Travelogue

Our trip was pretty much wrapping up. We had accomplished our goal of testing out the viability of the 4Runner as a camping option. I obviously love the comforts of our Lazy Daze much better, but the truck did allow us to do things we can't in that - like driving on remote 4WD roads.

We settled in for our fourth night of sleeping in the truck at the Glacier View Campground, at the junction of 168 and 395.

The trip had been lots of fun, but I was about ready for my real bed back home. Still, I would definitely do it again.

Description

Bridgeport is a town located along the scenic Eastern Sierra Byway, about 15 miles south of Bishop. It lies in the lovely Owens Valley between the Sierra Nevada and the White Mountains. It is notable for proximity to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest and its access to the western border of Death Valley.

Travelogue

Palm Oasis shady poolEver since we visited the Saline Valley Warm Springs a few months back, Herb had wanted to get back to it, as he loves nothing better than a natural hot spring surrounded by incredible scenery. I do too, but last time we were here, I found the community that has set up a semi-permanent camp here, a little too weird and cultish for my taste. Also, it was the worse night of camping we had ever experienced. Fierce winds that sounded like an approaching jet practically blew our tent away, and Herb spent the entire night battling the wild burros that kept rummaging through our stuff. Now that we had a hard, burro-proof shell around us, we were willing to give it another try.

There were two options for getting to the springs from the Racetrack. The most direct route was Lippincott Road, but both the Ranger and the guide books definitely warned against it, as it is the most extreme road in the Park.

Abandoned vehicle at Goldbelt mine camp along Hidden Valley RoadInstead of a 10-mile, death defying drive, we headed back to Teakettle Junction to take the Hidden Valley Road up over Hunter Mountain to Saline Valley Road and then up to the warm springs.

About a mile past Teakettle Junction, we entered Lost Burro Gap, a narrow canyon connecting Racetrack Valley with Hidden Valley. At the Lost Burro junction we continued on Hunter Mountain Road for about 11 miles until we came to a sign for the Goldbelt Spur Road to an old abandoned mining camp less than a mile away.
We decided to take the detour to check it out. As with many mining towns, this one had a few lives before finally dying out for good in the 1960s. All that remains are a few collapsed cabins, miscellaneous junk, and an old truck.

Although we knew we were only about a mile from Hunter Mountain Road, we had a tough time finding it again as our GPS kept directing us to roads that no longer existed. Finally, we found our way back to the road and continued up and over the east face of Hunter Mountain eventually reaching the junction with the Saline Valley Road.

I think we're in the right placeFrom there we traveled north for about 20 miles to the turnoff for Lower Warm Spring Road. To be exact, it was 19.4 miles, and I carefully tracked that because the turnoff is not obvious at all. From there, it’s about 6 miles to the first oasis.

Anyone unsure if they are on the right road to the springs will have no doubt when at about the 4 mile point they come across a tall post with metal bats hanging from it. As we learned last time, bats are a commonly-used motif in the Saline Valley community.

At about 6.5 miles, we arrived at the first oasis, where we had camped on our previous visit. Surprisingly, it was so quiet compared to last time. I think things don’t really get going in this place until October, because September is still considered too hot.

Having bad recollections from last time, we decided to continue on for another mile to the second oasis, which had two beautiful pools - one out in the open, hot desert sun, and the other tucked under the shade of a palm tree. There was absolutely no one there, so we decided to stay for the night.

Palm Oasis sunny poolDespite the absence of people, the camp was still amazingly well maintained and stocked with supplies. The outdoor shower had soap and shampoo, and the bathroom was stocked with Costco size toilet paper packages, cleaning products, air fresheners, etc.

We spent the rest of the day enjoying Paradise where the only stress is deciding whether to soak in the sunny or the shady pool. We did both.

Herb would have gladly stayed a week, but I get antsy after 24 hours of total non-activity in hot desert sun. So much to his chagrin, the next morning we packed up and headed out.

Rumor had it that the Death Valley / Big Pine Road west of Saline Valley Road was open again, so rather than take the long route south and out through Panamint Springs, we drove north for 40 miles on Saline Valley Road back up to asphalt and civilization of Big Pine.

