Lake has three major arms, each created by a river that flows into it: the Sacramento River, the McCloud River, and the Pit River. Taking it a step further back, The Sacramento River's source is the Klamath Mountains, the McCloud River's source is Mt. Shasta, and the Pit River flows from Alturas.

Tommy slalom skiingI think Tommy was anxious to waterski, as he had done it, on our boat at least, since he moved out West in 2013. We headed back up the Sacramento Arm and into O’Brien’s Inlet where the water was a bit more protected and calm as it wasn’t out in the major channel.

I had forgotten how much fun water skiing can be. It was quite a successful afternoon, as each of us got up the very first time - Tommy and I each on a slalom ski and Erin on two skis.

I used to try to slalom at least once every year just to prove that I still wasn’t old. With the boat living on the opposite coast for the past few years, I hadn't had a chance to try, so I was quite excited (and relieved) that I could still do it.

Then it was back to our campsite in the cove for more swimming and fun with Tommy and Erin. Not a bad life.

Day 5 - Waterski some more, drop Tommy and Erin off, and camp in Pit Arm

Our new campsite near the mouth of the Pit ArmBefore dropping Tommy and Erin off to at the Packers Bay Boat Launch so they could go back to their real working lives, we did another round of waterskiing in O’Brien’s Inlet. Another successful session as we each got up first time again. I still got it!!

After saying our goodbyes at the boat launch, Herb and I decided to cruise around the lake and find a different spot to camp. We would have a lot more options now that we didn’t have to worry about a flat shoreline to set up a tent. All we need was a place to toss an anchor.

We found a nice spot to anchor near the mouth of the Pit Arm where we were oriented towards the sunset. Sure enough, it put on quite a show for us. Lovely

Day 6 - find camping with view of Mt. Shasta

View of Mt. Shasta from our campsite on Slaughterhouse IslandThis morning we went in search of a view of Mount Shasta from the lake. We had seen it the other from near the Dam, but wanted to see if we could find a campsite with a view.

We did find a pretty cool spot near the mouth of the Sacramento Arm on the north end of Slaughterhouse Island - it had a nice ring to it. I think this is only an island when water levels are high as Google Maps showed it as a peninsula. Whatever it was, it was a good spot with a nice view up the lake of snow-covered Mount Shasta. Plus there was even a nice pine forest behind us that we could take a stroll through. It was good to use the legs after sitting in a boat so long.

There was even a small bluff with a flat top where we set up our chairs and a beach umbrella - the sun was really quite hot. It did require us, however, to step through some pretty mucky quick-sandy like stuff at the shoreline - tough to keep the sandals on

We spent the rest of the afternoon swimming, reading, and looking at Mt. Shasta.

Our campsite on Slaughterhouse Island (with view of Mt. Shasta on the right)

Day 7 - Cruise up McCloud River Arm and home

After 6 nights sleeping on a small boat, I get a bit antsy, especially when there was really no place to anchor and hike, as we had been able to do in Lake Powell and Lake Mead.

We decided to take one more cruise, this time all the way up the McCloud River Arm before pulling the boat and driving home.

Description

The first mateShasta Lake, located near the town of Redding, is California’s largest reservoir. When at full capacity it has 365 miles of shoreline and dozens of coves to explore and camp in.

Shasta Lake was created in 1948 when the Shasta Dam was constructed across the Sacramento River. As a result of the dam, the lake has four major arms, each created by an approaching river: the Sacramento River, the McCloud River, Squaw Creek, and the Pit River.

In addition to providing electrical power, flood control, and water storage, the lake has become one of California’s top recreational destinations. There are nine marinas offering a variety of services, including houseboat rentals and seven boat launches.

Travelogue

Day 1 - Arrival in Bishop

Andrew and his birthday surpriseThe last half of our 7 hour drive to Bishop is always a treat - starting with Route 50 through South Lake Tahoe, and then down 395 through Bridgeport, Lee Vining, June Lake, and Mammoth Lakes. It’s an incredibly scenic drive.

We arrived around 4:30, just near quitting time for their remote workday. Celeste had planned a big surprise from all of us for Andrew’s birthday - a new Weber Gas Grill for their backyard, something never possible when they were living in a small apartment in San Francisco.

Wanting to support local businesses rather than Amazon, Celeste had ordered it from High Country Lumber, a nearby hardware store that Andrew had come to love. I never thought my son would have such a fondness for hardware stores, but Celeste said he was always finding excuses to go there during the week.

Hike into Pine Creek CanyonThat was the problem. Bishop is a very small town and everyone knows each other’s business. Celeste was so afraid that if he walked in there, they would spill the beans on the BBQ they were assembling for him. So, all week long, every time Andrew said he was going to High Country Lumber, Celeste would make some excuse to stop him, and say let’s do it when your parents and Tommy get here - as if that was a way to entertain your guests who had just driven 7 hours to see you.

Climbing in Pine Creek CanyonSo, when we arrived, we pretended we needed a hose clamp for the car and asked Andrew if he knew where we could get one. Of course he said High Country Lumber, and quickly volunteered to join us. So off we went - me, Herb, Andrew, and Tommy to shop for a hose clamp. Celeste said she would stay behind, but actually she was going to drive their van over after we left, as that was the only vehicle that would fit the grill.

When we got to the hardware store, we spent a ridiculously long time stalling in the hose clamp aisle waiting for Celeste to come. I think Andrew was starting to get suspicious that something was going on. When she pulled into the parking lot, he got even more confused.

Finally, an employee rolled out a beautiful new Weber Grill and placed it by the van. I think it still didn’t sink in that it was his until we all herded him towards it. Let’s just say he was very, very pleased.

After getting it home, we tested it out with marinated chicken kabobs, the ingredients for which Celeste had gotten ahead of time. They were delicious and just the beginning of many more delicious meals to come.

Day 2 - Climbing in Pine Creek Canyon and the Buttermilks

Tommy climbing in Pine Creek CanyonWhenever we are away with the kids, we know that climbing is going to be a big part of it. Plus, Bishop is a premier climbing destination with numerous areas to do all types of climbing - trad, sport, and bouldering.

This morning we would start in Pine Creek Canyon, a stunningly beautiful canyon nestled between Mount Tom and the Wheeler Crest, less than a half hour from Andrew and Celeste;s apartment.

This is just one of the many climbing areas near Bishop. It alone has over 630 routes, including multi-pitch trad climbs and one of the largest collections of sport climbs in the state.

Even Lolo hits the walls of Pine Creek CanyonJust the hike into the canyon itself was worth the trip, even if I personally didn’t get to climb. I just love the beautiful scenery and watching them do what they love. However, they ignored my usual chant of “I don’t have to climb,” and informed me that indeed I did and that they would find something appropriate for my abilities. Oh boy.

We started off on “Mustache Wall,” the first wall on our left when we entered the canyon. True to their promise, they set up a top rope on Gimpenator, a 5.8 which is considered a warm-up by everyone else but me. However, we all “sent” it, including me.

Next they set up on B-Gizzle, a 5.10d climb on a left facing corner with a thin crack. Crack climbing requires jamming your fingers and feet into various sized cracks and hauling yourself up. It’s really rough on the fingers. They all successfully completed the climb and made me get on it too. I didn’t get very far, but I did get further than anyone expected, especially me.

While climbing B-Gizzle, the boys noticed that the man on the route next to us was Marty Lewis, the climber who authored most of the climbing guides for the Bishop area. He quite a legend in climbing circles.

Tommy bouldering in the ButtermilksAfterwards we moved on to Gateway slab, just to the left of Mustache Wall where they did a 5.9 called Vanadium Miner’s Daughter and a 5.7 called King Dirtbag. I think the main motivation to be the first one to ever do a specific route is that they get to give it a creative name.

You would think that one climbing area per day would be sufficient, but oh no - not with this group. Now it was time for the Buttermilks, their favorite climbing area and one of California’s premier bouldering destinations. It too was just a half hour from their apartment, out along the bumpy, washboard Buttermilk Road.

First, a very brief primer on bouldering. Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that does not use ropes because it is done on “boulders” that are not too high. To protect from injury, crash pads are placed on the ground to soften the climber’s fall. In addition to the pads, other climbers stand at the bottom with arms extended upward to catch or slow the climber down if he falls. However, in the Buttermilks, the boulders are pretty darn big, some as high as 45 feet.

Andrew bouldering in the ButtermilksBouldering is not Herb and my thing, so for this portion of the day, we would just be spectators - not a bad thing as the landscape is amazing, with hundreds of huge boulders (or more technically, glacial erratics) strewn across a vast hillside with the snow-capped Sierra in the background.

