Roll’n - Road Trip 2022

We delayed our start a day to attend a remembrance for a friend.  It was worth it.

Arrived at our usual Fossil Falls stop, but it was still 110F outside!

<110F>

OK it’s a dry heat, but with full hookups at Boulder Creek just an hour up the road … Totally Fran approved.

Fran took a morning swim in their pool, while I enjoyed a walk around the campground.

With just the stop at Erik Shat’s Bakkery in Bishop for our turkey sandwiches, It was still 94f outside.  We had the perfect parking spot near the ball fields and ate in the RV with the generator powering our AC unit. 

We went up the hill for our reservations at Old Shady Rest campground.  Insider tip – there's an opening in the campground fence in the southwest corner that makes walking to town faster than a bike ride.

We had site #27 and I’d try for it again.

And our reason for our stay was to ride the new-to-us Lakes Basin Bike Path.  We noticed it last year on our way to Tahoe and knew we had to do it.  It was a rather hazy ride as the smoke from a wildfire west of Yosemite found it's way Mammoth.

Bike rental prices and we choose a $65 ebike for the 4 hour ride.  So very worth it!

Altho the bike path parallels Lake Mary Road ...

it is more connected with the forest.

While passing Twin Lakes Vista, Tamarack Lodge, Lake Mamie, Lake Mary and Horseshoe Lake.  If Time (and legs) permit there is an ~2mile loop trail around the lake.

.

The bike path climbs nearly continually, and steep at times, for just over a 1000’ elevation gain, at distance of about only 5.5 miles.  Still, even with the electric bikes we took it easy with the assent taking over 2 hours.  The water falls above Twin Lakes is a beautiful view.

We stopped at the Lake Mary Marina on the return trip to enjoy our previously packed lunch on their spacious deck overlooking beautiful Lake Mary.

Fran also enjoyed a couple buckets of balls at the Snow Creek Driving Range on Old Mammoth Road. 

A couple deer interrupted her practice to munch on the grass.

While she was at the driving range I took the bike for a ride along the awesome paths around the city loop trails.

We might be back next year and again dry camp at Old Shady Rest.

We left Mammoth, driving pretty much straight through to Susanville for the night at Susanville RV Park.

Last year's fires pretty much destroyed the cable and Internet service, I’ve had good luck with the WiFi here.

On our last trip our Apollo half-time oven’s heater coil died.  I thought I could fix it, but alas could not find the part nor a donor core.  Fran really liked that oven, altho the technology is over a decade old.  I replaced it with a Toshiba 7-way oven.  We have figured out microwave, convection and air-fry.  That leaves 4 more cooking modes to explore – including the air fryer … Here Fran is baking a Macadamia nut cupcakes to share with the family when we all gather at Mt Shasta.

I spent 2 weeks harvesting, shucking and cracking those little buggers!  I’m sure it’ll be worth it!

Next an impressive waterfall, the mountain and family

Road Trip 2021 - 395 is a great start

Under overcast July skies we are finally ready to begin our 2021 summer vacation travel.
We are again on US 395, the Gateway to the Sierra.

South of Kramer Junction is all 4-lane with stoplights, Adelanto has really grown.  HiWay 58 at Kramer Junction now has an overpass.  The stoplights there for the on/off traffic are very 395 friendly.  But the junction has permanently closed Astro Burger!

North of Kramer Junction the familiar 2-lane asphalt road is back.

Beyond Ridgecrest the familiar red Cinder Dome marks our stop for the day.  When we wake up in the morning at Fossil Falls we’ll be officially on our summer travels.

The entrance road is usually in good shape, and the Day Use Area has been graded!  But alas the campground roads are still in really poor shape.  Altho there are boondocking spots beyond the campground, we are again in site #4.  I keep hoping my $3 overnight fee will be put to grading the campground roads.

.

We have travelled this route, our favorite, road so many times I forget I’ve really never blogged it.  My son and I did a trip every August for over a decade! every August! and with Fran for over 3 decades!  

When we first stopped at Manzanar, only the cemetery still stood.  Of course now the desperately needed attention it deserves is present.  However, the visitor center does not open till 11 am.  There's a gate across the road to the rear where the cemetery is located.