Description

Herb in his idea of ParadiseThe Saline Valley is a large, deep, and arid valley that runs along the western edge of Death Valley National Park. It is known for its salt, borax, abandoned mines, and controversial, clothing-optional hot springs located in a series of palm oases.

The Saline Valley road is a very rough dirt road that runs for 95 miles from SR 168 in the north to SR 190 in the south, ranging in elevation from 1,094 to 7,593 feet. High ground clearance 4WD vehicles and full-sized spare times are strongly recommended.

Coming from the north the drive to the warms springs is a rough 40 miles. The turnoff from the Saline Valley road onto the Warm Springs Road, which can be difficult to find, is at the 32.7 mile point. Here, the road gets even rougher. At about 4 miles there is a tall post with metal bats hanging from it. Once you see that, you are almost there.

Outdoor art at the springsA few miles further is a serious of gorgeous warm springs, each with multiple soaking pools. Although these springs weren’t unheard of during the mining heydays, it wasn’t until the 1960s that they became popular among hippies who developed a semi-permanent camp here. The residents soon set to work making home improvements – taming the wild springs into several concrete, rock, and tile soaking pools, building showers, dishwashing facilities, and latrines, building creative fences out of branches, and planting shady grassy areas.

In 1994 the Saline Valley became part of Death Valley National Park and put under the watchful eye of the NPS. The camp was dispersed and visitation was limited to 30 days. One man named Wizard remained and eventually became the caretaker for the site. When he passed away, Lee “Lizard” Greenwell took his place and is still there today.

Today the springs are not found on any NPS maps and rangers are hesitant to tell visitors how to find them. Meanwhile, Lizard and his sycophants live on happily enjoying their bit of paradise.

Travelogue

Ubehebe CraterThis whole trip was pretty much inspired by Herb’s desire to drive out to the Racetrack Playa in Death Valley-- the place where the rock mysteriously move when no one is looking. Now, at last, we had the vehicle to do it.

Normally, we would have entered Death Valley from Big Pine and driven the Death Valley / Big Pine Road to the start of Racetrack Road near the Ubehebe Crater, but unfortunately storms had taken out many of the backroads in Death Valley, including the one in from Big Pine.

Instead, we had to come in via the Panamint Springs entrance much further to the south. However, this would allow us to stop at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center to get information on 4WD road conditions in the park to make sure we were not embarking on something foolish.

Tea anyone?We managed to find a female ranger at the Visitor Center that was very knowledgeable about the backroads in the Park. She said we should have no problem with our vehicle on either Racetrack or Saline Valley Road. However, she did suggest that it is always a good idea when you go off-roading in Death Valley to tell someone (preferably someone that you owe money to) your itinerary, so if you don’t resurface in civilization when you are supposed to, they have some idea where to send help. Herb thought this was a bit of an overkill, but I thought it was definitely a wise precaution. You don’t mess with a place called Death Valley.

Now, which son to give the responsibility of calling a Death Valley ranger to search for his missing parents if they didn’t call in 2 days? I chose Tommy for two reasons. First, he is not nearly the worrywart that Andrew is, and secondly, he is always doing things to worry me, like climbing El Cap or skiing down Mt. Rainier, so I figured I would give him a chance to be on the other side of the worry equation.

With the ranger’s blessings as to our intentions, we headed north on Scotty Castle Road to the Ubehebe Crater, where Racetrack Road begins. Ubehebe Crater, which is a half-mile wide and 750 feet deep, is too spectacular to just pass by. We have hiked to the bottom of it on a previous trip, but this time we were just stopping at the rim for a quick photo. The wind was so strong it almost blew our door off.

Lolo atop the GrandstandConditions were great on Racetrack road, so we were able to move along at a good 20 mph pace. After our drive to Coyote Flat yesterday, this truly felt like a racetrack. After 19 miles of incredible natural desert scenery, we came upon a bit of a man-made attraction at Teakettle Junction, where the sign marking the junction of Racetrack and Hunter Mountain is strung with dozens of old teakettles.

No one quite knows how this tradition began, but rumor has it that kettles were hung to show early settlers that there was water nearby. Another theory is that it was considered good luck to leave a kettle with a message on or in it for fellow travelers to read. When the number of teakettles get to be too much, Rangers remove them, and the process begins all over again.

