We have bid a sad farewell to the Sierra Nevadas and moved on from the Alabama Hills due to the threat of a high-wind warning. Our original plans were to leave a few days hence anyway, so we thought erring on the side of caution was prudent for us. Our friends Nina and Paul had plans to stay another week, so hopefully the high winds bypassed the Alabamas and we will all be treated instead to some of Nina’s fabulous photography of snow-capped peaks in an upcoming post.
All four of us had planned a second hike before our departure, sadly not to be, but fortunately we did hike the Whitney Portal Trail to Lone Pine Lake, which was spectacular for viewing soaring granite walls, stunning fall colors, and a lovely lake at the end. It was rather exciting to think that we were trekking up the same trail that those summiting Mount Whitney hike, although our journey was a much abbreviated version – 2.5 miles vs. 13 miles to the summit.
The gang headin’ out!Stunning fall colors racing up the canyon
Whitney Portal is one of the busiest trailheads in the Sierra Nevadas and is most often hiked by those going the full distance. Our 5-miler round-trip began at 8365 feet with a 1500 foot elevation gain to Lone Pine Lake, a far cry from the 6100 foot gain required to summit. It is a well-maintained trail and a hike that we highly recommend if you are in the area.
Terry enjoying an amazing view to the desert floor below
Although our time here was cut short, we soaked in a lot of natural beauty and enjoyed a breathtaking hike, sharing some good times with friends along the way. It’s no wonder we are bidding a sad farewell to this magical place.
Lenticular cloud above the Alabama Hills ~ “Sierra Wave”
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Many of you know that I am not one to accept awards comfortably, other than a most humble thank you to the sender. I have often asked myself why this is and perhaps it stems from way back in my childhood and that little voice that at times still tries to break through and say “not good enough”. Whatever the case, I do appreciate the positive comments from so many of you and find this blogging community to be one that has inspired me more than words can say.
The Līgo Circle of Appreciation is not an award per se, but a symbol of appreciation, and one that I will graciously accept, thanks to Rommel of The Sophomore Slump, who included me in a list of some very impressive blog sites. He has a ton of followers, but if you are one of the few who have not made it over to his site yet, I insist you do. You will find stunning photography and some amazing posts, covering a variety of subjects.
Here is how the Līgo Circle of Appreciation works:
For a duration of 22 days, beginning October 1, 2012, 2 bloggers per day will be invited to join the circle. Again a reminder that this is an appreciation, not an award. Leave it to me to come in just under the wire (last day), but hey, I’ve been wandering around out in the boonies lately and internet connectivity has not been very friendly.
To participate in the Līgo Circle of Appreciation, you must:
Complete this sentence about blogging: ”A great blog is…”
Refer back to the blogger who invited you.
Invite 2 bloggers to join the Līgo Circle of Appreciation on a post.
So, here goes:
A great blog is something that reaches out and touches my soul. It can be heartbreaking, breathtakingly beautiful, thought-provoking, put a smile on my face, make me belly laugh, teach me something, get my creative juices flowing, just plain tug at my heartstrings.
So many bloggers do this and Rommel of The Sophomore Slump, mentioned above, has done all this and more for me on countless occasions. Unlike Rommel, I do know how to count (hehe) and, although it will be quite difficult to include just two, I am planning to do just that. Whether they decide to acknowledge or accept this appreciation, I want them to know how much their blogs have inspired me, moved me, and pushed me to be better. Here are my two:
Nina of Wheeling It and her wonderful husband Paul, their near-perfect doggie Polly, and two cats Rand and Taggart have completely won us over and I am honored to say they are now our friends. Full-time RVers for the past few years, Nina is an amazing writer and photographer, and has taught my husband and I so much about this RV way of life. Nina, we appreciate you and Paul both more than you could know.
Penny Howe of the why about thisblog has inspired me to step out of my comfort zone and play with my creative side, which I didn’t think I had! I am finding this to be great fun and her posts have touched me to the core. I appreciate you so Penny, as I know so many others do as well.
This blogging community is so totally amazing and I must say has changed my life, reading the perspective of writers from all around the globe and being mesmerized by their photography. What a beautiful way to reach out and unify the world. Thank you all for your inspiration! 🙂
We are on our first big “boondocking” adventure, thanks to RV buddies Nina and Paul. They slowly indoctrinated us at June Lake where we were dry-camping but now it is the real deal, truly goin’ naked out on BLM land. I must say it is invigorating, just like running around naked in the wilderness would feel, and now that I mention it, we could definitely traipse through the desert au natural if the mood hit as campers are few and far between here.
First happy hour
Our location, chosen by none other than the lovely RV bloggess Nina, is in the Owens Valley just west of Lone Pine, CA in the Alabama Hills. If you have never been, this place seems a bit otherworldly. Technically the Alabamas are part of the Sierra Nevada Mountains but considered more a range of hills and they look nothing like the Sierras.
Sunrise in the Alabama Hills
The Sierras stand as tall, rugged granite peaks all around us, with Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the lower 48 states towering above them all at 14,505 feet. The Alabamas, however, although about the same age as the Sierras, roughly 150 million years old (give or take a few million years), are a volcanic rock that has been weathered over millions of years to resemble large potato-shaped boulders that have been turned on their ends. It is believed that the same cataclysmic events shaped both the Sierras and the Alabamas. A millennia of driving winds and snow are the tools that sculpted the unusual shaped granite boulders that are now the Alabama Hills, strewn throughout this desert landscape.
