We have seen some fabulous country since we began this nomadic RV adventure and many times we find ourselves asking “could we live here”? The west is where we feel the greatest pull, from the sandy beaches in So Cal, to the mountains in the Eastern Sierras, to the rugged Oregon coastline, we seemed to fall in love with the land around every turn.
Driving across the deserts of Arizona, looking out over the layers of craggy peaks, spiky cacti and the vast open spaces, I felt a strange pull, oddly comforted, like I had come home. Having lived in Arizona for 20+ years I wondered, when we leave an area we have loved, does a little piece of our soul remain, to be reconnected with us upon our return? This is exactly how I felt. Looking across the great expanse of desert, I felt I could hear the whispers of our native ancestors welcoming me back. The hawks circling overhead seemed to be guiding us towards our destination, Cave Creek Regional Park.
Me and my shadow on the Go John trailSpiky ocotillo in her winter wearBarrel cactus with its menacing fish-hook needlesStately saguaro, home to the cactus wren
I could hardly wait for the next morning’s sunrise, wondering how I would feel as I walked alone in the desert. Out the door before the break of dawn, complete silence enveloped me, the air punctuated only by the trilling of songbirds and the distinctive sound of the desert quail, which will forever remind me of our home in Sedona. Bunnies merrily chased one another and the stately saguaro, barrel, teddy-bear, and ocotillo cacti seemed to quietly nod their welcome as I passed by. The scent of desert sage wafted over me as I inhaled deeply. In the early morning splendor of the desert, all manner of creature was awakening for the day. I walked back to the RV, a deep sense of contentment filling me, as the thought of sunny days hiking deep into the desert mountains filled my thoughts.
A desert awakening at Cave Creek Regional Park
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Hiking trails are hard to come by around San Diego but if you are willing to drive a few miles you will find places off the beaten path that allow you to imagine for just a little while that you are away from the big city. The Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve, near Escondido, is one of those places and the Way Up Trail is the way to go, up that is.
Our friend Stan invited me to tag along with him on this adventure. He was batchin’ it, with wife Marilyn away visiting family, and I was anxious to escape the quarantine zone that has become our RV since hubby Terry picked up a nasty respiratory infection. This was to be Stan’s maiden uphill voyage since a hiking accident last July left him faced with some extensive rehab so I was honored to be along for the ride.
If you are looking for a nice little leg workout, the Way Up Trail fits the bill, 3.2 miles round trip, with switchbacks greeting hikers from the start. A lovely little reservoir awaits you at the top as well as a network of trails extending 10 miles if you are so inclined. We opted to hike another 1.5 miles, soaking up the sun, with Stan sharing stories of his Appalachian Trail hiking days. Since it has been a dream of ours to hike the AT, I was enthralled.
Stan, all smiles, down off the trail
Once back down at the trailhead we pulled out phones and called our respective spouses to let them know we had a successful hike. Stan, being ever the southern gentleman, thanked my hubby for letting him borrow his lovely bride for a few hours. It is said that “it’s not the destination but the journey that counts” but I believe it’s also who you take along with you. Today I was fortunate to have a great friend along.
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We once again met up with RV buddies Nina and Paul for an urban hike in Del Mar. We had given up hope of finding any opportunities for hiking in the San Diego area without driving quite a distance, somewhat of a letdown after trekking through the Sierras with these same pals. As luck would have it, Nina and Paul, having once lived in Del Mar, knew of an “off the beaten path” hike that took us up a winding canyon, through some beautiful Del Mar neighborhoods, along the sandstone cliffs overlooking the railroad tracks and stunning views of the Pacific, and dumping us off onto Del Mar beach, where doggie Polly met a new four-legged friend and romped through the waves with Paul. Not quite like a hike in the Sierras but fresh air, warm sun, and crashing waves can always renew the spirit.
Terry with RV buddies Nina, Ellen, Paul, and Alex this summer
The weather was picture-perfect, a beautiful sunny day that I think Nina and Paul brought with them from the desert, as we had a good bit of gloom until their arrival. We enjoyed a few hours of catching up on each others’ lives before parting, talking of future visits and seeing Alex and Ellen, a lovely RVing couple we met through Nina and Paul earlier this year.
When we began our RV journey I knew we would have some unbelievable scenery to feast eyes upon but as I was saying goodbye to family and friends, I wasn’t sure who we might meet during our travels. We couldn’t be more pleased with the folks we have met along the way, many with the wanderlust that we have, enjoying the simple pleasure of getting in touch with nature.
New RV friends Mike & Tamara
We had the good fortune of meeting yet another lovely couple this past week at San Elijo State Beach, a couple who parked their RV almost across from us. Mike and Tamara are early retirees, as we have been blessed to be, and love traveling and getting out into nature, a perfect match with our passions. We spent a chilly evening around the fire getting to know them and another playing cribbage. Thanks Tamara for reintroducing me to the game and teaching Terry. Santa may just have to bring us a cribbage board this year.
The following morning we said our goodbyes to this charming couple, with the hope of another possible visit before we leave So Cal. One of the best parts of this journey are the people we meet along the way and we are blessed to be meeting some wonderful folks who have a zest for life and the hope of touching other lives.
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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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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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Paint Your Landscape 