For this afternoon, we continued straight for another 6 miles to the Racetrack and the primitive campground just beyond. Tomorrow we would return to this junction and take Hidden Valley Road over Hunter Mountain.

Before long, we arrived at the Grandstand Parking Area at the northern end of the Racetrack Playa (dry lakebed), which at 3 miles long and 2 miles wide, was much larger than I had envisioned. Rising from the playa is a large, dark outcrop of quartz monzonite, which is actually the tip of a mountain buried long ago by material eroded from the surrounding mountains. It looked like an island in a sea of clay. We just had to walk out to it. In fact, Herb even made me climb to the top of it, so he could get a photo of me silhouetted against the evening sky.

Moving rock and its trailAfterwards, we continued driving another two miles to another parking area nearer to the “moving” rocks, which the Racetrack is famous for and walked out onto the playa to visit some of them. We could easily find the culprits by the tracks they left behind in the clay. It was incredible.

Scientists have been studying this strange rock behavior for decades and think they have finally solved the mystery. The theory is that after a rain, the surface of the playa, which is clay, becomes quite slippery. Accompanying that loss of friction with the strong winds that blow out of the Saline Valley, sometimes as high as 70 mph, and you get a sufficient force to actually move a rock across the slick surface, some of which are as large as 1,000 pounds. Some of them have moved as much as several hundred feet, leaving long tracks behind them showing the direction of their journey.

Using GPS measurements, scientists have mapped, measured, and even named 162 rocks. Kitty weighs in at 1,275 pounds and is 22 inches tall, while Hannah is a measly 1 pound. Apparently, rocks are female.

Lolo Racing the RockNo camping is allowed in the parking areas alongside the playa, so we continued on to the primitive campground, just two miles beyond, where there are a half a dozen or so places to camp, only one of which was occupied.

The theory of the strong winds moving the rocks after a rain was confirmed in our minds by the fact that even the outhouse was chained down to prevent it from moving. I would love to put a GPS on that untethered and see how far it moves.

The next morning we drove back out from whence we came and stopped once more to walk out on the playa. I tend to get a little antsy without a lot of physical activity, so Herb suggested I relieve some of my pent up energy by running around the “racetrack.” Doing the whole perimeter would have been 10 miles, requiring more energy than I had pent up, so I satisfied myself by running a 3-mile loop around the Grandstand.

We said goodbye to Kitty and Hannah and continued on back to Teakettle Junction, this time taking the road towards Hunter Mountain, with the intention of getting to Saline Valley Warm Springs to camp that night.

Description

Pretty big rock to moveBecause of its remote location, few visitors get to see the famous Death Valley Racetrack, where rocks mysteriously move across the dry lakebed on their own accord. Although no one has actually seen the rocks move, they are known to move because of the trails they leave behind them. After studying the phenomenon for decades, scientists now believe they have solved the mystery. The surface of the lakebed is a fine clay that becomes very slippery when wet. After a rain, heavy winds as high as 70 mph blow the rocks across the slick surface. A 4-wheel drive vehicle is needed to reach the Racetrack, which is 27 miles past Ubehebe Crater on a rough dirt road.

Travelogue

Coyote FlatAfter seeing how well the 4Runner handled the backroads to and from Bodie, Herb was antsy to try a little more challenging drive. We had two great offroading books with detailed descriptions of routes of various difficulty levels: “Sierra Nevada Byways” and “Guide to California Backroads & 4-Wheel-Drive Trails”.

Since we love the Bishop area, we chose an Intermediate trail called Coyote Flat, the start of which was just a few miles outside of town. In addition to the drive sounding extremely scenic, there was what looked to be a great hike to Baker Lake from atop the Flat, as well as a primitive campground there.

Right from the start, the trail began a steep climb out of the Owens Valley, at about 4,400 feet, and led us through a series of switchbacks that just didn’t seem to quit. In contrast to our drive to Bodie, where we were cruising along at around 20 mph, this one was much steeper and rockier keeping us at a pace closer to 5 mph. We were going to have to adjust our expectations for the day.

