Mitchell Caverns in California, December 2024

In previous years when we have been to or driven past Mojave National Preserve, Mitchell Caverns have been closed. But they reopened in 2017 and are once again providing tours. Located in the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area adjacent to the Preserve, these caverns are as beautiful as any we've seen, including Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico and Luray Caverns in Virginia.

At the trailhead, there is a wonderful Visitor Center with many artifacts and wonderful staff, and a small campground with five sites.

	The trail to the entrance of the Caverns is fairly easy and paved, although inside the caverns there are stairs and the path can be uneven. You can see the two cave openings near the top left. We almost didn't take this tour because we have seen so many caves and felt we had probably seen the best, but we ran into another traveller who had just taken the tour and was so impressed with it that he convinced us to do it. We are very glad we did. Our ranger guide, Andy, was excellent describing the history and answering questions about the local flora and fauna. There was only one other person on the tour this day, Andy's friend Craig, a biologist who was keen to photograph the Niptus beetles, which are only found in this cave.
	Brad and I near the first formations inside the cave. We did not expect such massive formations. The second we entered the cavern, we realized the fee was well worth it.
	Here is a section of the ceiling with straw-like stalactites. I took MANY photos inside the cave (all with my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra), and had a really hard time deciding which to show on this blog.
	The tour included two caves which are joined now since owners Jack and Ida Mitchell blasted out the rock between them, although they are separated by two sealed doors and an antechamber for climate control. One cave faces mostly north, while the other faces mostly south, so the southern-facing one is obviously hotter. Tours begin from the northern cave, and we could instantly feel the temperature and humidity rise as we passed through the second door. It was in this room facing south where the remains of an ancient ground sloth was discovered and excavated, as were many items of native origin. The blue glow in the middle of the photo is the natural entrance to this cave from the outside and is sometimes inhabited by a mama mountain lion and cubs.  Video cameras on the park's website have footage.
	Well doesn't this look like one big mess of ??? something. They are called helictites, which are basically stalactites that form in various directions seemingly defying gravity. I think they are beautiful.

 

Amboy Crater in California, December 2024

We have driven by Amboy Crater before, but never hiked it as we were on our way elsewhere. But this time, we took a day trip to Amboy from our campsite in Mojave National Preserve near Hole-in-the-Wall, where we were dispersed camping about 4 miles from the campground there.

	In the town of Amboy stands the iconic Route 66 sign for Roy's Motel, which still stands but is vacant. Current population of Amboy is 1 - the owner of the gas station, convenience store and motel, which he is remodelling, hoping to re-open if water problems can be resolved. Amboy is one of 10 towns established by the railroad, then the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, as a stop along the east-west route. They are named in alphabetical order from west to east - Amboy, Bristol (now Bengal), Cadiz, Danby, Edson (now Essex), Fenner, Goffs, Homer, Ibis, and Java. RVers can dry camp across from the motel for a small nightly fee. Amboy Crater is in the background, between the supports of the sign.
	Amboy is a young crater, its last eruption occurring about 10,000 years ago. It is 250 feet high and 1,500 feet in diameter, and composed of cinder and ash. The crater is 1.1 miles from the parking/day use area, followed by an 80 foot climb up steep switchbacks on the west side.
	Brad on the switchbacks, looking west. The lava flow is made up of basalt rich in magnesium, iron and calcium, with a few olivine crystals strewn throughout. Amboy Crater is located near the southern end of the lava field of the Barstow-Bristol Trough which is approximately 110 miles long.
	From the rim trail, I am looking into the crater where Brad is talking to a couple with their dog. The hike around the crater rim is about 1 mile long, and the views of the surrounding desert, lava flow and mountains is striking.

 

Areas Around Bishop in California, October and November 2024

Our home base in Bishop, California on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains allowed us to visit mountain lakes, hot springs, sand dunes, desert, and ancient forests. The town of Bishop itself is lovely. It has a friendly, small town feel, but is bustling with activity and ... my favorite ... bakeries! With easy access to skiing at Mammoth, or rock climbing (apparently this area is a climbing mecca), or just enjoying alpine scenery, Bishop is a great base to work from. We camped for $5/night at the Pleasant Valley Pit Campground, and nabbed two end spots with enough separation from the other campers so Trixie was comfortable outside and for Jody, our Idaho friend, to walk Jazz.

