Travelogue

This ain't Mojave anymoreVisiting old friends who had just bought a house in Indian Wells was the impetus for this whole trip. Herb just had to sneak in a little desert off-roading first. This trip was to be a journey between two extremes - the primitiveness of the desert and the luxuriousness of a home in Indian Wells. Good thing we did it in this order.

Elke and Dennis’ new home was beautiful and it was great just to sit and chat after 11 years of not seeing each other. Funny thing about old friends in that it is so easy to just pick up where you left off.

Day 1 - failed attempt at Joshua Tree National Park and Hike in Tahquitz Canyon

Hike to Tahquitz CanyonOn our first full day together, we decided to take them off-roading in Joshua Tree National Park, which was only about 40 minutes away. Our plan was to enter via the southern entrance, drive up Cottonwood Road, do the off-road, 12-mile Geology Tour, hike 3 miles up Ryan Mountain in the Park, and then come home. A pretty ambitious plan, that was not meant to be

A heavy rain the week before had washed out the Cottonwood Road and the southern entrance to the park was closed. It wasn’t a dirt road that had been washed out, but the main asphalt one into the park.

Tahquitz CanyonUndaunted, we changed plans. We drove back to Palm Springs to do the Tahquitz Canyon hike, which was listed in our hiking book as a 1 in difficulty, but 10 in scenery.

Tahquitz Canyon is part of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Reservation. During the 1960s and 1970s it became a popular place for partiers and homeless people to congregate until the Aqual Caliente Band decided to close it to public use in the late 1970s and clean it up. It just reopened in 1999 and they now charge a pretty hefty fee of $12.50 to hike the 2 mile trail.

We managed to navigate our way through the Visitor Center Gift Shop without spending any more money and set out on the trail.

Nothing like old friends (Tahquitz Canyon)The nicely maintained trail climbed up the canyon. At about ¾ of a mile, we climbed a series of rock steps cut into the canyon side, eventually bringing us to where in the springtime, a 50-foot waterfall cascades down into a deep pool great for taking a dip in during the summer heat. However, at this time of year it is dry, so we had to use our imagination. Unfortunately the $12.50 fee was not imaginary.

The walk back was quite pretty as we were not looking out over the canyon with the city in the background. All in all, the hike was 2 miles with a 350 elevation gain.

That evening we had a nice casual dinner at Giuseppe’s Pizza in Palm Springs. Although I am not a big fan of the desert heat, it was awfully nice to be able to sit out on the patio at night and be warm. Nights get pretty chilly in Santa Rosa.

Day 2 - Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and hiking the Desert View Trail

Palm Springs Tramway to San Jacinto summitWe had tried getting tickets yesterday for the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, but being a Sunday, they were totally book. However, we did manage to get 4 tickets ($25 each) for 10:00 am today, which would put us on the first tram up the mountain in the morning.

The Tramway scooted us 2 ½ miles up Chino Canyon, from the desert floor at 2,643 feet to the top of Mt. San Jacinto State Park, at 8,516 feet in just 10 minutes. During the ride, the car rotated, giving passengers a panoramic view of the canyon and the valley floor below.

View from Desert View TrailIn the Mountain Station on top, there are two restaurants, observation decks, a museum, two theaters, a gift shop, and over 50 miles of hiking trails. We avoided the touristy stuff and immediately set off for the Forest Ranger Station just down the path from the station.

The most popular trail is the short, but highly scenic Desert View Trail, but before doing that we decided to take a less traveled 4 mile loop through a lovely forest. Although it was short and relatively flat, we definitely felt the elevation change.

Desert View TrailAs advertised the 2-mile long Desert View Trail had better views. There are five notches along the way where you get different views of the valley below. By far the best view was at Notch 3.

After descending back to the desert on the tramway, on our drive back to Palm Springs, Elke gave us a bit of a celebrity tour, showing us where many movie stars lived when Palm Springs was the playground for the rich and famous starting back in the 1920s.

Part of the reason it became so popular was the legendary “Two-Hour Rule” of Hollywood studios put Palm Springs on the map as a perfect getaway. Actors under contract had to be available within two hours from the studio just in case last-minute film/photo shoots had to occur.

Evening In Indian WellsSome of the celebrities that purchased homes were Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., George Hamilton, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Kirk Douglas, Cary Grant, Jack Benny. Several ladies were frequent visitors included Marilyn Monroe, Dinah Shore, Kitty Carlisle, Lily Tomlin, Elizabeth Taylor, and Susan Sommers. There must have been some interesting parties!

That evening (our final), we had dinner at a nice Italian Restaurant in Palm Springs called Le Donne Cucina Italiana, once again enjoying dining on their outside patio.

It had been a great trip, with so much variety!!

Travelogue

Peggy Sue's 50s DinerHerb and I didn’t just re-enter civilization. We flung ourselves in with gusto, stopping for breakfast at Peggy Sue’s 50s Diner and visiting Calico Ghost Town during its Halloween Festival. There couldn’t possibly have been a greater contrast between the solitude and barrenness of the Mojave Road and these two tourist attractions. I think Herb was trying to get me to appreciate the desert more.

Everytime we pass through on I15, we talk about stopping at Peggy’s Sue’s, but the time was never right as we always seemed to be rushing to get somewhere. This morning we were in no particular rush. We had to get to our friends’ house in Indian Wells later that afternoon, but that still gave us several hours to kill.

