My Post-Pork-Rally Eastern California and ? Trip

[MarkBC]

I'm camped near the south side of Mono Lake tonight, after spending last night above Upper Summer Meadows south of Bridgeport. Even though it was cloudy/rainy much of the time in the Upper Summer Meadows area, the fall-color of the aspens was amazing! It's like that all along the east side of the Sierras. When I was here in May I'd sorta planned to come back when the trees changed color -- looks like my timing worked out!
I'd probably stay in this south-of-Mono spot Tuesday night, too, but my propane tank is almost empty and will need filling by then -- for some reason I didn't get the tank filled in Lee Vining...or Bridgeport...or before I left Bend, for that matter. So, either I propane-up in Lee Vining and come back here or continue on south to Bishop for propane and lots of other needed provisions, etc.

To start off, my truck reached an important milestone soon after I got over to the east side, when I turned off 395 and headed up 108 a ways (all of the FS CGs were closed up there, by the way). So does this make my truck (a 2000 F250) now officially middle-aged or a senior citizen?

These 3 photos below are near where I camped Sunday night -- Upper Summer Meadows, off the Green Creek Road, just south of Bridgeport.

These below are where I'm camped tonight, south of Mono Lake -- a few miles east of US 395 on CA 120, then a mile or so on a FS road.

(The elevations on the map are in meters -- the lake is ~6000 ft elevation)

To be continued...

 

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

Thanks for the report and photos from one of my favorite areas, Mark. Keep it coming!

Stew

 

[MarkBC]

I haven't left my Mono Lake camp yet, but soon I'll pack up and head on down to Bishop for propane and other supplies/groceries. I'll stop by the FS station and inquire about the Whites regarding snow up there and road closure. Weather forecast for the Owens Valley is now fouler than it was yesterday morning ...but I'm flexible and can go looking for dryness if need be. Currently it's partly sunny here -- quite nice, but clouds surround.
We'll see... My first/primary/main requirement for a vacation is "not working", and the secondary requirement is "in a place I like". So I've already got the important stuff going on.

 

[Missing Link]

Good meeting you last weekend Mark - thanks for the photos and allowing us to vicariously share your vacation. Beautiful shots of a beautiful area. Have fun and be safe.
-Richard and Ginny

 

[MarkBC]

I spent two nights camped south of Mono Lake, about 2 miles from the water.
Late-morning today I hiked out to the shore, to a tufa formation that I could see from camp. It was pretty cool, but similar to others I've seen. Then, as I started to walk back to camp I found a string of mini-tufa (I call them) -- I've never seen anything like them...looked like little fantasy structures. I posted a bunch of photos on the Eastern California Gallery, a few of which are also below.

This is the "standard" tufa formation that I could see from camp:

Below are the mini-tufa...very strange. The biggest ones of these are only a couple feet tall. Seeing these really made my day -- maybe even made my whole trip...I doubt I'll see anything as new and cool (to me) on this trip as these weird deals:

Check out the Eastern Sierras/Mammoth Lakes Gallery of California if you want to see a few more.

I'm in a motel in Bishop tonight. I needed to come to Bishop for supplies (including the vital propane!), and I didn't get here until near dark, and I wanted to take a shower, etc. I plan to head up into the White Mts. Thursday morning.

 

[MarkBC]

Thanks for the report and photos from one of my favorite areas, Mark. Keep it coming!

Stew


Thanks Stew.
By the way: A few months ago I posted a photo I took when camped at the exact same spot south of Mono Lake in May. When you mentioned sagebrush in a comment to my photo I said, "No, those are greaswood (sarcobatus vermiculatus)." Well, I actually based that on a guess from looking at my photo (not from memory) -- those shrubs do have the aspect of greasewood and it seemed like greasewood habitat, what with the alkaline lake and all....
But now that I've revisited the area (and hiked/shoved through the shrubs) I see that they're actually bitterbrush (purshia tridentata). And closer to the water there are some huge artemisia, too...and no greasewood.
So -- I was wrong, and I just wanted to put it in writing.

 

[Marc]

Mark ... looks like your having a great time and hit the colors just at the right time. It was a pleasure meeting you, and I thoroughly enjoyed the pies and ice cream you made, yum, yum . Keep the pics coming.

marc

 

[ski3pin]

Mark, thanks for the great photos and report while you're on the road! Wonderful photos of the mini tufa and you had us scrambling for our field guides on the bitterbrush. We are awaiting a White Mountains report.

 

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

So -- I was wrong, and I just wanted to put it in writing.


It's about time, is all I have to say

I missed the mini-tuffa (very cool!) on my many trips to Mono Lake, but then I spent a lot of time digging my 2wd out of the sand instead of hiking about.

Stew

 

[pvstoy]

Hey Mark I'm glad you found the "Sand Tufa". There are some stretched out along the shore. The group you discovered we have shot lots of pictures of. They are very VERY delicate and would hate to see them disappear. ( as you found out there are hidden, hint hint..).


The Tufa that you shot at the lake can be nice with the right light. And inland is some nice reflecting ponds.

Enjoy your travels.

 

[simimike]

Great pics mark. On the way to the rally I stumbled across Cort in Bishop and we headed to the same area. Here's a couple more pics of the fall colors.

 

[MarkBC]

Hey Guys -
I'm still alive and well...just not very-well connected -- Internet-wise -- here in the Whites. If the funky cell-Internet connection parked here at Sierra Viewpoint holds out I'll add some photos, otherwise I'll update later.
Gonna spend one more night up here, I think -- camped (I hope) in a barely-legal spot at 10,500' where I camped many years ago, just outside the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Area, where the Silver Canyon road heads off/down to the Owens Valley. (I drove down that Silver Cyn Rd many years ago...I recall it being a little scary )
I'll take a couple/3 days to do some driving-exploring as I slowly head back north.