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
	The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest sits at 10,000 feet (3,050 metres) in the Inyo Mountains. The view from the road driving up is stunning, with the jagged Sierra Nevadas to the west (you can see snow and glaciers on top), and the Owens Valley below.
	These ancient trees grow where others don't because they can withstand a harsher, more alkaline soil composition. While many of the trees are still living, the dead ones are more interesting to photograph. Jody and I hiked the Discovery Trail Loop near the Visitor Center in the Schulman Grove, which only gained about 265 feet of elevation, but hiking at over 10,000 feet for me is very hard on my lungs that are more accustomed to breathing at 600 feet!
	I don't understand how a tree would grow so twisted, but it did! Bristlecone Pines live for up to 5,000 years. Image how long ago this tree might have started its incredible journey!
	Sorry, another dead tree. But isn't it beautiful?  This is the Methuselah Tree, and it is 4,856 years old!  I'm so happy that we were able to come up here, because the access road is not maintained in the winter, and is therefore closed. But, there has been no snow yet, so the road is still open. There is another grove (Patriarch Grove) beyond this one at the Visitor Center, but we opted not to drive up to it as it is 12 miles each way of rough, dirt road to get there. Maybe next time.
Convict Lake and Crowley Lake Stone Columns
	Jody convinced us to go to Convict Lake which she has been to before but we have not. It was a pretty windy day, but the trail around the lake was quite sheltered. The lake was beautiful, just as she had promised.
	I had seen photos of the Crowley Lake Stone Columns on one of my Facebook groups, and had added it to my list of places to visit. What a gem! Many people walked the 2 miles to the beach from a parking area off the highway because there is a steep road with extreme dips and ruts that are difficult to navigate. But thanks to Brad's (and our truck's) 4-wheel drive experience and capabilities, we opted to drive, eliminating 4 miles of hiking across boring, open desert. It is still a very steep hike down to the beach where the columns are.
	Jody, Jazz and me on the beach. The columns were created by snow melt from the mountains percolating into cracks of the still hot ash or tuff from a volcanic explosion over 700,000 years ago. The water boiled, creating "evenly spaced convection cells similar to heat pipes". The columns began eroding out of the soil when the reservoir (Crowley Lake) was created here in 1941.
	The columns are large enough to walk between, although the lake hasn't eroded them too far back, maybe 20 feet in some areas. We were lucky the water was low enough for us to walk on the beach. Some days, the beach is submerged and the only way to see the columns is by boat.
	Farther north on the beach, the column are still eroding, but notice the ones on the far left have collapsed onto their sides.
Petroglyphs and the Owens River Valley
	Spending a day closer to camp, we followed Chalk Bluff Road along the Owens River. Snow was expected to fall in the mountains overnight, and the clouds were rolling in from the west. The storm over the mountains created a beautiful backdrop, with the Owens River meandering through the grasses.
	The Chidago Canyon Petroglyphs. This native art, as well as the petroglyphs of Red Canyon, are easily accessible on a dirt road from Highway 6 northeast of Bishop.
	We actually had Trick or Treaters on Halloween night! This group of climbers all the way from Sweden walked up the hill beside our campsites, dressed in orange garbage bags, swinging red lanterns, and yelling "trick or treat!" Jody, Brad and I were outside having a fire, and they thought we looked approachable, even though Jazz went crazy barking at them. We invited them to our fire, Brad shared his honey whiskey and peanut butter whiskey (a huge hit!), and they shared their hot cocoa with us! We spent a couple of hours chatting and learning about each other, our countries, our cultures, our travels, our occupations ... In the morning on our way out for the day, we drove past their campsite for a photo for the memory bank! We still keep in touch. Kneeling in front - Molly and Martin; in back - Jody with Jazz, Henrik, Gustav, me and Brad.
Mammoth Lakes
	The scenic route at Mammoth Lakes begins at the Visitor Center in town. Continuing on Lake Mary Road from Highway 203 will take you past a series of small lakes. First up is Twin Lakes where there is a resort and a campground.
	Twin Falls, which flows from Lake Mamie up above into Twin Lakes. There is some snow on the ground as we are at about 8,700 feet (2,650 m).
	The next lake along the road is Lake Mary, which you can drive around. There is also a sideroad up to Lake George. Pictured here is Lake Mamie, the next lake along Lake Mary Road.
	Looking down onto Twin Lakes from the road right above Twin Falls.