.

We travelled on to Bishop to Erick Schat's, for my favorite turkey sandwich.  

Fran likes the #1, but I like to substitute the mustard with cranberry, and sometimes get the #2 also with cranberry vice mustard.

At Mammoth Lakes we found a great site at New Shady Rest (#89) and with my ‘Forever Young Pass’ for $12.50 a night.

A nice site, with room for Fran to practice her golf swing.

We drove up to Horseshoe Lake to see the progress of the carbon dioxide poisoning.  On  the way we made a brief stop at the Twin Lakes overlook.

Wow the trees have recovered and the danger seems to have passed.  But with the continued drought the ‘lake’ is not much more than a ‘puddle’ now.

the dying trees can still be seen where the shoreline was just a few years ago.

The simple wooden cross at gravesite of 'Mono Joe' has been replaced with that of the 'Unknown Prospector'.  I liked the simple friendly 'Joe', but progress continues.

If you’ve seen the ARCO commercials for ‘Too Much Good Stuff’, TMGS has never been to this Mobil Station.  Not long ago to attract business there was a high-wire and trapeze act. But now the Whoa-Nellie-Deli brings in traffic!  I've had the best Caesar Salmon Salad ever at this gas station!

Take your lunch up to the overlook for a quiet and good view of Mono Lake.

We had a quiet night along the Walker River in the No Zone.  DANG! Missed Jake hitting The Cycle for my PADRES!  But it was a nice spot.

We’re spending the night in Carson City where we enjoyed both the Mint and Railroad Museums.  Good day to be inside with all the smoke for the local wildfires.  

Tomorrow we’ll head up the hill to North Lake Tahoe to meet up with the family.

Alabama Hills - National Scenic Area

My blog has been focused on our personal experiences.  However, with continued loss of ‘Snowbird Habitat’, today I will mention a story that I’ve been following.

On March 12 2019 congress officially redesignated the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, CA from a ‘Recreation Area’ to the ‘Alabama Hills National Scenic Area’.

The legislation states: “The purpose of the National Scenic Area is to conserve, protect, and enhance for the benefit, use, and enjoyment of present and futures generations the nationally significant scenic, cultural, geological, educational, biological, historical, recreational, cinematographic, and scientific resources”

Included in the legislation is the transfer of 132 acres of land to the indigenous Paiute-Shoshone people.  This under the Natural Resources Management Act (S.47), signed by President Trump.   Also known as the Dingell Act, which directs all National Parks, National Monuments, BLM lands and wilderness to participate in a unified plan to balance recreation and conservation.


The Alabama Hills are now part of the National Conservation Lands, which includes some 34 million acres to offer the American people "exceptional" recreation opportunities.

The official dedication ceremony took place on October 5th.  A YouTube video can be found HERE.



For the past several months replanting of areas where "semi-primitive campsites" have expanded has taken place.  This will continue, using native vegetation.


So why am I sharing this information now?  Owens Valley residents are used to looking at vast open spaces with no people in the picture. With the current dispersed camping in the Hills, local eyes see an RV as a scar on that landscape.

The BLM is hosting a series of workshops seeking public input.  All workshops are being held in the Owens Valley between Lone Pine and Bishop … in winter!  There is no webpage for comments, but this BLM notice allows for email.  

Currently dispersed camping is still allowed.  On weekends a camper might encounter a BLM volunteer ‘suggesting’ it might be more appropriate to camp at Tuttle Creek...

Download the current BLM guide for the Alabama Hills from their website HERE.  Note that it no longer mentions dispersed camping, and specifically states it is “best suited for day use.”

I hope dispersed camping will still be allowed, even if reduced, but I’m not overly optimistic.  Altho we're normally the only folks at Fossil Falls it might be nice to have some company :)

I’d like readers to visit the Alabama Hills forewarned changes are coming, and I look forward to their blog posts.