Road down from Coyote FlatAfter 15 miles in just a little over 2 hours, we made it to Coyote Flat, a gorgeous plateau at 10,000 feet, with grazing deer and awesome views of the Palisade Glacier. It was absolutely lovely.

Since it was too late to fit in a long hike, and the temperature atop the Flat was quite chilly, we decided to skip the camping and head back to Bishop. We didn’t linger long because we wanted to make sure we got back before sunset, as we certainly didn’t want to be driving this road in the dark.

Herb handled the drive just fine and we made it back to Bishop with daylight to spare. Herb (and me too) was really pleased with the 4Runner’s capabilities and quite excited about how this opened up so many new opportunities to explore beautiful, remote areas.

Rather than find camping, we decided to stay in the Bishop Village Motel that night, as after this we would be primitive camping for a few nights in Death Valley.

Description

Passenger's eye viewBishop 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

Lovely Long ValleyWe were having so much fun driving the less-traveled dirt roads that rather than take 270 back to 395 from Bodie, we continued on Cottonwood Canyon Road, which brought us to the northern shore of Mono Lake, which lovely views of our approach along the way. From there, we got back on 395 and headed south to the Long Valley Primitive Hot Springs area, just south of Mammoth Lakes - another favorite we had discovered a few months back.

Most of the land in the Long Valley is owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and the BLM. As a result, it has fortunately not been commercially developed, as so many other hot springs in California. While the LADWP allows day use, the BLM land has no restrictions on overnight camping.

So we turned left (east) onto Benton Crossing Road in search of the perfect place to camp. Once again, we had our Falcon Guide, “Touring Hot Springs California and Nevada,” which gives a very detailed description of the location of about a dozen hot springs in the area.

Boardwalk to Wild Willy's PoolWe headed first to the “Crab Cooker,” our favorite from a previous trip. It’s a bit tougher to reach in that the roads to it are unpaved and rougher, but that made it all the more likely to be unpopulated. However, when we got there, there were already some people near it - not in, just near. Not sure if they were arriving or departing, we walked down the hill to it to have a look. We soon discovered that the reason no one was in it was that it was cool. After poking around, we discovered that there was debris in the pipe connecting the pool with its hot water source, making it a rather ineffective “cooker.” That’s the challenge with natural hot springs - their status is always changing.

It didn’t make sense to camp near a cool pool, so we headed back to the Crowley Hot Spring area (also known as Wild Willy’s), where we knew there were hot pools and places to camp nearby. Just before the parking lot for Wild Willy’s, we took a right turn on a dirt road along which camping was allowed. We selected an empty pull-out with a path leading back towards the pools. Perfect.

Wild HerbieSince our home for the night was the back of the 4Runner, we didn’t have much setup to do other than to get our thermorests and sleeping bags out of storage box on top and lay them on the platform in the back of the truck. Herb did a bit more fussing about, as he was very anxious to make this a pleasant experience so that I would repeat it. It was really quite endearing.

So, some new toys came out. First he set up a pop-up shower tent, which doubled as a privacy booth to get dressed and take care of nature’s needs. It looked a bit like a phone booth. Herb also had bought a nemo helio, which is a shower device powered by a foot pump. He looked quite satisfied, having provided me with all the comforts of home.

Domestic chores complete, we donned our bathing suits and followed the path to the pools. There are actually two pools in this area to choose from. One is built of concrete and has a wooden deck, about 9 by 12 feet and 3 feet deep, surrounding it. The other is a smaller and more primitive one with a mud bottom. As expected, they were both already occupied.

The primitive one was a bit warmer, so we joined a group of people, all of whom were about one third our age, in that one. I felt a bit old, but since Herb and I are still quite physically active, we were able to share some of our own tales of adventure in the Sierra.

Our campsite in Long ValleyIt was a bit chilly getting out of the pool, as the air temperature was now in the 40s. We scurried back to our campsite, where I proceeded to use my privacy phone booth to put on most of the clothing that I had packed. Once warm and cozy again, we sat in our beach chairs sipping wine and gazing out at what was a truly dramatic setting. Herb was feeling pretty smug right now about the experience he was providing me.

The next morning before departing we took another quick soak in the pool before continuing on our journey, which would take us next to Bishop, with the eventual goal of Death Valley..