Lolo enjoying something other than a granola bar for breakfastPeggy Sue’s is part diner, part roadside attraction. When it first opened in 1947, it had 3 booths and 9 counter stools. Today it is huge, with half a dozen rooms to accommodate their large clientele. In 1987, Peggy Sue and her husband Champ restored the diner to its original state. Prior to that, Peggy Sue worked in the movies and Champ worked for Knott’s Berry Farm. During that time they accumulated an extensive collection of movie and TV memorabilia, which is now displayed throughout their diner.

I was only born in the 50s, so most of the stuff reminded me of my parents. There were posters and statues of Betty Boop, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and so many more icons of the 50s.

Since we’re from New Jersey, the diner capital of the world, this place probably wasn’t as much of a novelty to us as to many of our other fellow travelers. That 6-page menu didn’t scare us.

However, after being in the desert for 3 days, we were experiencing a bit of culture shock - so many people, so much food, so much neon. Still it was fun and the food was great, both in terms of quality and quantity.

Lolo hits Calico Ghost TownAnother place I always wanted to visit when near Barstow is the Rainbow Basin Natural Area, a geological formation in the Calico Peaks range with a 8.2-mile hike I wanted to do. However, although we had some time to kill, we didn’t have that much time, so Herb suggested that instead we visit the nearby Calico Ghost Town.

Now that I look back on it, I guess this could be considered a gradual transition from 3 days of feeling like an 1860s traveler on the Mojave Road to now feeling like an 1880s silver miner; and then tonight, we would be in Palm Springs, whose heyday was in the 1940s. It was kind of like a time machine.

I had never heard of Calico before today, but Herb had seen it featured on several YouTube travel videos. What we didn’t realize is that not only would we be hitting it on a weekend, but it was also their Halloween Ghost Haunt, meaning admission was now $20 instead of $8, plus $5 for parking and the shuttle.

All aboard the Calico trainBodie Ghost Town in Bridgeport has pretty much jaded us in terms of ghost towns. Bodie is the real deal, preserved in a state of “arrested decay,” where the buildings are left the way they were, still furnished and stocked with goods. Calico was much more touristy and most of the old buildings are now gift shops.

Still, it did have an interesting history and a very pretty natural setting. During the 1880s, the largest silver strike in California took place here. Over a 12-year period, Calico produced over $20 million in silver ore. Things were going great for the town until the mid-1890s, when the silver lost its value, and consequently the town lost its population, becoming a “ghost town” - the typical boom and bust so common in mining towns of the day.

In the 1950s, Walter Knott purchased Calico and architecturally restored all but the five original buildings to look as they did in the 1880s. Today Calico is a State Historical Landmark.

Halloween in Calico Ghost TownIn addition to wandering along Main Street and dipping into a few gift shops, we decided to splurge on two additional attractions, the first of which was taking a ride on the Calico Odessa Railroad. This was very uncharacteristic for Herb, so I was a bit suspicious of his motives. Pretty sure it was trying to make me like the remoteness of Mojave better than the kitchiness of more popular attractions. It was working.

For $4.50 each, we boarded the train and spent 8 minutes chugging up and around a hill past historical sites, old mining equipment, and lots of scary skeletons with cowboy hats. It was pretty informative and made me wish I had taken the time, when I still could, to learn about my maternal grandfather’s time as a silver miner in Colorado.

Next stop, the Maggie Mine, the only silver mine that visitors can enter. We took the 1,000-foot self-guided tour through the mine and did learn more about the minerals in the local rocks and what the life of an 1880s miner was like.

Continuing our journey through time, we took the shuttle back to our car and headed south towards Indian Wells, right outside Palm Springs.

Travelogue

Mojave Post OfficeNext morning, it was coffee and Nature Valley Honey ‘n Oat granola bars again before hitting the road.

We were getting on near 20 miles from Rock Springs, so right on queue at mile 70.7, we arrived at Marl Springs. For early travelers, this was probably the most vital water source on the whole route, because afterwards it was another 30 miles across the barren Devil’s Playground and often uncrossable Soda Lake before reaching Soda Springs. There might not have been a Mojave Road if it wasn’t for this spring.

Like the previous two springs (Piute and Rock), this one also had a military outpost, which actually withstood an Indian attack in 1867. Once the U.S. mail was taken off the Mojave Road and the fort was no longer needed, Marl Springs became the headquarters for one of the earliest cattle operations in the Mojave. When the National Park Service acquired ownership of the land, all the ranches and cattle were removed, and today there is nothing but a corral and an old water trough to mark its once significant role.

Lolo ready to make our contribution to the Frog GardenIt was a little confusing leaving Marl Springs, so we were careful to follow the cairns, always keeping them on our right. The next stretch of the road had great views of dramatic lava flows and cinder cones, the biggest one being Cima Dome.

But first, we had a true Mojave Road icon to visit - the Mojave Road Mailbox (mile 74.0), put there by the Friends of the Mojave Road in 1983. Inside the box is a book in which passing travelers are asked to sign, including information as to the number of people in their party, the date, and their impressions of their journey. We signed it under our trip personas - Dora the Explorer and Nigel Thornberry. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Although not mentioned in our guidebooks, Herb had seen on Youtube that there is a frog garden a short distance behind the mailbox. Being the well-prepared travelers we are, we had brought along a tiny little rubber frog to add to the mix. I hoped he would make friends, as he was the smallest one in the crowd.