It was a great place to just hang out, enjoy the scenery, and watch Andrew, Tommy, and Celeste puzzle out the “problems” they were working on. The word “problem” is used in bouldering because climbers often spend weeks and even months, working out all the moves to complete a particular bouldering route. The difficulty of a bouldering problem is graded on a scale from V0, being easiest, to V16.

Celeste’s “puzzle” for the day was a climb called Junior Achievement, a V7/V8 that can be pretty rough on the fingertips. She made significant progress before her finger skin ripped a bit, shutting her down for the rest of the day.

Late afternoon in the ButtermilksTommy worked for awhile on a boulder problem “Checkboard,” a V8 described on Mountain Project as having an “exciting last move high off the deck.” I'd say. He made some great attempts and came really close, but fell on the last big move.

The last puzzle for the day was “Zen Flute,” a V10 that requires a sizable dyno (short for "dynamic") finish where the climber has to make an all-out leap of faith to a jug (big hold) - quite exciting for both the climber and any spectating moms. Tommy came so so close, and Andrew did “send” it, complete with a primal scream. I think he had a little bit of a home court advantage.

I was exhausted from just watching them. Time for a beer at the Mountain Rambler.

Day 3 - Skiing at Mammoth Mountain

Mammoth Mountain SkiingYou can’t climb hard every day, so today was declared a rest day, which apparently is defined differently for twenty-year-olds than sixty-year-olds.

Our “rest day” was skiing Mammoth Mountain, which despite the fact that it was May, was still open for business, with most of their trails still open.

One of the many nice things about living in Bishop (elevation 4150 feet) is that you can enjoy a warm, sunny day pretty much all year round, and still just drive 45 minutes up to Mammoth Mountain (elevation 7,800) to ski, pretty much any day from November until June. Not bad.

Apres ski celebration in Andrew's vanI’m not the best of skiers, but still, there were plenty of intermediate trails for me to enjoy, and the conditions were perfect - not a bad first time spring skiing in the West! I felt a little bad that the rest of them felt compelled to ski the same trails as Herb and I, so I kept telling them to go play on the black diamond runs. However, they sweetly said that they could do that anytime, but it wasn't everyday that they could ski with us. Awww…

It was a fabulous day, followed by “celebratories” (alias cold beers that you have earned) back at Andrew and Celeste’s van in the parking lot, and then a night of BBQing chicken kabobs back in Bishop on Andrew’s new birthday grill. Pretty perfect day.

I could get used to this.

Day 4 - Climbing in Owens River Gorge and the Volcanic Tablelands

Hike down into the Owens River GorgeCeleste had to work today, but Andrew took the day off and suggested we go climbing - what a surprise! Today we would go to the Owens River Gorge, a third climbing area, this one with more options for me and Herb to climb, in that it has 416 sport climbing routes, which is the kind of climbing we like to do - none of this dropping a few feet down onto a crash pad when falling from a boulder. The time of my life where I would have considered that a positive experience passed quite some time ago. I’ll stick with a rope.

As with Pine Creek Canyon and Buttermilks, the drive to the trailhead to hike down into the Gorge was less than a half hour from Andrew and Celeste’s apartment - no wonder they moved here.

Andrew climbing in the Dilithium Crystal area of the Inner Gorge.The drive along the Gorge Road was pretty unspectacular – flat and brown with lots of power lines. Usually when you approach a climbing area, you know it, because you see beautiful rock walls, and it’s exciting, but a gorge kind of sneaks up on you, and you don’t know it’s there until you are at its rim, and even then you might not see much until you hike down into it.

The hike down into the gorge is quite steep and a little bit intimidating, but no steep drop-offs so it was okay. The gorge itself is over 10 miles long and has many different areas to climb in. Today, we were headed to the Dilithium Crystal area in the Inner Gorge.

As I said, Andrew and Tommy were anxious to get me on a climb, so they set up shop at a 5.8 called Lava Java. I hoped I liked the climb as much as the name. 5.8 is about my outdoor limit, although I think I did do a 5.9 and 5.10a once. I love gym climbing but I am much more intimidated by outdoor climbing.

As must be done in sport climbing, somebody (Tommy in this case) had to lead the climb and set up a top rope on top for the rest of us to use. This was a very easy climb for the boys and for Herb, but just about the right amount of challenge for me. I “sent” it with a minimum of whining. The rest of them used it as a warmup.

Tommy bouldering in the Volcanic TablelandsGreat, now that I did that, I thought they would leave me alone, but they weren’t done with me yet. The next climb we set up on was a 5.10b called Coffee Achiever (hmm...I’m seeing a coffee theme here). Andrew did the leading and set up and tried to convince me that I should at least try it. I did make fairly good progress, and made it about half way up, before taking a few falls and giving up. An outdoor 5.10b is a bit over my pay grade. The rest of them made it look easy.

Now, I was officially done, but they continued on, setting up on a 5.11b called Photon Torpedo, which Andrew successfully led. Herb did well, getting it after taking (hanging on the rope) a few times.

It was starting to get too hot, so Tommy decided to skip it and save himself for climbing at the Volcanic Tablelands next. That’s right, we were going to another climbing area, where Celeste would meet us now that the workday was over.

Andrew bouldering in the Volcanic TablelandsThe Volcanic Tablelands is another one of Bishop’s popular bouldering areas. It’s located just north of Bishop in a stunning area where the floor of the Owens Valley rises abruptly, forming a 300 foot-high volcanic plateau. It’s quite beautiful and only 20 minutes from Andrew and Celeste’s apartment.

Climbers refer to this area as the Happy / Sad Boulders because those are the two areas where the most routes have been established. The Happy Boulder area alone has 418 routes and the Sad Boulder area has 187. We went to the Happy’s, and that is pretty much describes the way I was feeling that evening.

To get to the Happy Boulders, we had to walk up a steep path to the top of the plateau where we were greeted with hundreds of boulders strewn throughout the plateau. They all looked pretty much alike to me, but the boys knew them all by name, features, and grade of difficulty.

Hiking out of the Volcanic TablelandsIt was beautiful up here, so Herb and I had no problem just following them to their boulders and watching them work out their “problems.” They had a very successful evening. They started off on a V6 called The Hulk, and did back to back “sends.” Next up was Acid Wash, a more difficult V9 route, which they didn’t “send” but made significant progress - in other words, this would become one of their “projects.” They finished off with back to back “sends” on a V6 called the Gleaner.

Not a bad day’s work. They pretty much were done after that. The rock in the Volcanic Tablelands is volcanic Bishop tuff, which is a solidified volcanic ash. It has a lot of sharp edges, pockets, and cracks, so after a few climbs their fingertips were pretty raw.

In fact, Celeste didn’t climb at all this evening because her fingertips were still too raw from her efforts on Junior Achievement the other day.

Well that brings us to the conclusion of what had been an extremely active and fun Birthday Bash - 4 climbing areas and downhill skiing at Mammoth Mountain. Time for us to go home while we are still able.

Description

Bishop is my favorite town in the Eastern Sierra. It is located along US 395 between the towns of Mammoth Lakes and Big Pine. It lies at the northern end of the Owens Valley with the Sierra Nevada mountains to the east and the White Mountains to the west.

One of the town’s claims to fame is that it is the "Mule Capital of the World," holding a week-long festival each May called Bishop Mule Days. Part mule show, part test of skills, and part Wild West Show, this annual event has been attracting crowds for over its 47 year history, growing from a crowd of 200 in its early days to becoming an international world class event with more than 30,000 fans. Over the course of a week, more than 700 mules compete in 181 events including calf roping, steer roping, barrel racing, flat racing, carriage driving, team chariot racing, and even dressage.

The reason we go to Bishop is for the excellent rock climbing. The three major climbing areas in Bishop include:

The Owens River Gorge is a steep 10 mile long canyon just north of Bishop that is a very popular destination for rock climbing. With 416 sport-climbing and 52 trad routes it is California’s most concentrated sport climbing area. The climbing is on volcanic tuff and features edges, pockets and cracks. Although there is a full range of difficulty level, the best climbs are in the 5.10 to 5.11 range. The most popular walls are located in the Central Gorge – Warm Up Wall, the Pub, the Social Platform, and the Great Wall of China, which feature tons of 5.8 to 5.11 sport routes. Summers get a bit too hot to climb in the gorge.

Buttermilk Country, one of California’s premier bouldering destinations, is located southwest of Bishop along the western edge of the Owens Valley. These massive glacial erratic boulders sit in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada under an impressive backdrop of high peaks just a mere four miles to the west. There are 243 bouldering routes, many of which top out at over 20 feet.