Inyo to Tahoe - Road Trip 2019

We tried to count how many times we have driven the Eastern Sierra roads.  Over the past 50+ years it has been many dozen if not hundreds of times.  I-5 is the fastest, 101 offers ocean views,but 395 is our favorite.  Always looking for a new way to visit family.  This trip I decided to include Monitor Pass which recently opened and the last of the east-west routes we have not used, although we have gone west to east. .

WTH - I should have used an elevation graph!  It is about 15 miles of low gear grunting!  About 20 MPH with the cooling fans screaming!  Nope NEVER EVER again!  It's not worth a check mark in a box, however with careful RPM and temperature management Rufus made it just fine.

(FYI -Sonora Pass is higher and steeper with 1-way sections.  Enjoy a day trip with your Toad, but not the RV!)

At least we had some beautiful scenery along the way!

We spent a couple nights at Fallen Leaf Lake west of Lake Tahoe.  The last time we were here it was mid-winter, many decades ago, to try out skill at cross country skiing.  That ski outing was a massive failure!, no amount of effort made up for skinny skies and no downhill!   But this trip made up for it.
The campsites are generally secluded, with nice pull through sites on the north along the river.

We made good use of the bike trails to get around, I did not take many pictures though.  Just a few of the Tallac Site.

I could handle this view out my parlor window!

Fran riding down the bike path, which is within an easy ride from the campground and connects with the bike path along the lake.

A last farewell to Fallen Leaf Lake

It’s a great campground with 24 channels of HD TV from our little roof antenna, but no T-Mobil cell service.  At least we could watch the Stanley Cup Finals!

Definitely No Bad Days at Lake Tahoe.

Getting Started - Road Trip 2019

After literally months of planning and making reservations – yes reservations are a fact of RV travel these days - we knew the Canadian Rockies and Glacier National Park in July, would be popular destinations.  For those parks, reservations were made the day they were available online.

We are travelers and will see what we can – when we can.  When we can arrange a house sitter … we travel!

For the first time we are leaving San Diego on a Sunday morning and it sure made a difference in traffic!

It was an easy drive north on 395 to our usual first night at Fossil Falls.  We stopped in Ridgecrest for gas and a few supplies at Walmart.  BTW – Walmart offers overnight parking if that is needed, but always check ahead! 

Oops when leaving the Walmart lot I whacked the steps on the curb.  They do still go up into the travel position but not all the way down.  I’ll not do anything about it until there is time when we return home.

 
First night is usually Fossil Falls.  It’s on the northbound side of 395 and about the right distance from San Diego at ~200 miles.  The night sky makes for excellent star gazing and it has excellent cell service.

The red rock gravel crew maintain Cinder Road, wish they’d come into the campground, that road is in terrible condition.  Although fresh gravel has been placed on the access to the day use area, the campground itself is pretty bad!

Our spot tucked in, and again the campground is empty.  There is a $6/3 fee to use the campground, but there are also a few boondocking sites beyond the campground toward the Little Lake Overlook.  I’ve been stopping here for decades and even with the fee I’ll stop here, or in one of the boondocking spots.

Looking down over the falls.

I have blogged this area before, as has Gaelyn, the geogypsy HERE.  She covered the site much better than I have.  Well she is a ranger with an inquisitive mind.

The Happy Hour Flag is up.  Stop by for a glass of wine. The flag was a gift from our son and DIL – it’s a wine theme spinnaker.  

Erik Schat's has taken over the building next door to the bakery turning it into a wine and cheese shop. Nice idea – bread, wine and cheese all in one stop shop.  Tastings were not being offered when we stopped by.

But we still go for the world’s best turkey sandwich and enjoy lunch in the park

The baby ducks provide a bit of cuteness to the lunch break.

There’s a big rodeo event going on in Bishop, so we do not spend much time here.  We climb up to the Inyo National Forest where there is still a lot snow in the Sierra

We found a quiet spot in the Inyo National Forest with better than expected cell service!  The high was 82 but a chilly 44 overnight.

An additional testing of my knee on a short 3 mi hike, Fran had time to take a few practice swings.
From here we’ll head over the mountains to Lake Tahoe for a visit.

Certainly we’ve had No Bad Days as we begin our trip, trust your days were great too!