Approaching the lava tubeAt mile 79.0, we left the Mojave Road for a quick diversion 3 miles north on the Aiken Cinder Mine Road to a lava tube. From the parking lot, it was just a short ¼ mile walk to the tube entrance where there was a metal ladder to climb down into the tube.

This was not our first lava tube, so we knew a little bit about how they were formed. First of all, not all lava is the same. The kind that forms lava tubes has got to be the low-viscosity, basaltic type that spreads out smoothly like hot maple syrup. As the lava flows, it began to cool. However, the upper layer of the flow would cool first, forming a hard crust, while the liquid lava below kept moving underneath, creating a tunnel, or as geologists call it, a lava tube.

At mile 85.5, we crossed the Kelbaker Road, connecting Kelso Depot in the south and the town of Baker on I15 to the north. Once again, we continued on.

Lolo enters the Lava TubeIn 2 more miles we came to Seventeenmile Point (mile 87.8), the midpoint on the longest stretch of the Mojave Road without water - 17 miles to Soda Springs to the west, and 17 miles to Marl Spring to the east. From here, Soda Lake, the next potential problem, came into view.

Soda Lake is actually a misnomer, as there is no water in Soda Lake. It’s actually a dry lake. However, it does have standing water during wet periods, and there is sometimes water right beneath the surface, both of which can cause vehicles to sink in and get stuck. The ability to safely cross it depends on how long it’s been since the last rain and how big that rain was. Herb had called the Ranger Station before we left home and was told that we would have no problem.

We came to the eastern edge of Soda Lake at mile 96.9. It was pretty easy to see what track we should follow across the lake as there were green metal fence posts driven into the ground to show the way. We could see that some people had tried to drive outside the posts and had dug in and created ruts. They probably had done that for fun. We, however, didn’t need any extra excitement and greatly enjoyed our smooth 5 mile ride across the lake.

Crossing Soda LakeIn the old days, the route across the lake used to go directly to Soda Springs, frequently called Zzyzx, which has a very interesting history - too long for me to go into here, but I would very much suggest googling it. Since the area around the actual Soda Spring gets too muddy, the Mojave Road now takes a more southerly path across the lake.

Our path guided us right to a large pile of rocks on the western edge of the lake called the Travelers Monument (mile 100.9). Every traveler that passes this way is encouraged to add a stone to the pile. Since Herb had researched this trip so thoroughly, we were prepared with a stone from our garden. It had sat waiting in our cupholder the whole way, along with the penny for the Penny Can and the frog for the Frog Garden.

After leaving the lake, we continued on, soon leaving the Mojave National Preserve and entering the BLM’s Rasor Off-Highway Vehicle Area, where people like to bring their jeeps and race around across the sand and rocks. Since people pretty much drove anywhere they wanted here, it became even more important to look for the cairns that would keep us on the route of the Mojave Road.

Lolo atop the Travelers MonumentWe continued on across the Mojave River Floodplain coming to the intersection with Rasor Road (mile 104.3), a dirt road that was just 5.1 miles away from I15 in the north. The guidebook warned that beyond this point lie drifting soft blow sand and rough conditions. Quite honestly, I felt that this would be an appropriate place to declare victory and get back to civilization, but Herb was having none of it. He wanted another night of camping in the desert.

In another 10 miles, we reached Basin Road, another road which led to I15. Although Herb was not ready to take it yet, this would be the road we would use tomorrow morning, as we had already decided that we did not want to go through Afton Canyon, which would require us driving through the Mojave River (twice).

We started looking for a nice place to camp for the night. There were a few potentials, but we continued on under the lower railroad bridge at the mouth of the Afton Canyon before turning around and selecting one just about a mile shy of Basin Road.

Our final campsite along the Mojave RoadIt was okay, but not nearly as nice as the one last night. It was definitely less remote. The railroad was nearby so we saw and heard freight trains passing, and the Cave Mountain Iron Mine was behind us in the hills. The sandy conditions, however, were conducive to setting up the tent, making sleeping much easier.

Tonight’s gourmet meal consisted of Knorr Rice with 2 packages of Chicken of the Sea pink salmon thrown it. Really not bad and we actually prefer them to the commercial backpacking meals.

The next morning it was coffee and a Nature Valley granola bar and back out to civilization via Basin Road. We had done it - 116 miles on the Mojave Road with the 4Runner and Herb performing like champs.

Travelogue

Piute Gorge OverlookThe next morning we had what would become our go-to breakfast before hitting the road - coffee and a Nature Valley Oats ‘n Honey granola bar. For some reason, neither of us felt like making oatmeal.

We followed the bumpy babyhead road back out to the main road and turned right (south) and followed the power lines for about a mile and a half before turning right (west).

At mile 31.4, we took another diversion and drove a short distance north, past an old corral and onto the Piute Gorge Overlook. From there, we took a hike down into a canyon in search of the Piute Spring. Although we never found the spring itself, it wasn’t too tough to realize we were near, as the dry barren desert was replaced with the lush greenery of willows and cottonwoods along the Piute Creek. I can see why this area was so important for the people that braved the crossing of this desert.

Hike down to Piute SpringsWe continued west through the Lanfair Valley, happily following the reliable cairns across numerous washes. The vegetation along this stretch was mostly creosote bushes, yuccas, and mesquite.