The Volcanic Tablelands, another popular bouldering destination, lie just north of Bishop in an area where the floor of the Owens Valley rises abruptly, forming a 300 foot-high volcanic plateau. Along the southern tip of the plateau there are numerous canyons and washes containing thousands of boulders. The Happy Boulder area with 418 routes and the Sad Boulder area with 187 routes are the most popular. Because of its 4,500 foot elevation, the Volcanic Tablelands are climbable year round.

Pine Creek Canyon is a beautiful canyon nestled between Mount Tom and the Wheeler Crest with over 630 routes, including multi-pitch trad climbs and one of the largest collections of sport climbs in the state.

Travelogue

Lovely scenery on our detour around the Kern Canyon fire near BakersfieldNormally I don’t have much to say about the final drive home on one of our trips, but this one was a little more eventful than most.

We woke up really early deciding to not even make coffee, but to just hit the road and pick some up on our way through Bakersfield, less than an hour away. Well, that plan didn’t work. We were about halfway to Bakersfield on Highway 178, when we were stopped with a road closure due to a fire in the canyon between us and Bakersfield.

We asked the nice gentleman blocking our progress how we should get to Bakersfield then, and he told us we had to go all the way back to Lake Isabella and take Highway 155 up its western shore and then White River Road. A quick check on Google Maps showed us that our 15 minute drive to Bakersfield had now turned into a 2 hour one along roads which looked like an xray of someone’s intestines.

Lolo enjoying pea soup at Pea Sour Andersen'sWhat choice did we have? We have learned since our move to California that a road being out can often mean miles and miles of extra driving, unlike New Jersey where you just go around a problem, because there’s always another road nearby.

I have to say though that the drive certainly was scenic and we saw places that we would never have seen otherwise. Up close Lake Isabella is a really beautiful lake and the drive along the road down from Glenville to Bakersfield was alongside an amazing series of beautiful rolling hills.

Finally we made it back to I5 and everything was pretty much straightforward from there. Since we hadn’t seen a fruit or vegetable in a few days, we decided to stop for lunch at Pea Soup Andersen’s in Santa Nella. You can’t miss the windmill beckoning from the highway. A bowl of delicous pea soup and a salad put our digestive tract and expectations back on track.

From there it was a smooth 3 more hours home.

Travelogue

Along the Jawbone Canyon to Lake Isabella 4WD RoadWe were pretty much committed at this point to the southern route home from Bishop, which would bring us to Bakersfield and then up I5, but Herb wanted to do it in a more creative way, via the 50-mile (and 4 to 5 hours of bouncing) Jawbone to Lake Isabella 4WD road - another “Easy” route according to our off-roading gude.

Our route from Lone Pine brought us along Highway 14 past the reddish desert cliffs and spectacular rock formations of Red Rock Canyon State Park, which we had had the good fortune to explore last year.

However, today we would go a short distance past the Canyon and turn onto Jawbone Canyon Road, where we would begin our journey up and over the Piute Mountain Range.

The lovely colors along Jawbone Canyon RoadThe road began in an OHV (off-highway vehicle) area, where many come to play on the crazy steep hills and rocky terrain. We, however, were going to skip that and just drive the Jawbone Canyon Road.

The drive took us through several climatic zones, starting in the semi-arid foothills of the Mojave Desert and climbing, first past Joshua trees, then pinyon pines and junipers, and finally oak woodlands and conifers.

In about 13 miles we descended into Kelso Valley before turning west and ascending from 2,500 feet to over 8,000 feet along a series of steep and narrow switchbacks up and over the Piute Mountains inside the Sequoia Natioal Forest.

Dilapidated old sawmill chip burner now used for target practiceWe stopped for lunch at a rusty teepee-like structure that was once a chip burner from an old sawmill. I believe now its purpose is target practice as it was riddled with bullet holes. Time to move along.

After about another 6 miles we began our exciting descent to Lake Isabella along a very dramatic and steep series of switchbacks with occasional steep dropoffs.

Finally, after 5 hours, we reached the paved Bodfish Road. Whew!

Herb was too exhausted with driving to even consider driving the remaining 7 hours it would take to get home, so we decided to look for a place to camp along the Kern River, which was on the way to Bakersfield along Route 178.

Twisty road down to Lake IsabellaHerb had heard about a nice hot spring along the Kern River called Remington Hot Springs. We turned off 178 onto Kern CAnyon Road to check it out. After walking down a very steep hill from the parking area to the river, we came upon what I expected to find on a Friday late afternoon -- two pools filled with about a dozen people half or a third our age. We decided to skip the soaking and go back to the Sandy Flat Campground, which we had passed a few miles back on the Kern Canyon Road.

We managed to get a site in an already pretty full campground. It was nice enough and had access to the river. We both were pretty tired and ready to be home, so we made it an early evening so we could get an early start in the morning.

Travelogue

Day 1 - Alabama Hills

Our camping spot in the Alabama HillsAfter completing our bumping and bouncing on the Papoose Flat 4WD road, we continued down 395 with the intention of camping in the Alabama Hills.

The Alabama Hills is one of our favorite places in the Eastern Sierra. They are both unique and stunningly beautiful, with hundreds of oddly-shaped boulders and towers set against the backdrop of Mount Whitney (the tallest mountain in the continental U.S.).

For people our age, some of the scenery in the Hills might even be familiar from watching old Westerns. Hollywood filmmakers discovered this dramatic scenery back in the 1920s and filmed hundreds of movies (particularly westerns), TV shows, and commercials here, such as “How the West was Won,” “Rawhide,” and “Gunga Din.” And, it’s not just about old westerns. Plenty of current day movies, such as “Gladiator,” “Django Unchained,” and the new Lone Ranger have used the surrounding hills as a set as well.

Moonrise through Mobius ArchThere’s a wonderful Film History Museum in Lone Pine where you can learn all about the film history of the area. They also provide a “Movie Road Touring Brochure” that has a detailed map of the nearby 5.7-mile unpaved Movie Flat Road (2WD friendly) that shows where many of these movies were filmed.

Normally, people get to Movie Flat Road by driving into the town of Lone Pine and turning onto the Whitney Portal Road. We, however, were familiar with the area, so instead of going all the way into town, we turned off 395 onto the Moffat Ranch Road on the northern end of the Alabama Hills, and started looking for a good place to camp for the night. We pulled into what we thought was a nice spot, surrounded by cottonwood trees and shrubs, but we soon found out that the reason there was so much greenery here was that there was water, and where there is water, there are bugs.

Good morning Mt. WhitneyRather than going back onto 395, we continued south along the dirt roads through the Hills, eventually finding a nice spot to camp right off Movie Flat Road near the iconic Mobius Arch, where photographers love to photograph Mount Whitney framed by the arch. Of course, we have taken this photo in the past and will most likely do so again. Each photo can be different, based on weather conditions and time of day.

Herb said up his tripod to photograph Whitney and the surrounding peaks in the evening light, while I set off on a walk to visit Mobius Arch, planning to get back before it got totally dark. The trailhead was just a hundred yards away.

The first arch I came to was the less famous, but equally interesting, Lathe Arch, a rather unique arch in that it is perfectly flat and really doesn’t arch at all.

Lolo unknowingly walking into my shot of Mobius ArchJust past Lathe Arch, I rounded a big rock and came upon Mobius Arch, which at this hour I had all to myself, so I could take my time composing a photo rather than waiting in line, as can happen here. I tried to get Mt. Whitney framed within the arch and the rising crescent moon above. Not bad, but probably would have been a lot better if I had a tripod, rather than just a cellphone.

It was getting pretty dark, so I picked up the pace a bit to get back to camp. I thought that the only trail here was the Mobius Arch Loop and couldn’t possibly get lost, but I have amazingly poor navigational skills, and wound up adding a mile to my .6 mile hike by veering off onto the Alabama Hills Trail. Fortunately, I could see the 4Runner and Herb off in the distance and was able to get back before he started to worry too much about his navigationally-challenged spouse.

The next morning, Herb got up before 6:00 to take photos of the sunrise by Mobius Arch. I dragged myself out of the truck about a half hour later and walked over to try to find him. I think I surprised him as I climbed up the back side of Mobius Arch and popped up into the window of the arch through just as he was taking a photo of Mount Whitney through it from the other side. See, I said every photo of Mobius Arch can be different.

