kellymoe
Expedition Leader
I drive an "overland" vehicle, Land Rover Defender 130 crew cab. I have all the "overland" stuff. But I just cant bring myself to call what I do 90% of the time overlanding. It's just camping with an overland truck. This was made clear this last trip with my family as we ventured to one of my favorite camping spots, Coyote Flats. Coyote Flats is reached via a 20 mile 4x4 road just outside of Bishop. The road was in worse shape this year, I think it's a result of the new small 4x4's like the Rhino. While pretty cool, they tend to really tear up a trail, pulling up cantaloupe sized boulder that a regular truck would just drive right over.
Our trip started on Thursday morning as we left Burbank and overlanded
up Hwy 14 and 395. A stop at the Ranch-house Cafe in Olancha satiated our hunger from the miles of blacktop. After lunch we pushed on toward Bishop with a brutal tailwind to deal with Once in Bishop we made our way to the outskirts of town and found the start of the dirt road. Temperature in Bishop was about 105 as we headed up the sandy wash toward the infamous switchbacks that carry you quickly to the high country and cooler temps. Within 30 minutes the temperature went from 105 to 65.
After 1.5 hours and 20 miles on a moderate to east 4x4 road we reached our camp beside Baker Creek at an altitude of 10,200 feet. Camp was situated on the edge of an idealic meadow. Fly fishing was literaly steps from the tent.
Between my parents Chevy Silverado and my crew cab pick up we had everything and more to make this overlanding campsite almost as comfortable as home. We ate huge meals with fresh food from the 4 ice chests we brought. We lacked for nothing.
What I came to realize on this trip was that what was missing was a sense of adventure. Sure the kids had fun fishing and hunting for frogs. But what I miss is a sense of unknown. Even the trip I took with my dad last month to the Saline Valley had more adventure simply because of the remoteness and isolation of the place, especially this time of year with 126 degree heat we encountered. In for days in the Saline we saw 1 person. At Coyote Flats we saw several people on day trips from their homes in Bishop.
I think planning and preparation are key to a successful trip but it seems that it can be done to the nth degree and the adventure is kind of tainted. My most memorable trip to Coyote Flats was almost 30 years ago when I was 12. My parents truck suffered a dead battery. My brother and I hiked 6 miles to Glacier Lodge and hitched a ride with a guy named Bud Hines who lived in Big Pine, not Big Pines which he made sure we knew. He drove us to Bishop and we paid a gas station attendant $20 to give us a ride back up the 20 mile dirt road and back to our parents truck. My brother and I jumped in the back of his pick up truck. On the way out town he stopped to pick up a friend, OK no big deal. About 15 miles up the trail the truck came to an abrupt stop. Both guys jumped out with guns in hand. My brother and I looked at each other deciding whether to run for it bobbing and weaving down the road or make a offensive attack. Before we had a chance to soil ourselves they started taking pot shots at some crows who were sitting in the meadow. After they had their fill of man fun they hopped back in the truck and in short order we were back with our parents battery in hand.
I'm not saying you need to break down in the middle of nowhere to have an adventure but it helps Actually with my wife and young kids I prefer I not break down in the middle of nowhere. Maybe I just need to weed out the non essentials. When I do solo trips in my truck I take on the alpine climbing approach and bring only what I need and nothing more. I think I'll start doing that with family trips, or at least those with the kids, my wife likes comfort.
Anyway, here are a few pictures from our overlanding adventure.
Our trip started on Thursday morning as we left Burbank and overlanded
up Hwy 14 and 395. A stop at the Ranch-house Cafe in Olancha satiated our hunger from the miles of blacktop. After lunch we pushed on toward Bishop with a brutal tailwind to deal with Once in Bishop we made our way to the outskirts of town and found the start of the dirt road. Temperature in Bishop was about 105 as we headed up the sandy wash toward the infamous switchbacks that carry you quickly to the high country and cooler temps. Within 30 minutes the temperature went from 105 to 65. After 1.5 hours and 20 miles on a moderate to east 4x4 road we reached our camp beside Baker Creek at an altitude of 10,200 feet. Camp was situated on the edge of an idealic meadow. Fly fishing was literaly steps from the tent.
Between my parents Chevy Silverado and my crew cab pick up we had everything and more to make this overlanding campsite almost as comfortable as home. We ate huge meals with fresh food from the 4 ice chests we brought. We lacked for nothing.
What I came to realize on this trip was that what was missing was a sense of adventure. Sure the kids had fun fishing and hunting for frogs. But what I miss is a sense of unknown. Even the trip I took with my dad last month to the Saline Valley had more adventure simply because of the remoteness and isolation of the place, especially this time of year with 126 degree heat we encountered. In for days in the Saline we saw 1 person. At Coyote Flats we saw several people on day trips from their homes in Bishop.
I think planning and preparation are key to a successful trip but it seems that it can be done to the nth degree and the adventure is kind of tainted. My most memorable trip to Coyote Flats was almost 30 years ago when I was 12. My parents truck suffered a dead battery. My brother and I hiked 6 miles to Glacier Lodge and hitched a ride with a guy named Bud Hines who lived in Big Pine, not Big Pines which he made sure we knew. He drove us to Bishop and we paid a gas station attendant $20 to give us a ride back up the 20 mile dirt road and back to our parents truck. My brother and I jumped in the back of his pick up truck. On the way out town he stopped to pick up a friend, OK no big deal. About 15 miles up the trail the truck came to an abrupt stop. Both guys jumped out with guns in hand. My brother and I looked at each other deciding whether to run for it bobbing and weaving down the road or make a offensive attack. Before we had a chance to soil ourselves they started taking pot shots at some crows who were sitting in the meadow. After they had their fill of man fun they hopped back in the truck and in short order we were back with our parents battery in hand.
I'm not saying you need to break down in the middle of nowhere to have an adventure but it helps
Actually with my wife and young kids I prefer I not break down in the middle of nowhere. Maybe I just need to weed out the non essentials. When I do solo trips in my truck I take on the alpine climbing approach and bring only what I need and nothing more. I think I'll start doing that with family trips, or at least those with the kids, my wife likes comfort.Anyway, here are a few pictures from our overlanding adventure.