After about mile 35, the first Joshua trees appeared. They were widely scattered at first, but as the road began to climb, they became more dense. They are happiest above 4,000 feet. The happier they are, the more interesting and numerous their branches are.

Lolo and the Penny CanAt Mile 41.4, we came to the famous “penny can” hanging out by a wire from the limb of a Joshua tree. We dutifully stopped to add our pennies (which we had placed in the cupholder at home in anticipation of this moment) to the collection already in the can. According to Dennis Casebier, the author of our guide, as the Mojave Road was being developed into a recreational trail in 1983, this can appeared with a few pennies inside. Tradition then took over, and to this day travelers still stop to make their tongue-in-cheek contribution to Mojave Road maintenance. Hey, it all adds up.

At mile 42.0, we crossed the Ivanpah-Lanfair Road, a well-maintained county road that could deliver us to civilization in about 20 minutes - Goffs, 17 miles to the south, and Ivanpah,19 miles to the north. We forged on passing my favorite desert vegetation - Joshua trees, cholla cactus, and yucca.

Watson WashSoon we came to mile 49.5, where the Mojave Road drops down along a very steep hill with deep gullies carved out by flash floods into Watson Wash. Herb had watched enough hours of YouTube videos of people driving the Mojave Road to know that this was the place we could get ourselves into the most trouble. We both got out of the car at the top of the hill to reconnoiter the situation. Fortunately, we were in agreement - it wasn’t worth the risk. We took the short bypass along Cedar Canyon Road and rejoined the Mojave Road at mile 50.5 - so technically, we would do the whole Mojave Road to the river, except for 1 mile.

Shortly after we got back on the Mojave Road, at mile 51, we turned off into the Rock Springs parking lot, where I visited my first porcelain toilet since starting our journey. However, this spot had more historical significance than that in that it was the location of the second spring along the east to west route across the Mojave, conveniently placed about 25 miles from the last (Piute Springs).

As we had learned at Piute Springs, wherever there is a water source in the desert, there is a military outpost to protect it. Camp Rock Spring was established in 1866 and manned for two years until the U.S. Mail was taken off the Mojave Road and the presence of an Army was no longer needed.

Rock House at Rock SpringsAt the edge of the parking lot stood an interesting stone structure called the Rock House, made from rocks in the surrounding area, so it blended quite nicely into the environment. It was built in 1929 by a man named Bert George Smith, who was recovering from exposure to poison gas during World War I. He thought the desert environment would help him regain his health. Well, I guess he was right, because although we was expected to not survive long, he lived in this house for 25 years. Beyond the house was a short 1 ⅓-mile loop hike down a ravine to the spring with lovely desert views along the way.

We had hardly gotten driving again before we came to the Government Holes (mile 52.5), another source of water quite close to Rock Springs, which was a well dug in 1859 by teamsters employed by Phineas Banning. Although travelers did make use of this well, it was mainly used for cattle operations, as cattle grazing was quite extensive in the Mojave right up until 1990 when the National Park Service acquired ownership of the ranches and shut down the water. The only remnants of this period in the Mojave Road’s history are a windmill, water tanks, and a corral. There was also a gunfight here in 1925 where two men, Matt Burts and J. W. Robinson, killed each other.

Joshua trees along the Mojave RoadBack on the Road, we continued through Round Valley and soon arrived at the highest point on the Mojave Road at an elevation of 5,174 feet. At the crest, the vegetation was mostly sagebrush, as that is what flourishes at high elevations. Then, as we dropped back down into Cedar Canyon, the vegetation changed to juniper, pinion, and the occasional Joshua tree. I never would have imagined how much variety in plant life there is in the desert.

At mile 62.2, we crossed the Kelso-Cima Road, the last good road we would intersect until Kelbaker Road at Mile 85.5. I wasn’t particularly thrilled with the guide book warnings: “Do not attempt this stretch with only one vehicle. Be sure to have adequate supplies of gasoline and survival provisions.” However, our gas levels looked good and spirits were still high, so we continued on towards this more primitive and isolated section of the road.

Our favorite campsiteThe next four miles or so were pretty rough, but compensated for by having some of the best scenery so far - Providence Mountains, Kelso, Valley, and Cima Dome.

It was getting close to 3:00, so we starting thinking about finding a place to lay our heads for the night - hopefully in a tent, rather than gasping for breath outside the door of our 4Runner. Fortunately, two of our guidebooks indicated that there there was good camping a short distance down a wash at mile 68.4.

They were right. It was a lovely spot - flat sandy area to pitch a tent, large boulder to shower behind, and great views. The only thing that could have made me happier was a porcelain toilet instead of a shovel.

Sunset from our campsiteAfter two days in the desert, a shower sounded pretty good. Fortunately, Herb had brought along one of the best camping-related purchases he has ever made - a helio pressure shower. He filled the bag with water, let the sun heat it up, and then we used a foot pump to power the nozzle to spritz us. It was wonderful. I highly recommend it. It’s only $99.95 on Amazon. I will list it on the right side of the page with the books we recommend.

That evening’s meal consisted of cocktail hour with wine and cheese, followed by powdered Idahoan Roasted Garlic and Parmesan powdered mash potatoes with 2 bags of Starkist Lemony Chicken thrown in. I never thought I would say these words, but it was delicious.

Clean and fed, we took a lovely evening stroll along the wash. There’s nothing like the evening colors in the desert.