Day 2 - Horseshoe Meadows

The road up to Horseshoe MeadowHorseshoe Meadows was another discovery I had made when reading the “Tales Along El Camino Sierra” book that Andrew and Celeste had given me for Christmas. It’s an easy, delightful read about the people and places that over the last century have made Highway 395 (alias El Camino Sierra) such a special place.

In this book, I learned how this amazing zigzagging road, blasted out of granite rock came to be.

As I mentioned in the Bishop stop, in the early 1900s, the Inyo Good Roads Club began promoting the beauty and recreational opportunities of Inyo County and were able to obtain federal dollars to build roads.

The first of many lakes on the Cottonwood Lakes hikeOne of the more ambitious road projects they came up with in the 1920s was building a 20-mile road up to Horseshoe Meadows, high above Lone Pine, at an elevation of 10,000 feet, which would make it the second highest paved road in California.

The LA Department of Water & Power, in their endless quest for water for their growing city, saw potential in the Horseshoe Meadows area, and joined in the effort. However, road-building technology of that day was not equipped to deal with such serious mountain terrain, so construction was stopped after 5 miles of road were completed - far short of their goal.

Along the Cottonwood Lakes TrailIt wasn’t until 1964 that Inyo County resumed work and built another 6.7 miles, still a few miles short of the meadow. Then in the late 1960s, the U.S. Forest Service initiated an effort to develop the Horseshoe Meadows area as a ski resort, and the road was completed. Cooler headers realized that this was not feasible, and the ski resort was never built.

Today, Horseshoe Meadows is a serene and lightly visited paradise with access to some of the most sublime scenery in the southern Sierra - and that was where we planned to spend our day.

The Horseshoe Meadow Road begins about 3 miles along the Whitney Portal Road and climbs and climbs for the next 20 miles, from 3,727 feet in Lone Pine up to 10,072 feet. Along the whole drive, we could see the road ahead of us, steeply zigzagging its way up the mountain.

Cottonwood Lakes TrailWe parked in the Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead parking area near the end of the Horseshoe Meadow Road and set out on what was probably one of the nicest hikes we’ve ever been on.

For the first few miles, we hiked through a sandy pine forest, and although it consistently climbed, it did so at a pretty gentle grade. At 3.7 miles we came to a junction - Cottonwood Lakes to the right and New Army Pass Trail to the left.

We took a right, and after about a mile we came to the first of the beautiful Cottonwood Lakes. Later we found out that we actually took the loop in the reverse direction and hit the rather mundanely named Cottonwood Lake #3, Cottonwood Lake #2, and Cottonwood Lake #1, in that order at the end.

Further along the Cottonwood Lakes TrailWell, I don’t care what number this lake was, because it was absolutely beautiful, with the backdrop of the Sierra behind it, as well as reflected in the lake. I looked at the Forest Map for this hike afterwards and see that this is Unnamed Lake. Perhaps its beauty left them speechless.

We continued on and eventually came to Cottonwood Lake #3. We followed a path down to its western shoreline and had lunch. Herb’s Garmin G5X watch, which has trails loaded onto it, showed a trail along the northern shore of the lake that would bring us to Cottonwood Lake #2.

However, there was no such trail, so we improvised and had to bushwhack (although thankfully, there were no bushes) a bit to get to a sort of trail between Cottonwood Lake #2 and #1. Each lake was different and beautiful in its own way.

Looking down on the Alabama Hills from Horseshoe Meadow RoadWe found the main trail and hiked back down through the lovely pine forest to our car.

All in all, we hiked 13 miles with an elevation gain of 1,500 feet, my third hike over 11,000 feet this week, and this time zero altitude sickness.

Rather than disperse camp in the Alabama Hills again that evening, we decided to live it up and stay at the Tuttle Creek Campground (elevation 4,944 feet), just off the Horseshoe Meadow Road back near Lone Pine. Like our campsite last night, it too had beautiful views of Mt. Whitney and the surrounding Sierra.

The Cottonwood Lakes hike is definitely worth a repeat, especially since I read afterwards that Cottonwood Lake #4 and #5 are the most beautiful, and we never got to those. I’m not sure how they could have been any better, but someday we’ll just have to find out.

Description

The Lone Pine Film History Museum houses memorabilia from the hundreds of films, commercials, and television shows that were filmed in the nearby area over the past 100 years. Since the early years of filmmaking, directors and actors have made the 3-hour trek from Hollywood to the tiny town of Lone Pine to use the dramatically beautiful Alabama Hills as the backdrop for their films. Although mostly known for the “westerns” filmed here, with such cowboy heroes as John Wayne, Gene Autry, and Roy Rogers, it has also been the site for early silent, post-war, and science fiction films. The museum has an 85-seat movie theater where visitors can watch an interesting 15-minute documentary, “Lone Pine: Where the Real West Becomes the Reel West.” Admission is $5 for adults.

Mt. Whitney through Mobius ArchThe Alabama Hills are a range of hills and rock formations, just west of Lone Pine, that lie at the foot of the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the continental U.S., towers over the hills. Although the same age as the sharp, glacially chiseled ridges of the Sierra, the Alabama hills are more rounded as a result of chemical weathering. When the hills were still covered with soil, percolating water rounded the granite blocks and sculpted the interesting arches and potato-shaped boulders you see today. These interesting formations make it a popular rock climbing destination.

The outstanding and dramatic scenery of the hills has also attracted Hollywood filmmakers from the 1920s to the present. Hundreds of movies (particularly westerns), TV shows, and commercials have been filmed here over the past century. The Lone Pine Film History Museum is a great place to learn about the film history of the area. The 5.7-mile unpaved Movie Flat Road through the Hills goes past the filming locations for such greats as “How the West was Won,” “Rawhide,” and “Gunga Din.” A “Movie Road Touring Brochure,” is available online or at the museum.

The origin of its name is quite interesting and surprising. In the 1800s, prospectors in the area sympathetic to the Confederate cause named their mining claims after the confederate warship Alabama, which was wreaking havoc on the Union fleet.

Whitney Portal is the gateway to Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the continental U.S., and the main starting point for treks up to its summit. It is located at the end of the 13-mile Whitney Portal Road, which begins from 395 in the town of Lone Pine. Although hiking into the Mount Whitney Zone requires a permit, there are several day hikes that can be done within the John Muir Wilderness section without a permit, such as the hike to Lone Pine Lake.

The Manzanar National Historic Site marks the site of the former Manzanar Relocation Center, one of ten internment camps into which the U.S. government forcefully interned more than 110,000 Japanese American citizens during World War II. The Manzanar facility operated from March of 1942 through November of 1945, housing and holding without their will over 10,000 Japanese Americans. Today this site, which is preserved and operated by the National Park Service, informs visitors about the legacy of this shameful period in U.S. history. Inside the Visitor Center there are extensive exhibits as well as a 22-minute informative film. Adjacent to the Visitor Center are two reconstructed barracks and a mess hall, the only three original camp structures that remain. A 3.2 mile auto tour takes you past remnants of orchards, gardens, and building foundations, as well as the camp cemetery, located at the foot of the majestic Sierra. Admission is free.

Travelogue

Along the Papoose Flat 4WD RoadAfter leaving Bishop, we headed south on Highway 395 towards Big Pine, where we made a turnoff onto 168 and eventually the Death Valley/Saline Valley Road to get to the start of the Narrows and Papoose Flat 4WD road. It was rated as easy, but we are always somewhat suspect as conditions frequently change.

The first part of the drive took us up through a long, narrow canyon to the Narrows, a high-walled gap in the dark laminated rock. The ride wasn’t too bad, but I wouldn’t exactly call it Easy. Also, we had a little difficulty navigating because the Forest Road names in our 4WD guide didn’t match the ones on the signposts along the way. Fortunately, Herb found a forest road map that he had picked up at the Mono Lake Visitor Center that did have the correct road names.

Along the Papoose Flat 4WD RoadThe highlight of the ride was arriving at Papoose Flat, a unique and otherworldly landscape with granite spires somewhat randomly strewn throughout the desert scrub. One of the granite outcrops even had a large arch, which I thought looked like a map of the U.S. with Florida on the wrong side. You could see the Sierra Nevada mountains through the arch.

The Flat, which lies at the crest of the Inyo Mountains which separate Saline Valley from the Owens Valley was once a food gathering place for the Paiute Indians, who spent the summer and fall in the Inyo Mountains gathering pinyon nuts and killing game for winter.

After leaving the Flat, we descended through a series of switchbacks back to where we started. Some sections were so rocky that we had to get out and construct, or repair, existing rock ramps to smooth things out a bit.

Really interesting ride, but if this was classified as Easy, I’m not sure how anxious I am to get on a Moderate.