Description

All the comforts of homeThe Long Valley Primitive Hot Springs area, just east of Highway 395 a few miles south of Mammoth Lakes, contains one of the best collections of primitive, unspoiled hot springs in California.

Most of the land in the valley is owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and the BLM. While the LADWP allows daytime use, the BLM areas also allow camping. LADWP land is marked with large white signs.

The valley is a hotbed of constant seismic and volcanic activity, created by an eruption about 760,000 years ago, in which the volcano collapsed, forming a massive caldera, which is now the valley. The area is still volcanically active, and recent renewed earthquake activity has caused concern that another eruption is in the making.

Benton Crossing Road, which is paved, is the main access road to the springs. From this road, dirt roads of varying quality (some graded and some quite rough) lead to the springs. Some of the more popular springs include:

• Crowley Hot Spring (Wild Willy’s)
• Hilltop Hot Spring (Pulky’s Pool)
• Alkali Lake Hot Spring
• The Crab Cooker
• Shepherd Hot Spring

Travelogue

Bodie Ghost TownWe had been to Bodie State Historical Park once before, but this time we would approach it the way the old prospectors did - over a mountain on a rough backcountry road past abandoned mines, and even a genuine cattle drive, but I’ll get to that later.

Rather than taking 395 south to the the paved 270 into Bodie, we headed north and turned onto Masonic Road. From here, we spent the next 32 miles driving up and down the rolling Bodie Hills, past old ghost towns and abandoned mines, with sweeping views of the Sierra and the Sweetwater Mountains all along the way. It was breathtaking.

Like ski runs,4WD roads are graded in terms of difficulty - Green for Easy, Blue for Intermediate, and Black for “no thank you.” This was a Green and the 4Runner handled it like a champ.

Abandoned mine along the road to BodieWe stopped several times along the way to wander amongst the old mining sites, many of which still had quite a few structures and equipment to poke around. It was really fascinating to imagine what a bustling place this must have been during the heyday of the Gold Rush. For now, we pretty much had the road entirely to ourselves, well almost.

Probably about 5 miles or so outside of Bodie, we saw a huge cloud of dust and dirt ahead. Not sure what to expect, we pulled as far as we could to the side of the road. As the noisy cloud approached, we started to hear the lowing of cows. Apparently, we had gotten ourselves into a traffic jam with a genuine cattle herd being prodded along by a genuine cowboy. I am not sure who was more confused - us or the cattle. They practically came up to our windshield to observe what I guess they thought were the oddities along this road. They certainly did outnumber us.

Traffic jam on the road to BodieOnce they had passed, we cleaned our windshield of dust and continued on our way. Before long, the many surviving structures of the old town of Bodie lay before us. What an awesome way to arrive.

For anyone traveling on 395, I highly recommend a side trip to Bodie State Historical Park. I believe it is the best preserved ghost town in all of California, if not the entire West.

The town rose to prominence when mining along the western slope of the Sierras declined, and prospectors moved to the eastern side to search for gold. Sure enough, in 1859, W.S. Bodey and his buddy E. S. “Black” Taylor stumbled upon gold in the hills north of Mono Lake, amounting to millions of dollars in gold and silver. Unfortunately, Bodey froze to death in a blizzard while returning with supplies and never got to enjoy his new-found wealth. The town, with a slight spelling change, is named for him.

Things slowed down for a bit in the 1860s, but then in the mid-1870s a rich strike was made by the Standard Mining Company in the Bodie Hills. Word spread, sparking a rush of people to Bodie. By 1879 the town had a population of about 10,000 people and more than 2,000 buildings, primarily general stores, dance halls, and saloons to keep the miners supplied and entertained. Bodie soon developed a reputation for wildness and lawlessness.

Lolo loose in BodieHowever, by 1881, the mines were depleted and miners and business people left Bodie to follow the next strike. By 1886, the town’s population had fallen to 1,500 people. In the 1890s, the use of electricity as a source of cheap power made mining here profitable again and temporarily boosted it. However, a fire in 1932 destroyed 90% of the town.