Travelogue

Mile 0.0 of the Mojave RoadHerb was well prepared for this journey. In addition to watch endless hours of YouTube videos of 4WDs crossing the Mojave, we had several off-roading books to guide us, but by far the most comprehensive is Dennis Casebier's “Mojave Road Guide,” which gave details down to the tenths of a mile. We would have to try really hard to get lost.

I am not as much of a desert rat as Herb, but I am a history buff, so he tried to raise my enthusiasm level by telling me that the Mojave Road (all 138 miles of it) was steeped in history and pretty much unchanged since the Mojave Indians and the U.S. Mail and supply chains first crossed it.

Pictographs in Picture CanyonThe Mojave Road was originally an Indian trade route. The Mojave Indians, who lived along the Colorado River, would cross the Mojave Desert on foot to travel to the coast to trade corn and other crops for seashells. The route they chose was determined by the locations of watering holes, which fortunately were situated about every 20 to 30 miles, about the distance they could travel in one day.

The first European to use the Mojave trail was probably Father Francisco Garces in 1776, who was looking for the San Gabriel Mission, near current day Los Angeles. He did not find his way across the desert himself, but rather the Mojave Indians guided him, as they would later guide pioneers such as Jedediah Strong Smith.

Fort PiuteThe Mojave Road’s role as a major wagon trail was pretty much concentrated in a 20-year period following the Civil War. Rather than being a westward migration route, like the Oregon Trail, it was pretty much a supply and U.S. mail route in the 1860s and 1870s. Since robbing supply and mail trains was a common practice back in the day, the US Army built forts along the route at the various springs to keep the lines of communication open. By controlling the water sources, they pretty much controlled the road.

When railroads were built north and south of the Mojave Road, making crossing the desert a whole lot easier, the use of the Mojave Road declined, and the forts were abandoned. Today, a few remnants of that time still remain, making for an interesting historical journey across this barren wilderness.

Our Mojave Road Guide recommended taking 2 to 3 days to drive across, but we decided to take 4, camping 3 nights along the way, probably exiting around mile 116 rather than crossing the Mojave River.

Camping spot by Fort PiuteAround 11:00 am, we set off from the Colorado River and headed west on a dirt road. In less than a mile, we crossed the Aha Macav Parkway, and in 3.5 miles, we touched asphalt again as we crossed the Needles Highway. So far anyway, there were lots of escape routes to civilization if we got in trouble.

We continued along, always keeping our eye out for the cairns that marked the way - kind of like following the yellow brick road. When you travel from East to West, they are always on the right side, and they are quite frequent. The basic policy is to place cairns at every intersection with other roads and at major washes where the road might be hard to follow after floods. I think there were a lot more than that though, as we seemed to see one every 100 yards or so.

The telephone and power lines also helped navigation in that the guide book indicated the exact mile we would pass under one, and when we should ride parallel to them.

Sunset over Jedediah Smith ButteI would have to say that the road was a lot rougher than I expected - nothing that the 4Runner and Herb couldn’t handle, just pretty bouncy and slow.

At mile 7.6, we came to the trailhead for Picture Canyon, one of the few hikes mentioned in the “Mojave Road Guide.” We debated at first whether we should stop, as we hadn’t really gotten much mileage under our belt yet, but since we love to hike and this seemed like the best opportunity we might have along our journey, we decided to do it. After all, what were he out here for if not to explore.

This hike would not have been possible without the GPS coordinates given in the “Mojave Guide Book,” because there is no trail into Picture Canyon. With his anally retentive attention to detail, Dennis Casebier is a man after my own heart. Our only mistake was trying to hike in a straight line to the next GPS point rather than just following the wash. It just required a bit more rock scrambling and bushwhacking this way, but at least we knew we were headed in the right direction.

Campsite viewWith incredible accuracy, the GPS coordinates for the pictographs themselves were dead on. My only question was how did the Native Americans that did this artwork find this place without a GPS? We are becoming much too dependent on our technological gadgets these days.

Back at the truck, we continued on through the Piute Valley toward the Piute Range. In front of the Range was a single small cinder cone detached from the rest of the mountains, called Jedediah Smith Butte. At a junction at mile 21.8, we decided to continue straight towards the Butte along the 2-mile spur road to Fort Piute and Piute Springs, the first of the essential springs that the Mojave Indians and supply and mail wagons depended on during their crossing.

Sunrise over Jedediah Smith ButteThe road to Fort Piute was the rockiest and bumpiest yet, not sandy with a few protruding rocks as had preceded us, but babyhead rocks covering the road the entire way. At the end of the road, at mile 23.7, there were a few stone foundations marking the site of Fort Piute, which was once a military outpost manned by 18 men from 1867 to 1868, whose job it was to control the water supply so that wagons passing through would be safer from attack.

In the old days, the wagon road continued on from here, but today it is impassable and blocked by a gate. You can walk to Piute Spring from here, but it was getting late and getting out of here was going to be a slow, bumpy process.

Herb making morning coffeeInstead of driving all the way back to the main Mojave Road, we found a nice place to camp for the night with views of the Piute Range. The ground was much too rocky to set up a tent, but fortunately we have a platform in the back of the 4Runner setup for sleeping. In comes in handy when conditions are not conducive to tent camping - such as wind, rocks, and wild burros (our Death Valley nightmare).