Travelogue

Day 1 - Hike from South Lake to Long Lake plus Chocolate Lakes

Along the South Lake to Long Lake to Chocolate Lakes TrailIt was so cute. Andrew and Celeste were so excited to show us all the great hikes they had discovered since living in Bishop. One of their favorites is the hike from South Lake to Long Lake, which they said was so beautiful that the first time they did it, it took their breath away. Sounded good to me.

Even before we got to the trailhead, we were blown away by the drive along South Lake Road, where the sun shining through the ominous clouds dramatically lit up the bright yellow aspens alongside the road. If this was a prelude to what was to come, this was going to be a pretty awesome day.

The trail to Long Lake starts at the end of South Lake Road (elevation (9,800) and climbs steadily uphill along the eastern shore of lovely South Lake. At .75 mile, we mistakenly took a right at a junction and followed a trail that continued along the lake. After about a half mile, Andrew realized that this didn’t look like the hike he had done before, so we retraced our steps back to the junction and hung a left instead.

Along the South Lake to Long Lake to Chocolate Lakes TrailBack on the right trail, we continued climbing steadily up until after about 3 miles we reached Long Lake, another stunningly beautiful alpine lake at 10,760 elevation - so we had climbed about 1,000 feet already.

From here, rather than returning, we collectively decided to add on the Chocolate Lakes Loop, which circled Chocolate Peak and passed another four beautiful small lakes. The trail was steep and quite rocky. It was also much less traveled and well marked, so we did get a bit confused at times and had to do a bit of bushwhacking, but nothing major. At 4.5 miles we reached our highest point of about 11,500 feet.

Along the South Lake to Long Lake to Chocolate Lakes TrailNot sure about the others, but I was beginning to feel the altitude a bit. After all, we were practically at sea level when we left Santa Rosa yesterday. Also, I never seem to drink enough water, which would have helped.

After all that work going uphill, I never really got to enjoy the downhill, as rocky trails are always tough going down on, and I was beginning to get a headache, which I assume was from the altitude. Eventually, my legs got a bit wobbly as well and I looked and felt a little drunk, without the benefit of actually drinking. Needless to say, I was very happy to see the parking lot again.

I didn’t say much to anyone at the time that I wasn’t feeling well, because I thought it would pass now that we were down to a more reasonable altitude. However, it got increasingly worse as we drove back to Andrew and Celeste’s. I told everyone that I just needed an Ibuprofen and a 20 minute nap, but I wound up getting nauseous as well and stayed in bed right through dinner.

This very unpleasant experience has made me gain an entirely new respect for the effects of altitude. I vowed that from this point forward I would try to be smarter in terms acclimating and drinking water at high altitudes.

Day 2 - Climbing at the Buttermilks and dinner in Mammoth Lakes

Herb hits Buttermilk Road on Andrew's Kawasaki KLX 250The main reason Andrew and Celeste moved to Bishop is their passion for rock climbing. Bishop is blessed with perfect climbing conditions. Not only is the climate perfect for climbing with only 6" average annual rainfall, and over 300 days of sunshine, but the crags and boulders that surround the town are world class.

Today Andrew and Celeste wanted to take us to their favorite climbing area, the Buttermilks, one of California’s premier bouldering destinations. It’s located just a half hour from their apartment, out along the bumpy, washboard Buttermilk Road.

Herb hits Buttermilk Road on Andrew's Kawasaki KLX 250Andrew had recently bought a Kawasaki KLX 250 off-road motorcycle and had taken it on a 30-mile bumpy, rocky ride along the Buttermilk Loop a few weeks ago. He said it was quite exciting, as well as a bit scary. Herb had always dreamed of off-road motorcycling in his younger days, so Andrew offered to let him ride his bike out to the Buttermilks - not the whole loop, but just the 5 miles or so to the bouldering area.

Andrew and I followed behind him in the 4Runner. We could see that the bike was fishtailing quite a bit in the soft sand, which must have been a bit disconcerting for someone that has only ridden on asphalt. When we got to the end, Herb said it was really fun, but also one of the scariest things he has done in awhile and that he had too hobbies and activities to risk injuries, which at his age take much longer to heal than when he was Andrew’s age. Well, at least it got the idea of buying an off-road motorcycle out of his system. He could always ride Andrew’s here, if he ever got the itch again.

Celeste spotting Andrew in the ButtermilksMeanwhile, we were all gathered now in the parking lot for the main Buttermilks bouldering area, which has an amazing landscape - hundreds of huge boulders (or more technically, glacial erratics) strewn along a vast hillside with the snow-capped Sierra in the background.

First, a very brief primer on bouldering. Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that does not use ropes because it is done on “boulders” that are not too high. To protect from injury, crash pads are placed on the ground to soften the climber’s fall. In addition to the pads, other climbers stand at the bottom with arms extended upward to catch or slow the climber down if he falls. However, in the Buttermilks, the boulders are pretty darn big, some as high as 45 feet.

Even though we, the “Outlaws,” had no plans of bouldering that day, it was a great place to just hang out, enjoy the scenery, and watch Andrew and Celeste puzzle out the “problems” they were working on. The word “problem” is used in bouldering because climbers often spend weeks and even months, working out all the moves to complete a particular bouldering route. The difficulty of a bouldering problem is graded on a scale from V0, being easiest, to V16.

Andrew on Stained Glass in the ButtermilksToday, Celeste had two problems she wanted to work on. The first was a climb called Flyboy, an SDS V8 (SDS stands for doing it from a “sit down start”). Although much progress was made, she was still one move away from “sending” (completing) it. Andrew, who had done this one before, “sent” it again.

Near to Flyboy, there was a difficult V10 called Stained Glass, which Andrew had “sent” in the past. Just to ensure it was not a fluke, he “sent” it again. It was exciting to watch as it requires a big lunge with one hand to the top. It was like watching a well choreographed dance.

The final boulder problem of the day was a V7/8 called Junior’s Achievement, which Celeste got after a few tries - her hardest graded boulder problem to date.

They have both really become quite accomplished climbers during their 8 months of living in Bishop..

That evening, we drove 45 minutes up to Mammoth Lakes to the Black Doubt Brewery, where we enjoyed flights of beer. Afterwards we had dinner at the nearby, very popular Mammoth Tavern.

It was amazing how much colder it was in Mammoth Lakes, but then again, it is almost 4,000 feet higher. That’s what makes living in Bishop so cool. You don’t have to deal with much (if any) snow in the winter, but you can just drive 45 minutes to one of the best ski areas in the West.

I think they have chosen their new place of residence wisely.

Day 3 - Fishing in Mammoth Lakes

Herb fishing the Owens RiverThe “Outlaws” were on their own today as Andrew and Celeste had to work, which they do remotely from their apartment. Their jobs are actually based out of San Francisco.

We decided to drive back up to the Mammoth Lakes area to try to find a good place to fish. Much of the Owens River was pretty high and running fast, so we wanted to find a more gentle place to put a line in. We wound up finding a pretty section of the river near the Big Springs Campground, just off the Owens River Road in Mammoth.

Aspen grove along Convict Lake TrailHerb and Paul got dressed in their matching waders, vests, and boots - they looked so cute - and headed down to the river. I was informed that my bright red down jacket would scare away any potential trout in this section of the river, so I went back to the car to get dressed in more subdued hues.

While Herb and Paul fished, Hilda and I hiked up the river about a mile until we were stopped by a fence with a No Trespassing sign blocking us from further exploration.

No fish were caught that day, but it still was fun hanging out along this pretty section of the Owens River.

On the way back to Bishop we stopped at Convict Lake, another beautiful Eastern Sierra alpine lake. It was absolutely stunning - crystal clear water, golden aspen trees along its shoreline, and the dramatic backdrop of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Along Fish Slough Road in the Volcanic TablelandsWe walked the 3-mile trail around the lake, stopping in a lovely grove of aspen trees lit by the low light of a beautiful autumn afternoon. It was so peaceful and even a bit spiritual. We found ourselves wanting to whisper to not disturb the serenity. It was absolutely lovely.

On the way back to Bishop, we took a quick detour onto the Fish Slough Road in the Volcanic Tablelands and just drove for a few miles. I think Herb was getting antsy to get the 4Runner off the beaten track and onto some dirt roads. We drove for 6.7 miles where our “Sierra Nevada Best Backcountry Drives” very correctly told us we would find petroglyphs. It was right. There they were, practically alongside the road.

This was definitely a road worth exploring in the future, but for now we had to get back for dinner at Andrew and Celeste’s.