Rugged Mt Whitney seen through Mobius Arch
Approximately 300 arches dot these 30,000 acres of Alabama Hills, the most famous being the Mobius Arch, which is a favorite of photographers. If you place yourself just right, you are able to capture Mt. Whitney within this lovely curved arch. The trail to the arch is a short ¼ mile hike and from there you are free to explore the many unusual boulder pilings against a backdrop of granite peaks. It is important to keep your bearings out here as the piles of boulders all begin to look alike after a time. I must admit to getting a bit turned around and coming out at a completely different location than I had entered but was still able to find my way back home.
With landscape this otherworldly, you gotta know that something special has happened here, right? Heck, the name alone had me wondering why ‘Alabama Hills’ in the middle of California? First, let’s get that answer out of the way. The Alabama Hills were named for the Civil War Confederate warship, USS Alabama. It seems there were a few wayward prospectors wandering them thar hills who were sympathizers to the Confederate cause. They named these hills and it stuck!
Alabama Hills beautyGeological changes at their finest
Probably what this area is most noted for is the 150+ movies and roughly a dozen television shows that were filmed here, most notably old Western movie productions, dating back to the early 1920’s. A few of the more notable Western films include Gunga Din, How the West Was Won, Rawhide, Bad Day at Black Rock and a few non-Westerns filmed here were Gladiator, Iron Man, and Star Trek Generations. A few of the old television productions, for those of you who can remember (I was a wee bit too young!) were Tom Mix, Hopalong Cassidy, The Lone Ranger, and The Gene Autry Show.
Lone Pine Film Museum
If you tour the Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center at the south end of Lone Pine, and you should because it is very well done, you can pick up a booklet that will take you through a self-guided tour of the Alabama Hills movie filming locations. As long as you are in the area, a stop by the Beverly and Jim Rogers Museum of Lone Pine Film History is pretty fascinating as well. We discovered shortly after flipping through the Movie Road tour guide that our rigs are situated at the Rawhide movie Grave Site. Does Nina know how to pick a site, or what?!
I have lots more to share about this amazing area, along with a couple fabulous hikes, which I will do in subsequent posts, provided my Internet connectivity cooperates. We are out in the boonies, you know! Although it hasn’t stopped those techie engineers Nina and Paul from blogging away!
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Time to head on down the road once again but still time left to revel in one final sun-kissed morning, as I make a turn to admire the mountain ranges all around me. The mountains, alpine lakes and meadows have been breathtaking, but I have failed to mention how beautiful the farmland is around this part of California. For miles, golden meadow grasses sway in the breeze and cattle and horses grace the fields. I could not resist one final drive down a country road outside the campground in the quiet early morning hours to admire this stunning landscape. And here is just a glimpse of the beauty that has surrounded us this past week:
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BTW, if you happen through Bishop, it is quite the little town. Stop by the Galen & Barbara Rowell Mountain Light Gallery for some of the most fabulous nature photography I have ever seen. And if you are hungry, Thai Thai, a nondescript Thai food restaurant at the airport or the Holy Smokes Texas Barbecue are both outstanding.
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“The mountains are calling and I must go.” ~ John Muir
Majestic snow-capped peaks
We share this esteemed naturalist’s views, the allure of these mountains is that strong. It is a spiritual experience, for sure, and the recommended hike passed on to our friend Nina by a forest ranger was to most definitely do Little Lakes Trail. We were blessed with a rainstorm a few days earlier so we knew without a doubt there would be snow topping the rugged peaks of the John Muir Wilderness where this hike was to take us.
Terry at one of the many striking trailside lakes
Looking at the topographical map at Mosquito Flats, our jumping-off point, we saw evidence of literally hundreds of lakes dotting the mountainsides. Our hike was to take us by a mere six of these sparkling jewels, ending at Gem Lake, where we lunched lake-side, surrounded by snow-covered granite peaks. Could life possibly get any better than this?!
The gang lunching at Gem Lake
Considering the hikes we had done at June Lake and many others that were available in this area, Little Lakes was relatively easy, a 7-miler beginning at 10,300 feet and topping out at just shy of 11,000 feet…piece of cake! For sightseeing, these are my kind of hikes, not too taxing to leave me huffing and puffing, just a nice, easy hiking pace while enjoying the grandeur all around me, and there was plenty of that! Sparkling lakes, alpine meadows and many thirteeners surrounded us, Mt. Dade, Mt. Abbot, Mt. Mills, and Bear Creek Spire, to name a few.
The pack, as Nina would sayPaul having a Zen moment
We marveled at the condition of this trail as we wound along meadows and shimmering lakes. Perhaps it is so well-maintained because it is a popular trek. Going early and in the off-season is recommended, as we did, and were rewarded with very few hikers on our way out. This trail is also popular with the fishing and climbing enthusiasts.
Lovely snow-covered hillsides
From our campground at Horton Creek, it is an approximate 45-minute drive on Hwy 395 to get to this lovely trailhead, where the mountains are calling anyone who wants to experience Mother Nature at her finest.
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Paint Your Landscape 