My main problem with the platform is that there is only about a 6 inch clearance above my face when I am lying down, making me feel a bit claustrophobic. It’s fine as long as I don’t think about it too much. However, that night I did, and I actually reached over, opened the door, and stuck out my head to gasp for breath. Thankfully, Herb slept through it.

Travelogue

Pea Soup Andersen'sWe had decided to drive the Mojave Road from East to West, as that is how most people do it and the guidebooks are oriented that way in terms of mile markers. Plus, the roads are so narrow that you really don’t want to meet someone coming the other way, so going in the more popular direction would help our odds that that wouldn’t happen.

Mile 0 for the Mojave Road is in Laughlin, Nevada, on the western bank of the Colorado River. Since that was a 10 hour drive from our house, we decided to drive 7 hours the first day and stay in Barstow overnight, so we would be fresh for starting our drive across the desert.

Barstow, at the junction of I15 and I40 in Southern California, has become a common overnight stopping point from us whenever we travel to the southwestern deserts.

The drive down I5 from the Bay Area to Bakersfield can be quite boring, but we did break up the trip stopping for lunch at Pea Soup Andersen’s in Santa Nella on the way down. That windmill had been beckoning me for years every time we whizzed past it on I5.

Lolo enjoying her split pea soup at Andersen'sThe restaurant was quite warm and cozy, with an old-world Danish charm. I couldn’t help but miss my Mom. She would have loved this place - cozy booths, friendly staff, a gift shop, a 6-page menu.

We really weren’t that hungry, but we went ahead and ordered the pea soup in a bread bowl anyway - probably a mistake. It was really good, but next time I think I would get it in a plain bowl, as the delicious soup was absorbed into the bread quicker than I could get to it.

We were still full by the time we got to Barstow.

The next morning, from Barstow we made the 2 ½ hour drive to the town of Laughlin, Nevada where we stopped at a Vons for some last minute supplies and filled our tank with gas (a good thing when embarking on a desert crossing).

Travelogue

Home sweet home

Travelogue

Lake George and Lake MaryWe decided to move our operation south 50 miles or so down 395 to the town of Mammoth Lakes for more hiking, fishing, and hopefully even some natural hot springing. Plus, Hilda really had her heart set on seeing Devils Postpile, a unique 60-foot cliff of symmetrical, hexagonal, basalt columns formed over 80,000 years ago. Herb and I had been there in 2014, but were more than happy to visit it again so Hilda could get a chance to see this natural wonder.

Herb and I had left before Hilda and Paul, so we decided to stop at the US Forest Service Ranger Station in Mammoth Lakes to get information on hikes. When we asked about whether we could drive to Devils Postpile rather than take the shuttle which is mandatory during the peak season, we were told that the gates to Devils Postpile were closing at noon that very day, for the rest of the season, so that road maintenance could be done. I can’t believe we missed it by a day.

Arrival at Crystal LakeHowever, we did get some useful information. There was a Forest Service campground right behind the ranger station that accommodated large RVs. Herb still wanted to stay at the Mammoth Mountain RV Park across the road, because he wanted to have electricity so he could run the portable heater all night. Despite his years of winter camping in a tent, for the last 10 years or so he no longer likes the cold and will gladly give up scenery (at times) for the creature comforts our Polonis heater provides.

After breaking the bad news about Devils Postpile to Hilda, and watching her go through the five stages of grieving, we set up camp before setting out on a hike. We went to the commercial campground, but they chose Shady Rest, the more pristine and private forest campground. They were less than a quarter of a mile apart.

Hike to Crystal LakeOnce settled in to our respective campsites, we hopped in our Subaru (tow vehicle), picked up Hilda and Paul at their campsite, and headed to the Crystal Lake trailhead, near the Woods Lodge cabins on Lake George, about 5 miles from the center of town.

Like our hike the previous day, this one also had a lot of incredible scenery packed into a 4-mile out-and-back hike.

For the first mile and a half, the trail climbed pretty steadily, but there were plenty of views of the Mammoth Lakes Basin to distract us. At the one mile point, there was a gorgeous view of Lake Mary and Lake George behind us.

From there we continued up a series of switchbacks before beginning a slight descent down to the shores of Crystal Lake, tucked in a hollow below 10,377-foot Crystal Crag. It was a little confusing at first as to how best to get access to the lake. There are some use trails that travel part way back the steep-sloped western shore, but we took the more gently sloping paths on the east side of the lake.

Fish TalesHilda and I settled on a comfy rock, while the guys got out the rods they had been carrying in their packs and tried their luck again to see if there were any interested trout. After a bit, we heard Paul yell that he got one, so Hilda and I ran towards his voice, hoping to get a picture of his fish, as we had missed getting to him in time the day before. Running uphill at that altitude was definitely felt.

Still we did not get to him before he had thrown in back, but fortunately he took a picture of his prize with his iPhone. It was a beaut, and one which we couldn’t definitively identify. The debate became Cutthroat or Wild Golden trout. Paul posted a picture of it on the Eastern Sierra Fly Fishing Facebook Forum, and within minutes, he got dozens of responses from various fishermen stating their point of view. Men certainly do love talking about fishing - probably as much as they enjoy the act itself.

Hot CreekWhile this was going on, the weather was changing significantly - the wind picked up and clouds had pretty much obscured the sunshine that had been keeping us warm. What a difference. On went our down jackets, hats, and gloves for the hike back. We were quite cold by the time we got back to the car.