Photos to follow...sooner or later.
- Mark

OK, maybe sooner -- here's a not-too-exciting, but real one: Grandview C.G, site 22, Friday.

Feeding my face while my trusty PV panel feeds the camper battery.

 

[MarkBC]

Campcraft -- Grandview C.G.: Living off the land...and sky

Piñon -- Nature's rich bounty!:

The Lady Bountiful:

While waiting for the weather to improve I finished the last part of my solar system -- mounting the solar controller in the camper.

Ok, ok -- so my electrical work isn't exactly elegant -- it works!

 

[MarkBC]

High-Wind Warning!
Saturday I had an Internet connection long enough to read of high-wind warnings for Sunday PM/evening for the eastern Sierra/Owens Valley...and I figured that would include the White Mts, too. Warning called for gusts to 60 mph in the Valley and gust to 90 in the Mts! yikes!

Anyway -- I didn't get blown away, though the camper was rockin'. As I expected, the high winds made for some cool/dramatic clouds -- the "Sierra Wave" and similar.

Here are some photos I took last night in the Grandview C.G. area, including the area I call "Grandview West".

And I got this reminder that there can be cool/photogenic stuff on the ground as well as in the sky. I spotted this little guy/gal (Jerusalem Cricket, aka Potato Bug) while walking from my campsite over towards the cool-view zone:

 

[Mark W. Ingalls]

Nice photos. Nice k.i.s.s. solar install.

 

[K6ON]

Campcraft -- Grandview C.G.: Living off the land...and sky

Piñon -- Nature's rich bounty!:

The Lady Bountiful:

While waiting for the weather to improve I finished the last part of my solar system -- mounting the solar controller in the camper.

Ok, ok -- so my electrical work isn't exactly elegant -- it works!


Mark,

I just purchased the same solar controller...am curious about the meter on top of the controller? I bought my controller from Solartorrent (Pureforms), did you get yours there, and was the meter available from them or someone else??

Thanks

 

[MarkBC]

Nice photos. Nice k.i.s.s. solar install.


Thanks.

When I get home I do plan to make/have-made a PV-panel holder/stand -- something light-weight and foldable, like maybe from aluminum angle. I'd rather not sacrifice my Lafuma chair to the panel permanently, even though it's the only one doing any work.

 

[pods8]

Campcraft -- Grandview C.G.: Living off the land...and sky

Piñon -- Nature's rich bounty!:

I'm not familiar with pinon, what is it like? Do you eat them raw?

Good work on the solar, where do you stow the panel while in route?

Mark,

I just purchased the same solar controller...am curious about the meter on top of the controller? I bought my controller from Solartorrent (Pureforms), did you get yours there, and was the meter available from them or someone else??

Thanks


Its a separate meter someone pointed out on the forum called a "Doc Wattson". Powerwerx Watt Meter, DC Inline Power Analyzer, 45A Continuous, 12 Gauge, Powerpole Connectors

 

[K6ON]

I'm not familiar with pinon, what is it like? Do you eat them raw?

Good work on the solar, where do you stow the panel while in route?



Its a separate meter someone pointed out on the forum called a "Doc Wattson". Powerwerx Watt Meter, DC Inline Power Analyzer, 45A Continuous, 12 Gauge, Powerpole Connectors

Thank you For the link Pods, found and got one ordered.

 

[MarkBC]

A quick update while I have a good, free WiFi connection (courtesy of the Lone Pine McDonalds, where they're currently serving McRib sandwiches! Yes, I know there are no ribs anywhere near the McRib, but they're mighty tasty...with onions and BBQ sauce..mmmm ). Where I'm parked writing this on my laptop I have a great view of Mt. Whitney and several other 14-ers and 13-ers, just a few miles to the west -- so cool!

pods8:
The nuts of the Piñon (Spanish spelling for Pinyon Pine) are what are (I think) generally called "pine nuts" -- available in any supermarket. I actually am not too familiar with them myself (except for buying them once or twice in a store for some recipe). I could hear something falling on my camper roof from the tree next to me when it was windy, and I saw all these nuts on the ground (and still in the cones), and I knew they were Pinyon Pines, so I figured it out. I think they should be roasted, which I haven't done yet, but I ate a few raw anyway...I haven't died or developed any strange symptoms, so I guess they're not poison, at least.
I plan to carry the PV panel under the cab-over-hang -- slid into aluminum channels, probably -- I've read a couple of posts here of guys who've done that...But because I'm such a lazy slakcer I still haven't got that set up yet, so I'm carrying the panel in it's cardboard box inside the camper.

Deltarat:
The meter I got is called a "Watt's Up" (clever name ) RC Watt Meter & Power Analyzer WU100 Version 2.

Last night I camped in the Whites at the exceptional-view spot (10,500') where I camped on my first visit to the Whites maybe 15+ years ago. Exceptional view, for a place you can drive to and camp at. On my first visit there I remember declaring it "The best spot I have ever spent the night vehicle-camping!" I don't know if I can defend that statement (I'm sure I meant the view -- not the amenities)...except that it might still be true for me.

I'm going to spend a few hours this afternoon checking out the Alabama Hills a bit...but I'm staying in a motel in Bishop ("Bishop Village Motel") tonight. There's free WiFi at the motel, so I'll upload a few more photos tonight from my room.
I spent a long and frustrating few hours yesterday at Sierra View in the Whites trying to deal with a sporadic and slow-at-best cell-Internet connection to upload a few photos to this site as well as to my FB page.
Below, my truck/camper parked at Sierra View Vista Point yesterday afternoon -- see how the spot got its name .