Bodie faded into a ghost town in the 1940s. Fortunately, in 1962, the town was designated a National Historic Site and a State Historic Park and its buildings are preserved in a state of “arrested decay.” The interiors of the buildings are maintained as they were left, still furnished and stocked with goods.

It’s a very poignant experience wandering the deserted streets, peeking in windows, and imagining the lives of those that once lived, played, worked, and died here not all that long ago.

Description

Bodie General StoreBodie State Historic Park is a genuine California gold-mining ghost town. The town rose to prominence when mining along the western slope of the Sierras declined, and prospectors moved to the eastern side to search for gold. A huge strike in Virginia City, the Comstock Lode, brought a wild rush to the high desert country along the eastern Sierras.

In 1859, W.S. Bodey and E. S. “Black” Taylor stumbled upon gold in the hills north of Mono Lake, amounting to millions of dollars in gold and silver. Unfortunately, Bodey froze to death in a blizzard while returning with supplies and never got to enjoy his new-found wealth. The town, with a slight spelling change, is named for him.

Things slowed down for a bit in the 1860s, but then in the mid-1870s a rich strike was made by the Standard Mining Company in the Bodie Hills. Word spread, sparking a rush of people to Bodie. By 1879 the town had a population of about 10,000 people and more than 2,000 buildings, primarily general stores, dance halls, and saloons to keep the miners supplied and entertained. Bodie soon developed a reputation for wildness and lawlessness.

Filler 'er upHundreds of Chinese workers also flocked to Bodie and profited from the boom by providing for the needs of the miners with wood, charcoal, vegetables, laundries, and more. The Chinese created a town within a town so that they could maintain their own customs and traditions.

However, by 1881, the mines were depleted and miners and business people left Bodie to follow the next strike. By 1886, the town’s population had fallen to 1,500 people. In the 1890s, the use of electricity as a source of cheap power made mining here profitable again and temporarily boosted it. However, a fire in 1932 destroyed 90% of the town.

Bodie faded into a ghost town in the 1940s. Fortunately, in 1962, the town was designated a National Historic Site and a State Historic Park. Today visitors can walk the streets of this deserted town, which has been preserved in a state of “arrested decay.” The interiors of the buildings are maintained as they were left, still furnished and stocked with goods.

To get there, take U.S. Hwy. 395 to State Hwy. 270 and drive 10 miles east until the paved road ends, then continue for 3 miles of an unpaved dirt road.

Travelogue

Herb's favorite poolHerb sensed that I wasn’t totally keen on camping in the 4Runner, so we decided that we would alternate between motels and camping.

Since the first day was mostly a driving one to get across to the other side of the Sierras, we decided to find a motel in Bridgeport, as that would set us up as a great place to start an exploration south.

I did some internet searching and was surprised to find how expensive motels were in the Bridgeport to Lee Vining area. All I wanted was a clean bed to sleep in that gave me more than a 4-inch clearance above my face. Oh, and a toilet and shower would be nice too.

I started making phone calls to inquire about availability and pricing for a Friday night. My most intriguing call was to the Bodie Hotel, right on Main Street in Bridgeport. The woman that answered the phone must have been at least 100 - probably a prospector’s wife during Bodie’s heyday. I just couldn’t seem to get an answer from her as to whether she had a room available. I think her concern was that it was opening day for deer hunting and she was hesitant to give away a room for only one night of a weekend. The conversation went on for a good 20 minutes while she hemmed and hawed about whether this was a good business decision for her. I remained silent on the other end, waiting for her to work things out in her mind.

Herb relaxing in Room #9Finally, she told me that she could give me Room #9 (as if I was supposed to know the significance of that), where she told me that one whole wall of that room was covered by a mural of Bodie before it was a ghost town, done by a famous artist. Before officially offering me the room for $100, she suggested strongly that I eat a meal next door in the Sportsmen’s Bar and Grill, because her son owned it and could use the business. She then concluded her marketing presentation with, “I just want you to know, this ain’t the Ritz Carlton!” I was sold, if only just to meet this woman in person.

To my dismay, when we arrived around 3:00 on Friday afternoon, a hotel clerk greeted us rather than the owner. To our further dismay, he was unable to locate the key for the infamous Room #9 and said that the owner, who was not on the premises, probably had it. We agreed to come back in two hours - we wanted to go to Travertine Hot Spring anyway - by which time he was pretty confident he could get us into our room.