Back in town we grabbed a cup of coffee and some cookies at the Erick Schat’s bakery to warm up before heading over to the Mammoth Brewing Company for a well-deserved beer and a bite to eat. The food was pretty much just okay, but the views from the large windows and the beers made up for it.

Paul continued to monitor the Cutthroat vs. Golden debate on his phone and by the end of our meal announced Wild Golden trout as the winner. There were almost a hundred fishermen weighing in on the debate.

Outlaws hit the Upper Owens RiverThe next day we decided to explore the Upper Owens River, another one of the Eastern Sierra’s acclaimed fishing spots, which oxbows its way through a beautiful meadow in the Long Valley Caldera. Herb and I had been to the area before, not to fish, but to soak in it one of its many lovely hot springs.

Our Subaru, which we tow behind the motorhome, was the perfect vehicle for exploring the dirt roads through the Long Valley, so we picked up Hilda and Paul and headed south on 395 for about 3 miles before turning left onto Hot Creek Hatchery Road, which runs alongside the Owens River.

In about 3 miles we stopped at the Hot Creek Geothermal Area, which used to be a popular soaking spot, but has been closed and fenced off for some time because the water temperature has risen to a point that would scald anyone who entered. However, it is still an interesting and pretty place to visit.

Hike to Crowley Lake ColumnsWe walked down a paved path along a fenced walkway, overlooking two beautiful aquamarine hot springs feeding into a winding cold-water creek. It is the cold water creek upstream from the hot spot that is known to have good fishing, but alas, someone had beaten us to the spot and didn’t look like he wanted us to join him.

So, we continued along the dirt road that traced the river, with Paul getting out every once in a while to feel the temperature of the river, in the aim of selecting a spot where the water was cool enough for any self-respecting trout to enjoy. Finally we found a spot that was deemed to be “just right” and settled in - Hilda and I in our Crazy Creeks and Paul and Herb with their rods.

Since the Owens River runs through an open meadow, there is not much shrubbery along its banks, which is great in terms of not getting a lure stuck in a bush, but bad in that the trout can see you coming. For the spectators the view of the surrounding mountains was great and watching our husbands sneaking up on fish and trying to outsmart them was quite entertaining.

Hilda spots the ColumnsAlthough there were several nibbles, no fish was landed, so after about an hour we ate our lunch and decided to set out on a quest to find the mysterious stone columns of Crowley Lake, which Herb had discovered on a website called Atlas Obscura, which has a database of interesting hidden places and scientific marvels around the world. It’s really worth checking out.

We entered Crowley Lake Stone Columns in as a destination on Google Maps and sure enough it came up with directions to the Crowley Lake Stone Columns parking lot, 22 miles away, some of which was on paved road and some on dirt. The Subaru was a pretty capable 4WD vehicle, so we decided to try it.

Everything was going famously until the last 2 miles, when we came upon an extremely steep uphill, with giant gullies in it. We walked up and down it, but just didn’t feel comfortable trying it. Besides, we were hikers, and Google Maps said we were just 1.7 miles away.

Lolo approaches the ColumnsSo, we parked the Subaru off to the side and set out on foot along a road, which eventually did bring us to a parking lot high above the beach, where we could actually see the stone columns off in the distance down on the beach. We proceeded down a fairly steep, sandy hill, winding our way through brush until we got to the beach. From there it was just a short walk to what looked like a man-made colonnade, with each column about 15 to 20 feet high, connected by high arches. They looked like they were part of an ancient Moorish temple. They were absolutely fascinating.

As we approached them, we met two gentleman coming from the other direction. Not having seen a car in the parking lot, we asked them where they came from. They said they had driven there to a parking lot on the other side of the columns in a vehicle with far less off road capability than our Subaru. They said that they had gotten driving directions at the Forest Service Ranger Station right across the street from our campground. Oh well, we needed the exercise anyway.

Crowley Lake Stone ColumnsWe were at a total loss as to how these strange pillar-like formations came to be, so of course we reached for our cell phones and googled it. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones stumped as to their creation, and it was only recently that a team of researchers from UC Berkeley came up with a theory.

As I am not a geologist, I will try to summarize what we read in an article in the Los Angeles Times.

For eons, the columns were buried and hidden, but when the Crowley Lake Reservoir was created in 1941, its pounding waves began carving out the softer material at the base of the cliffs (made of volcanic pumice and ash), eventually exposing the columns.

Still, how did the columns get there in the first place??? I’ll try to give it a go:

From inside the ColumnsThe whole Long Valley area is a large caldera formed hundreds of thousands of years ago after a violent volcanic explosion, which sent rivers of lava cascading over the surrounding desert which had just been covered by falling ash, instantaneously baking it to a layer of stone, known as tuff.

Now, this is where they really start to lose me.

The columns were created by snowmelt seeping down into, and steam rising up out of, the still hot tuff. The water boiled, creating “evenly spaced convection cells similar to heat pipes.” The tiny spaces in the convection pipes were cemented in place by erosion-resistant minerals.

Even if you don’t understand any of that, which I am not sure I do, they are really interesting and fun to look at.

We couldn’t leave the Long Valley without soaking in one of its beautiful natural hot springs, so we retraced our steps up the hill and back to the car and drove all the way back to one of our favorites, the Crab Cooker, a remote pool that we had discovered last year.

