Leaving Death Valley was easy. The temp was only going to be rising, so I’m happy to retreat to a cooler climate at altitude. Death Valley is the second hottest place on the planet, with temps reaching 135. At night in the summer, it rarely dips below 100. I can’t imagine trying to stay in my truck during a night like that… So, I drive north and look for cool places to stop along the way.
The drive out of the valley and into the presence of the Sierra Nevada mountains is amazingly pretty. They are the largest mountains I have ever seen in person, and have a menacing look about them. I pass a few small towns on my way north, and decide to stop in Lone Pine, CA to find the Inyo National Forest visitor center. I’m lucky enough to find a ranger who is willing to go over maps with me, showing where to hike, which roads are closed, and what areas to avoid.
Leaving with a handful of maps (I love maps…) I head north to find the Alabama Hills. It’s a recreation area where they have filmed a bunch of old and recent western movies. Tons of John Wayne films, and Django unchained were filed here. The main road is even called Movie Dr. As I get to the park, I locate Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the lower 48 states. It’s only barely taller than its neighbors, but still way the fuck up there. Almost 14,500 feet tall. Driving through the Alabama Hills (which look absolutely nothing like Alabama), I realize I don’t really like it here. Cars are parked everywhere, there are 4×4 paths every few feet… It’s beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but it’s packed with people and the landscape is highly disturbed. Just wasn’t feeling it.
So I leave the fake Alabama and continue North. I have a reservation at a campground near Lake June, CA. The place I was originally supposed to stay at was closed due to an avalanche warning, so I was relocated to another site. Good looking out Forest Service… So continuing north, I pass the road that would have taken me to see the bristlecone pine trees that I’ve been dying to locate. The road is closed 8 miles before the first grove, and there’s 4 feet of snow on the ground. I don’t want to end up like the Donner party, so I skip this section. Plus I don’t own any snowshoes. Should I get some? What would I do with them in Florida??
The drive is gorgeous. Mountain views shift ever so slightly as your location changes. Always showing a new, more beautiful slope than the one you saw 10 minutes ago. I find myself stopping at all the vistas to take it in. I’m am not experienced with snow or real mountains, so this all seems surreal. I get to one of the trails pointed out to me by the forestry ranger called Tom’s place. The hike is really on a closed road, but the views are amazing. Plus, again, I don’t have snowshoes or skies, and there’s still 4 feet of snow. I take the road hike, and am not disappointed. At 9,200 feet, I think it’s the highest I’ve ever been. Funny to go from -282 feet to 9,200 in one day. As I get back to the truck, I realize the ice in my cooler is totally melted. I do what any normal person would do, and shovel some snow in. Free ice, right?
GPS reading 
Free ice!
After my hike, I finally pull up to my campsite, and am greeted by the most friendly ranger at the gate. She happens to be from Amelia Island, small world! As I get settled in, I realize this site is beautiful. There’s Lake June, with beach access and amazing views of the adjacent mountains. I love it. Hoping it doesn’t get too cold while I’m here… Going to explore Mammoth Lakes tomorrow and see what I can get into.