Lolo of TravertineThere are many natural hot springs in the Eastern Sierras, but I think Travertine is one of the prettiest. The main three pools are fed from water trickling over the ridge of a colorful rock formation that rises above them. The beautiful tan, cream and rust colors of the rock are the result of a form of limestone, called “travertine” that is deposited by the mineral-laden hot springs. The water flows from one pool to the next decreasing in temperature as it goes along. The first pool is about 105 degrees, while the last, which is the largest and shallowest, is only about 90 degrees.

However, these three pools are the most popular and often quite crowded. Herb’s favorite is a more primitive pool, just a short walk beyond the main pools, set in a rather geothermically active field. This one you are pretty much guaranteed to have to yourself. In fact, Herb had it totally to himself, because I was too cold to take off my down jacket. Instead, I just enjoyed the wonderful views of the Sierra looming over the town of Bridgeport below.

Queen of TravertineFeeling we had given the hotel clerk sufficient time to track down the key to our room, we returned and were let into the intriguing Room #9. It did not disappoint. I couldn’t remember the last time I had seen red shag carpeting. As promised, a huge moral depicting the main street of the Gold Rush town of Bodie covered the entire wall, drawing us in to a different place and time. It was quaint, but I had serious doubts as to the fame of its artist.

The room also had some beautiful antique collectibles and furnishings. It was all a bit odd -a little bit of a 19th-century brothel vibe -, but I can see why the proprietress considered this room special. For all we knew it could have been hers as a little girl. It was definitely more interesting than staying in a chain motel.

The next morning, we dutifully headed next door to the Sportsmen’s Bar and Grill to have breakfast. It definitely lived up to the “Sportsmen” name - we were the only ones in the place not dressed in camo. The service was good and the breakfast was hearty and tasty.

Description

Bridgeport is a town located along the scenic Eastern Sierra Byway, about 25 miles north of Lee Vining and the road to eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park. The well-known trout streams and lakes in the area attract thousands of tourists each year. It is also notable for its Travertine Hot Springs as well as its proximity to Bodie State Historical Park.

Travertine Hot Springs (Bridgeport)

Geothermal field at Travertine Hot SpringsThere are many natural hot springs in the Sierras, but the Travertine Hot Springs are one of the prettiest and the easiest to get to. They are located just south of the town of Bridgeport along Route 395. To reach the springs, turn onto Jack Sawyer Road, then left again onto a marked, but somewhat rutted, dirt road.

There are several pools at Travertine. Right next to the parking area is a developed pool, which is the hottest of the pools in the area. There were even rugs placed around it to cushion the hard surface.

A short way down the trail are the lower three pools, which are fed from water trickling over the ridge of a colorful rock formation that rises above them. The beautiful tan, cream and rust colors of the rock are the result of a form of limestone, called “travertine” that is deposited by the mineral-laden hot springs. The water flows from one pool to the next decreasing in temperature as it goes along. The first pool is about 105 degrees, while the last, which is the largest and shallowest, is only about 90 degrees.

A little past the main pools there are a few more primitive pools that are much more private. The whole area around the springs is very active geothermally, and new springs are continuously erupting.

There are wonderful views of the Sierras while you bathe in one of its pools, sitting along a rocky ledge or in the mud that lines their bottoms. The mud is slightly sulfuric and soothing to the skin.

The area is designated “clothing optional,” but most people wear bathing suits.

Travelogue

Home Sweet Home !!

Description

Our home in Sonoma Valley

Travelogue

Before leaving Solartown in the morning, we took one last walk around the campground, once alfalfa field. It was amazing how everyone had been so well behaved and respectful. There wasn't any litter in sight.

Seeing that traffic was moving along on Highway 26, we headed out around 10 am with the intention of making a good dent in our 11 hour drive home. A full hookup was high on our list. We ran into a bit more traffic than we had hoped, just south of Bend, so we cut our first day relatively short and stopped at a KOA in Klamath Falls.

The remainder of the day was spent cleaning up the motorhome.

Description

Campground in Klamath Falls with pull through sites with full hookups.