Horizontals among the VerticalBecause it can only be reached by 4WDing over a rough road, it is much less visited than the more accessible Wild Willy’s, so hopefully we would find it empty. We also hoped we would find it hot, because it had not been on our last visit.

Well, we did find it empty, which was great, but unfortunately it was a bit cool. However, Herb (my hero) found the valve between the hot water source and the pool and opened it, allowing steaming hot water to flow into the pool. While that was going on, we went back to the car to get our bathing suits and towels. By the time we returned, which couldn’t have been more than 5 minutes, the pool had gotten almost too hot, so Herb quickly closed the valve.

Crab Cooker in Long ValleyThe air was a bit chilly, so the water felt divine, and the views of the surrounding mountains was pretty incredible. This pool was just too good to have to ourselves for long, so we were soon joined by three people, probably half our age. We spent the next half hour sharing stories of our various travels, and I would have to say that for their age, they had seen a lot.

What a full and wonderful day it had been - fishing, off-roading, hiking, a geological wonder, and a lovely hot spring to wrap it up.

Travelogue

Foliage along the Virginia Lakes TrailAs we usually do when driving across the Sierra in our motorhome, we took the slightly longer route of going along South Lake Tahoe on Route 50 and up towards Gardnerville, NV, before heading south on 395 to avoid the steeper mountain passes, such as Sonora and Monitor Passes.

The drive was very pretty, as the aspens had already taken on a beautiful golden glow, highlighting them against the usual greenery of this stunning mountain landscape.

We met up with Paul and Hilda at the Bridgeport Reservoir Marina and Campground where we had made camping reservations for the night. The campground was small and not very fancy in terms of facilities, but it did have the advantage of being located right on a reservoir, known for its great trout fishing. Also, right beyond the dam at the end of the Reservoir, was the east fork of the Walker River, another theoretically productive fishing ground.

East Walker RiverThe guys couldn’t miss - the pressure was on. That would be tomorrow’s activity, as it was already too late in the day to do much other than set up camp and make dinner. It’s on cold nights in the Sierra that our cozy Lazy Daze really comes into its own, as we can comfortably entertain four people (we have done as many as eight) in the back living area. To think we almost thought of not bringing it and camping in the back of our 4Runner instead. What were we thinking? Thankfully, we returned to our senses in time.

The next morning, we set out to explore the East Walker River, just up the road from our campground. A little pathway wound its way along the river, giving Hilda and I a place to set up our chairs and watch our men deliver dinner - just kidding. The East Walker is actually catch-and-release, so we had wisely food shopped ahead.

Virginia Lakes TrailHerb experienced a bad bout of “gear envy” as Paul donned his fancy new waders and vest and began setting up his very nice fly rod. He looked like he belonged on the cover of Trout Unlimited. Fortunately for Herb, the fish didn’t care, and they each managed to land a very nice trout.

I’m not particularly great at just sitting around watching other people do fun things, so I was glad when we decided to keep the fishing to just the morning and spend the afternoon hiking.

Hilda and Paul are great hiking partners. In fact, they are the only other couple we know (with the exception of our kids and their significant others) that are hardy enough to do the distances and elevation gains we like to do. Once again, we thank Andrew for finding such compatible in-laws for us to play with.

Virginia Lakes TrailWe’ve done a lot of hikes in the Eastern Sierra, so it’s always nice to find something new. We chose the Virginia Lakes Trail, both for its highly rated scenery, as well as for the fact that it was listed as a great spot to see fall foliage. Plus its 5 to 6 miles distance was just about right for an afternoon amble.

We drove 13 miles south on 395 and turned right onto the Virginia Lakes Road, which we followed for about 6 miles before getting to the trailhead at the Big Virginia Lake day-use area. We hadn’t even left the car yet, and we were already at a beautiful alpine lake. The trailhead was set at 9,500 feet, so we knew we were going to have to pace ourselves, as we were not yet acclimated to this high of an elevation.

Virginia LakesAs we started off on the trail through a forest of golden quaking aspen, we knew this hike was going to be great. In less than a half-mile, we came upon Blue Lake, the first of five small alpine lakes we would pass along the way, each of which was set amidst a backdrop of colorful 12,000+ feet mountain peaks.

We continued on past Cooney Lake and the Frog Lakes, all still less than two miles from the trailhead. When ranking trails on the basis of scenery per mile, this one was certainly a winner. It helped distract us from the fact that we were continuously climbing since we left the car. After the Frog Lakes, the trail did begin to climb a bit more steeply as it headed towards 11,100-foot Summit Pass looming before us.

However, that Pass was not on our agenda for the day, so after about 2.75 miles, we turned around and retraced our steps back down to the trailhead. Even though I do prefer loop hikes, the scenery on the way back on an out-and-back, often feels quite different than the way in.

Virginia Lakes TrailLet’s just say we were very satisfied with our hiking selection for the day.

Before heading back to Bridgeport, we drove a few miles south on 395 to one of our favorite viewpoints of Mono Lake and the surrounding Mono Basin. You’ll know you’re at the right spot when you see the hundreds of bumper stickers decorating the guard rail.

Then it was back to the Bridgeport Reservoir Marina and Campground for another night of cozying up in the back of the Lazy Daze, eating dinner, sipping wine, and listening to our men describe the now legendary trout that they had caught that morning.