Day 4 - Onion Valley

One of the lovely alpine lakes along the hike to Kearsarge PassWe have really good kids. After 4 nights sleeping at their place, they still wanted us to stay longer. Okay, one more night, but we still did have to get out of the house all day so that they could work.

Today I suggested we explore Onion Valley, a place that I had never heard of until reading a book that Andrew and Celeste had given me for Christmas entitled “Tales Along El Camino Sierra,” which is a collection of short stories that take you on a century-long journey along Highway 395 (the old El Camino Sierra).

The book contains 36 chapters, about 4 pages, each telling a tale about the people and/or places along this road that have made it so special. It was like eating a bag of potato chips - I kept saying “just one more” before being able to put the book down. I dogeared the pages of interesting places to explore, but they became so numerous that I created a Google Map with each of them as bullets.

The view of Kearsarge Lakes Basin from the PassIn the early 1900s, the people along what is now Highway 395 realized what an incredibly beautiful place they lived in and wanted to share it with the world - and boost their economy as well. At the time, there was a nationwide campaign, called the Good Roads Movement, to develop paved roads in rural communities. The Inyo Good Road Club formed in 1910 in an effort to promote the beauty and recreational opportunities of Inyo County and obtain some of those federal dollars designated for building roads. Obviously they succeeded, and today Highway 395 is one of the most beautiful roads in the country.

One of the ambitious road projects the forward-thinking and industrious people of Inyo County came up with in the 1950s was a road from the town of Independence up to and over Kearsarge Pass, almost 8,000 feet above the town, and down into what is today Cedar Grove in Kings Canyon National Park. Their ambitious plan was thwarted by the expansion of Kings Canyon National Park and the subsequent federal protection of the land east of Kearsarge Pass. However, they did manage to complete 13 miles of road, climbing 5,200 feet, to lovely Onion Valley with breathtaking mountain scenery - and wild onions, giving it its name.

Hiking down from Kearsarge PassAlthough you can’t drive all the way to Kearsarge Pass, you can hike the remaining 5 miles (with 2,500 elevation gain) to it. We weren’t sure yet if we wanted to hike all the way up to the Pass -- I was a bit nervous about my recent bout with altitude sickness - or just do the shorter hike up to Flower and Matlock Lakes. We decided to play it by ear and see how we felt along the way.

The trail did steadily climb for 5 miles, but it did so at a steady, reasonable grade. That plus the scenery which was beautifully distracting made our decision easy - we would continue on and up to the Pass.

At 4 mile, we began scanning the steep wall of rock ahead of us, trying to figure out where the Pass was and how our trail would get us there. But get it there it did, through a series of switchbacks that made the steep climb very doable. At the top we were greeted by a sign: Kearsarge Pass 11,760, Entering Kings Canyon National Park. The view from the Pass of the Kearsarge Pinnacles and Kearsarge Lakes of Kings Canyon was stunning.

Hiking down from Kearsarge PassAlthough we were alone when we first got to the top, gradually more and more hikers joined us and had the same reaction to the view. Many of the people we met at the Pass were PCT hikers coming over the pass to resupply in the town of Independence. Wow! The hike we were doing today was just a resupply mission for them, with 0 miles progress on the PCT. They were going to hike all the way down to Onion Valley, hitchhike down to Independence, stock up, and then hike up to the Pass again. Made our hike feel a bit less impressive, but then again, we were probably twice or even thrice their age.

The hike down was pretty easy, a grade that was not as harsh on the knees as many downhill hikes can be. What a great hike!

This was our last night to stay with Andrew and Celeste, so rather than have our wonderful hosts cook for us again, we went out for dinner at the Yamatani Japanese Restaurant in Bishop.

Tomorrow we would be on our own. We had two choices of a route home - both of which were spectacular. North up 395 and through Tuolumne Meadows, or south on 395 through Lone Pine. Since we knew the northern route was colder and we would be sleeping in our truck, we decided to take the southern route.

Description

Bishop is my favorite town in the Eastern Sierra. It is located along US 395 between the towns of Mammoth Lakes and Big Pine. It lies at the northern end of the Owens Valley with the Sierra Nevada mountains to the east and the White Mountains to the west.

One of the town’s claims to fame is that it is the "Mule Capital of the World," holding a week-long festival each May called Bishop Mule Days. Part mule show, part test of skills, and part Wild West Show, this annual event has been attracting crowds for over its 47 year history, growing from a crowd of 200 in its early days to becoming an international world class event with more than 30,000 fans. Over the course of a week, more than 700 mules compete in 181 events including calf roping, steer roping, barrel racing, flat racing, carriage driving, team chariot racing, and even dressage.

The reason we go to Bishop is for the excellent rock climbing. The three major climbing areas in Bishop include:

The Owens River Gorge is a steep 10 mile long canyon just north of Bishop that is a very popular destination for rock climbing. With 416 sport-climbing and 52 trad routes it is California’s most concentrated sport climbing area. The climbing is on volcanic tuff and features edges, pockets and cracks. Although there is a full range of difficulty level, the best climbs are in the 5.10 to 5.11 range. The most popular walls are located in the Central Gorge – Warm Up Wall, the Pub, the Social Platform, and the Great Wall of China, which feature tons of 5.8 to 5.11 sport routes. Summers get a bit too hot to climb in the gorge.

Buttermilk Country, one of California’s premier bouldering destinations, is located southwest of Bishop along the western edge of the Owens Valley. These massive glacial erratic boulders sit in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada under an impressive backdrop of high peaks just a mere four miles to the west. There are 243 bouldering routes, many of which top out at over 20 feet.

The Volcanic Tablelands, another popular bouldering destination, lie just north of Bishop in an area where the floor of the Owens Valley rises abruptly, forming a 300 foot-high volcanic plateau. Along the southern tip of the plateau there are numerous canyons and washes containing thousands of boulders. The Happy Boulder area with 418 routes and the Sad Boulder area with 187 routes are the most popular. Because of its 4,500 foot elevation, the Volcanic Tablelands are climbable year round.

Travelogue

Day 1 - Arrival and Prep for Hike to Half Dome “Diving Board”

Welcome Toast to another Yosemite Valley adventureAlthough we have been to Yosemite more than a dozen times, the scenery driving into the Valley still takes my breath away, no matter what the season.

August is quite hot in the Valley, so the Merced River which meanders through it becomes a welcome respite from the heat. Although it was a little too late in the day for us to start inflating our tubes and floating - that would happen when the kids joined us, a chair and a glass of wine beside the river bank sure was nice.

I could see, however, that Herb was pretty preoccupied with his plan to hike up to the Half Dome “Diving Board” tomorrow to photograph it during sunset, moonrise, and sunrise,” so we went back to the campsite for him to start preparing for his adventure.

As an avid photographer, the Diving Board has been on Herb’s bucket list for some time now. It is the location of one of Ansel Adams’ most famous photographs - Monolith, the Face of Half Dome, which he took in 1927.

Alpenglow over Half DomeThe problem is that there is no trail to the Diving Board, so getting there requires some strong navigation and route finding skills. Fortunately, unlike me, Herb has both of those. Plus, he had downloaded tracks from others that have hiked there onto his phone so that he would have some guidance.

One of the main reasons for going tomorrow was that it would be a full moon, which would provide some added drama to an already incredible subject.

Since the hike is a grueling 10.5 miles, with 3,700 feet of elevation gain, and several miles of bushwhacking, Herb packed a tent and sleeping bag to spend the night if necessary, which we both were pretty sure it would be. He didn’t bring much food though as he had no bear canister to store it.

I was quite nervous about the whole thing, but Herb was confident and quite determined to finally do this.

Day 2 - Herb hikes to the Diving Board and Lolo plays in the Valley

Lolo sets off on her Valley Loop runBefore sunrise, we said our goodbyes, and I watched Herb set off through the campground towards Happy Isles, where he would start his hike up the Mist Trail past Vernal Falls before veering off the established trails and start bushwhacking to his destination. But, I will leave that for him to describe on day 3 when he wandered somewhat bedraggled back into camp.

In the meantime, I had a whole day alone in the Valley to figure out how to fill. I don’t particularly like missing out on a big adventure, so I decided that if Herb was going to have an epic day, I would too. So, I came up with this plan that I would run around the entire Valley - all 15+ miles of it, making stops along the way. It was a bit of an ill-conceived plan.

Meanwhile Herb is bushwhacking his way up to the Diving BoardThe first 9 miles or so were awesome. I stopped to take pictures of Half Dome and Yosemite Falls, and even stopped in the Visitor Center to purchase a Yosemite Theater Live ticket for that evening’s performance of John Muir’s Wild Mountain Adventures - more about that later.

