Captain Obvious
New member
PRETRIP
The days leading up to the departure date were filled with fight parties (like fight club but with gloves and fighting is voluntary. Brad Pitt wasn't there either), watching the AFM motorcycle races at Sonoma and generally living the good life. This inability to stop partying meant leaving a full day and a half later than planned. It also created an uneasy feeling due to the hasty packing. The clock is running and vacation days come few and far between. All I knew was I had a cooler full of food and a map of Death Valley. Time to hit the road.
DAY ONE
San Francisco to Emigrant Campground
The snarl of traffic leaving the city was like a swarm of aggravated bees. Bees that constantly change lanes and text behind the wheel. This only left me feeling smug as I would soon escape all this for a place free of red octagonal signs and gridlock.
With the shockingly low snowfall this past winter, Tioga Pass opened earlier than usual and offered what must be one of the most picturesque shortcuts through the sierras. The Ansel Adams like views with their massive grey slabs of granite and verdant meadows left me feeling guilty for simply passing through. Pulling over at one of the last remaining patches of snow a Russian couple in shorts and sandals requested that I 'Make picture of snow fight' using their camera.
Yosemite
Mono Lake
Truck selfie
Down the other side, past eerie Mono lake and many miles on 395 brought me to Lone Pine and the 190 cut off into Death Valley. Arriving anywhere at night is disconcerting as it's not possible to get a lay of the land and adapt to surroundings. Arriving in the desert at night is downright spooky with only inky outlines of far away peaks and no references to be gained from the blowing sands. Seeing a cluster of vehicles I pulled over and setup for the night. A standing meal of hot dogs and beer put a cap on the 12 hour drive.
That first night was like sleeping inside a wind tunnel, or maybe a sandblaster. Also realized after 20 minutes that my air mattress had a hole in it. Not the best start and the thought of sleeping on the bare ground for a week was daunting.
The days leading up to the departure date were filled with fight parties (like fight club but with gloves and fighting is voluntary. Brad Pitt wasn't there either), watching the AFM motorcycle races at Sonoma and generally living the good life. This inability to stop partying meant leaving a full day and a half later than planned. It also created an uneasy feeling due to the hasty packing. The clock is running and vacation days come few and far between. All I knew was I had a cooler full of food and a map of Death Valley. Time to hit the road.
DAY ONE
San Francisco to Emigrant Campground
The snarl of traffic leaving the city was like a swarm of aggravated bees. Bees that constantly change lanes and text behind the wheel. This only left me feeling smug as I would soon escape all this for a place free of red octagonal signs and gridlock.
With the shockingly low snowfall this past winter, Tioga Pass opened earlier than usual and offered what must be one of the most picturesque shortcuts through the sierras. The Ansel Adams like views with their massive grey slabs of granite and verdant meadows left me feeling guilty for simply passing through. Pulling over at one of the last remaining patches of snow a Russian couple in shorts and sandals requested that I 'Make picture of snow fight' using their camera.
Yosemite
Mono Lake
Truck selfie
Down the other side, past eerie Mono lake and many miles on 395 brought me to Lone Pine and the 190 cut off into Death Valley. Arriving anywhere at night is disconcerting as it's not possible to get a lay of the land and adapt to surroundings. Arriving in the desert at night is downright spooky with only inky outlines of far away peaks and no references to be gained from the blowing sands. Seeing a cluster of vehicles I pulled over and setup for the night. A standing meal of hot dogs and beer put a cap on the 12 hour drive.
That first night was like sleeping inside a wind tunnel, or maybe a sandblaster. Also realized after 20 minutes that my air mattress had a hole in it. Not the best start and the thought of sleeping on the bare ground for a week was daunting.