After drinking some water at the Visitor Center, I continued along the Valley Loop dirt trails, rather than the paved bike path, passing through the climbers’ Camp 4, across the road and along the Merced River for awhile, past El Cap and then eventually on to El Cap Meadow.

At El Cap I had the choice of taking the El Capitan Bridge over to the Southside of the river and back to the campground, which would have made it about an 8-mile loop, but I wanted an epic, so on I went along the Northside Drive all the way out to Valley View - one of my favorite viewpoints of the Valley.

Lolo's view from Valley View (9 miles into my run)At this point it was getting pretty hot - probably low 90s - and I hadn’t had a water stop in awhile, so I figured I would take a brief detour to the Bridalveil Fall Trailhead where they were sure to have water. No water. Just lots and lots of people. Arrgghh.

The running was starting to get less and less fun. I forged on, stopping at both Cathedral Beach and Sentinel Beach to get water, but to no avail. Finally at mile 13, I gave up and waited at the trailhead for Four Mile Trail for the shuttle, which would drop me off back at the campground.

I was pretty exhausted, so I just hung out at the campsite, reading by the river and worrying about where Herb was now.

Fortunately, I had the John Muir performance to go to tonight to take my mind off things. We had been to one of these shows before, so I knew it would be entertaining and distracting.

Herb's view along the way to the Diving BoardLee Stetson has been playing the role of John Muir in this theater since 1983, and I highly recommend attending one of his performances. You will be absolutely convinced you are spending a delightful evening with John Muir.

Last time, we had seen “Conversation with a Tramp: An Evening with John Muir,” where we shared an evening with him waiting for the decision on his beloved Hetch Hetchy. This performance, “John Muir’s Wild Mountain Adventures,” was more of an audience participation event, where we all got to ask him questions about his life and experiences.

For over an hour I was mesmerized and completely absorbed in the self-reflections of this great man who did so much to preserve Yosemite for all of us to enjoy. Stetson was incredibly convincing in his role as he rambled on about his childhood, his obsession with the beauty of Yosemite, and his many adventures both there and in Alaska.

I wish it had gone on longer so I wouldn’t have to think about how Herb was doing up on the Diving Board. It looked so dark and lonely up there.

Day 3 - Herb returns from the Diving Board

The bagel and coffee I tried to bring Herb before eating it myselfIt was weird waking up in the motorhome alone. I hoped all went according to plan and that I would be seeing him sometime in the next few hours.

At 9:00 am, I started feeling antsy just sitting around, so I decided to take my bike out on the Happy Isle loop and see if I could meet up with Herb coming down, greeting him with the coffee and bagel with cream cheese I had put in my backpack for him.

I rode the whole loop, but no Herb. I don’t know why I would think he would be down this early, as the hike would easily take 5 or 6 hours, but I just felt like I had to do something.

Herb's photo of Vernal Falls on the hike down from the Diving BoardAt 11:30, I set out again, and locked my bike up near the start Mist Trail, where Herb would eventually appear. Rather than just sit around, I started hiking up the trail thinking we might cross paths. I made it all the way to the top of Vernal Falls, but still no Herb, so I ate his bagel and drank his coffee.

Realizing this was futile, I started hiking back down, pausing only to take photo of Vernal Falls with a rainbow at its base. Ironically, we would later find out that Herb took almost the identical photo just 25 minutes after I did, so we had just missed each other.

Around 2:30 in the afternoon, Herb wandered into the campsite, looking bedraggled and tired. “Well, I’m glad that’s done with,” he said.

I’ll turn over the narrative to him now, so he can share his experience:

Herb - blah blah

blah blah

blah blah

blah blah

Relaxing on the Ahwahnee patio after a very tiring day for both of usLater that evening, after dinner and some well needed rest on Herb’s part, we hopped on our bikes and rode over to the Ahwahnee. I absolutely love the Ahwahnee and the fact that its lovely lounge and grounds are open to all Yosemite visitors and not just hotel guests. We definitely have taken advantage of their hospitality over the years.

This was the first time, however, that we sat out on the back patio with a bottle of wine. We had the whole outdoor area to ourselves. Appropriately, our table had a great view of Half Dome, so Herb pointed out the “Diving Board,” which is the large cliff that juts out the right side of Half Dome about half way up its face. Pretty awesome accomplishment.
The wine must have impaired those great navigational skills Herb used finding the Diving Board, because on our bike ride back to the campground, we missed a turn and wound up riding the whole Happy Isle loop - my third time today! We didn’t mind though, because cruising on a bike through the Valley at night is a very exhilarating experience.

Day 4 - Rafting down the Merced River

The ladies being pulled behind the raft on our trip down the MercedMy favorite people in the world were arriving today - Andrew and his wife Celeste, and Tommy and his fiancee Erin -- so I was pretty excited. It was too hot to rock climb, so we had all agreed that a great alternative would be rafting down the Merced River through the Valley.

Since what goes down a river must come up, Herb and Tommy dropped one car down at Cathedral Beach where we planned to end our journey.

We launched our very seaworthy Avon Redshank raft and with 3 tubes tied behind it at the bridge near the entrance to the Upper Pines Campground. The ladies (Celeste, Erin, and I) manned (or more correctly, womanned) the tubes while the men got in the raft.

Motherly lovePerhaps tying the tubes to the raft wasn’t a great idea, because it wasn’t long before Celeste’s tube got caught on a branch flipping her over and taking her tube away. Once we reunited Celeste and her tube, we untied them from the raft and let them float freely.

After a few more fiascos with tubes getting caught, we all got in the raft and took turns rowing. It was quite lovely just lying back watching the incredible scenery pass by - Royal Arches, Half Dome, North Dome, and Sentinel Dome, to name a few.

Primitive baseballAfter about 2 ½ hours we came to Sentinel Beach where we were greeted by a sign that said all rafts/tubes must come out at this point. That was unfortunate, as our car was parked about 2 miles down the road at Cathedral Beach.

Andrew volunteered to run down the road to the car, but then we realized that he didn’t know how to drive stick shift, so I ran with him.

By the time we got back, the rest had deflated the raft and the tubes, and we were ready to go.

After dinner at the campground, we all walked to the Ahwahnee (as there weren’t enough bikes for us) to enjoy wine and cheese on the Ahwahnee patio again.

Day 5 - Kids Depart and Herb and I Bike Ride

Brunch at the AhwahneeAndrew and Celeste left early to get back home, but Tommy and Erin hung around with us to have Sunday brunch at the Ahwahnee, which has become somewhat of a tradition with us.

Traffic getting out of the Valley can be somewhat horrendous on a Sunday afternoon, so Tommy and Erin smartly drove their van to the El Cap meadow on the Northside Drive and then biked back to meet us at the Ahwahnee.

When we presented ourselves at the Grand Dining Room, we were seated at the highly coveted Queen’s Table, named for the fact that this is where Queen Elizabeth sat during her visit to Yosemite. My guess is she didn’t get here by bike.

Alpenglow over Half DomeAs always, the food was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented, but for me it’s the elegant setting and the views through the floor-to-ceiling windows that keep me coming back.

Afterwards the four of us rode our bikes around the Valley for awhile before Tommy and Erin left to go back to Berkeley.

Later that evening, Herb and I took our bikes out again, but this time to one of our old favorite spots - the Ahwahnee Meadow, where there is a fabulous view of Half Dome. We set out our beach chairs and sat back and watched the color of Half Dome change from grayish white when we first arrived, to yellow in the evening, to orange at sunset, and finally red at aspenglow.

The best show in town!

Day 6 - Tuolumne Grove and Wedding Venue search

Tuolumne GroveOn their way home yesterday, Tommy and Erin stopped at the Evergreen Lodge in Groveland, just outside Yosemite, to look at a possible venue for their wedding next Fall. They really liked it, so we thought it might be helpful if we checked it out as well - and maybe even have lunch to make sure the food was good.

Since we had some time to kill before lunch, we stopped along the way to hike the Tuolumne Grove Trail near Crane Flat to one of the three Giant Sequoia groves in Yosemite. The hike itself goes along the Old Big Flat Road, a narrow paved road that has long been closed to vehicles, and descends about 400 feet into the grove of about a dozen Giant Sequoias. At the bottom, a short loop path passes through the base of the tunnel tree and continues past several other giant sequoia, both alive and dead. I actually crawled through the inside of the trunk of a dead one. From there we hiked back up the road to the parking lot for a total of about 3 miles.

El CapWe continued on to the Evergreen Lodge, which is on the road to Hetch Hetchy. As soon as we got there, we knew immediately that it was perfect for Tommy and Erin - lovely setting, charming rustic cabins, an old historic tavern, swimming pool, etc. Yosemite has been a very important part of their lives, so what better place to celebrate their union.

The wedding event planner wasn’t there, but we got a tour of the facilities and then had a very nice lunch. I think the search for a venue is over!!

We drove back to the Valley, about an hour away, and stopped at Cathedral Beach, which has great views of El Cap. Tommy and Erin actually climbed El Cap together in their early dating days, and if they stayed together through that experience, we knew their relationship was solid. How nice that they would celebrate their wedding here.

Tomorrow morning it was time for us to head home. Another great trip to Yosemite - is there any other kind?

Description

Yosemite National Park lies near the eastern border of California in the heart of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Its spectacular waterfalls, soaring granite cliffs, and lush meadows are just a few of the reasons it is considered by many to be nature’s ultimate masterpiece. In the words of John Muir, “it is surely the brightest and the best of all the Lord has built.”

This description will focus on Yosemite Valley, which is the section of the park we visited. Although the Yosemite Valley is just a small portion of Yosemite’s 761,268 acres, it is part receives 95% of its visitors. In fact, an estimated 4.1 million people visit the Valley each year, making it extremely crowded.

Two one-way roads traverse Yosemite Valley: the east-bound Southside Drive and the west-bound Northside Drive, which wind through woodlands and meadows along the base of the 3,000-foot-high granite cliffs. As of today, cars are still allowed to enter and drive through the valley, but visitors are highly encouraged to park their vehicles and use the park’s free shuttle bus, which stops at the major attractions in the valley.

Virtual Tour of Yosemite Valley Highlights

• As you enter the valley, the first sight you’ll see is the 620-foot Bridalveil Falls flowing down from a hanging valley to the valley floor. From the parking area, a short paved path leads to the base of the falls. This is one of the few falls in Yosemite that does not completely dry up in the summer.
• Just past the Bridalveil Fall parking area, the Southside Drive begins to trace the Merced River. Soon El Capitan comes fully into view. This 3,000 foot high granite cliff is the largest single piece of exposed granite in the world and one of the most famous landmarks in Yosemite. If you look closely, you might see small dots that are actually rock climbers along its face.
• Continuing east on the Southside Drive are two riverside picnic areas and beaches: Cathedral Beach and Sentinel Beach.
• Right after the Sentinel Beach parking area is the trailhead for the 4-Mile trail, which ascends more than 3,200 feet from the valley floor to Glacier Point and one of the most spectacular views of the valley.
• A short distance further is Swinging Bridge, another picnic and swimming area. This area is also the westernmost point of the 8-mile bicycle loop that goes through the eastern part of the valley. From this point on, the bike path parallels the road.
• Next stop is the picturesque tiny Yosemite Chapel where many outdoor enthusiasts choose to exchange wedding vows.
• Now you enter the congested and developed portion of the valley.
• Right past the chapel, you can either take a left onto Sentinel Bridge towards Yosemite Village and the park exit, or you can continue straight towards Curry Village, the campgrounds, and Happy Isles Nature Center. For now, let’s stop at Sentinel Bridge for what is probably the most spectacular Half Dome viewpoint in the park. It’s a great spot for a photograph of Half Dome with the Merced River in the foreground.
• Continuing east on the Southside Drive, you pass Housekeeping Camp and Curry Village. Curry Village has lodging, restaurants, bicycle and raft rentals, a grocery store, and other shops. Curry Village is also one of the main parking areas in the valley.
• From Curry Village you can either take Northside Drive across the Ahwahnee Bridge back to Yosemite Village and the park exit, or continue east to the campgrounds. The Happy Isles Nature Center is also this way, but only shuttle buses are allowed on the road to it.
• The Happy Isles Nature Center features exhibits on the natural history of the park. It also serves as the trailhead for some of the best hikes in Yosemite. 1.5 mile trail leads to the top of Vernal Falls and then continues another 1.5 miles to the top of Nevada Falls (two waterfalls that flow even in the summer time). From there you can continue even further into the backcountry of Yosemite, including the cable route up the back of Half Dome.
• From Curry Village, the Northside Drive crosses the Ahwahnee Meadow, a wonderful spot to gaze at Half Dome during sunset, and enters Yosemite Village, the main center of visitor services in the park. Here you’ll find the park’s main Visitor Center, restaurants, lodging, shops, a grocery store, a post office, a medical clinic, the Ansel Adams Gallery, an Indian Cultural Exhibit and more. It’s also a good place to park your car and jump on the shuttle.
• A short dead end road from Yosemite Village leads to the majestic old Ahwahnee Hotel, which has played host to Queen Elizabeth, President John F. Kennedy, and Clint Eastwood, to name a few. This beautiful six-story rock structure offers tremendous views from every room. Within the hotel is the elegant and quite expensive Ahwahnee Dining Room (jackets required for dinner).
• Back on the Northside Drive heading west from Yosemite Village, the next stop is the Yosemite Falls parking area. At 2,425 feet, Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in North America. It is actually three waterfalls in one, with an upper, middle and lower section. A short walk from the parking lot along a paved walk leads to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls. This is the most visited landmark in the valley. Except in summer when the fall temporarily dries up, you’ll be sure to be covered in spray.
• A little further west on the Northside Drive is Yosemite Lodge, which marks the end of the developed area of the park going west.
• Right after Yosemite Lodge is Sunnyside Campground/Camp 4, a place where most rock climbers choose to congregate. From this campground begins the popular and strenuous Yosemite Falls hike, which ascends 2,600 feet from the valley floor to the top of the Upper Falls. The views from the top are incredible.
• Continuing west, there is nothing but woods and meadows from which to enjoy the views. Along the road there are several pullouts where you can stop and walk down to the Merced River for a swim. Just after the El Capitan Bridge, you’ll come to the El Capitan Meadow where you’re sure to find people looking through binoculars at the miniscule rock climbers clinging to the granite face.
• Just to the west of El Capitan, Ribbon Falls plunges over 1,600 feet down to the valley floor. It is the seventh highest waterfall in the world. However, it too dries up in the summer time.
• Finally the road nears the end of the Northside Drive at Valley View where El Capitan, on the left, and Cathedral Rocks, on the right, frame a magnificent valley view.

Several guided bus tours are also available. The 2-hour Valley Floor Tour is a great way to get acclimated. Visitors ride through the valley in an open tram while a guide leads a informative discussion of Yosemite’s history and geology. There are many photo stops along the way. In addition, there are bus tours out of the valley to Glacier Point, the Mariposa Grove of sequoia trees, and Tuolumne Meadows.

Although much of Yosemite can be enjoyed from the comforts of your car or a shuttle, the best way to truly experience Yosemite is do get out and experience it more directly..

Things to do in Yosemite

• Hike one of the many trails around the valley, ranging from an easy walk to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls to the strenuous 16-mile round trip hike up the back of Half Dome via cables
• Take an overnight backpacking trip
• Bike along the 12 miles of bicycle paths that loop through the Valley. Rentals are available at Curry Village and Yosemite Lodge.
• Rock climb in one of the premier climbing places in the world
• Raft down the calm waters of the Merced River through the valley. Rentals are available at Curry Village.
• Swim or tube in the Merced River. Besides the designated beaches, there are many pullouts along the road from which you can walk down to the river.
• Join one of the many ranger walks, which are offered daily
• Take a free art class at the Yosemite Art and Education Center
• Photograph the amazing scenery of the valley and surrounding granite cliffs
• Browse the Ansel Adams Gallery and see some of the photographs that first made Yosemite famous
• Relax in the meadow while gazing up at Half Dome or El Capitan
• Dine at the 5-star Ahwahnee Hotel, where presidents and royalty have stayed

Although many try to see Yosemite in a day, it is best to devote several days to seeing all the park has to offer. Besides the numerous hotels, lodges, and cabins in the Valley, there are three RV campgrounds: Upper Pines (238 sites), Lower Pines (60 sites), and North Pines (81 sites). That’s less than 400 campsites to accommodate all the people that want to camp here.

Since these campgrounds usually fill-up within the first hour they become available, it is essential to make your reservations as soon as possible. Campground reservations are available in blocks of one month at a time, up to five months in advance, on the 15th of each month at 7 am Pacific time. For example, if your arrival date is July 15 through August 14, the first day you can make reservations is March 15. The National Park Reservation System can be found at www.recreation.gov. Good luck!