	The last lake you can drive to is Horseshoe Lake. Signs just before reaching this lake warn of elevated levels of naturally occurring Carbon Dioxide gas, which leaches up through the soil and accumulates in low pockets and snow depressions. There are many other lakes in the area that you could hike to.
	The Earthquake Fault is really just a fissure that opened up within the last couple of hundred years, although an actual date is unknown. It is 10 feet wide and up to 60 feet deep. The crack runs north-south and lines up with the Inyo-Mono Craters and the dike that fed the Inyo Domes. This fissure is just off of Highway 203 which leads up to the Mammoth ski area.
	This is one of three Inyo Craters on Deer Mountain, between Highways 203 and 395. They were formed approximately 600 years ago during a steam explosion of nearby volcanic domes. Unfortunately, what we didn't get to see in this area is the Devil's Postpile National Monument, an area of hexagon-shaped basalt columns, as Rangers have closed that road for the winter due to icy conditions. Of course, that just means we have to return another year.
Hot Creek Geological Site
	Hot Creek is like a giant hot tub, although some of the water is boiling temperature so no entry is allowed. This is one of the steaming pools as seen from the overlook at the parking lot.
	The creek, looking downstream. The land around Hot Creek is arid with typical desert vegetation. There is evidence of cows along the creek, probably leased by local ranchers for grazing, although I doubt the cows drink from the creek. It smells only slightly sulphuric, but I doubt it tasted very good. Jody and I hiked downstream a little way and didn't see more boiling water or steaming pools, although more may exist as the creek winds through the canyon. Hot Creek empties into the Owens River.
	Looking upstream, you can see the steam from the hot pools, and Mammoth Mountain in the background. That is where this water originates, as snow melt and rain seep into cracks in the earth, and get heated by the magma which is relatively closer to the surface here. The heated water then percolates back up to the surface, and has formed Hot Creek and it's geothermal pools.
Aspendell and Lake Sabrina
	A short drive west on Highway 168 from Bishop took us up to the small village of Aspendell at an elevation of 8,500 feet (2,600 m) and ultimately Lake Sabrina. The road follows Bishop Creek, which is dammed in several places, created small reservoirs, like this one. The aspens here were displaying their golden fall foliage, unlike the trees farther up the highway where they have already lost their leaves.
	This beautiful, but unfortunately named lake is Intake II. As part of the dammed reservoir system, I guess it wasn't important enough to give it a better name. The Sierra Nevada peaks provide a stunning backdrop. The lake is popular with fishermen who catch rainbow, brown and brook trout.
	At the end of the road is Lake Sabrina. Brad is sitting on the rocks on the lower right, enjoying the sunshine and the view. The water level looks pretty low, although maybe that's because it's fall. All of these lakes and stream are popular for trout fishing.
	A side trip on a good dirt road led up to North Lake, pictured here. I think the highest elevation on this day though, was another side trip to South Lake which is at an elevation of 9,768 feet (2,977 m). We were fortunate to have such sunny, warm weather during our stay as many of these roads are closed for the winter.
Eureka Dunes in Death Valley National Park
	Our last day trip was to the Eureka Dunes in the remote north part of Death Valley. After all of our mountain adventures, it was nice to be below 3,000 feet (900 m) for a change. Death Valley Road off of Highway 168 from Big Pine is mostly paved, except for the last 17 miles (27 km), which is covered with horrific washboard. Those last 17 miles took us about an hour to drive! But the dunes were worth every second on that brutal road!
	The Dunes rise about 700 feet (215 m) from the desert floor. There is a primitive campground at the base, where this photo was taken.
	I hiked along the crest of one of the lower dunes. Thought this view was interesting. You can tell how steep the dunes are as the sand avalanches down the left side.
	We had read that F18s from the China Lake Naval Base in Ridgecrest often fly out here, especially during the morning when the weather is cooler. We could hear a couple of jets rumbling towards us, so when I finally spotted them, I just kept firing the camera, and I got this lucky shot of a jet flying between the dunes and the mountains. Jody was near the top of the highest dune, and the jets were below her. They were probably flying at around 300-400 feet altitude. The roar as they passed us was thunderous!
	A short drive through Hanging Canyon (which was beautiful, but I took no photos) led us to an abandoned sulphur mine only a few miles from the turnoff to the Dunes. You can see how yellow the ground is from the sulphur, although there is only a slight odor. Brad is checking out the rusted tanks.

 

Lake Tahoe in Nevada and California, October 2024

Our first destination this season is at Lake Tahoe, which borders California and Nevada. Tahoe is famous for its clear waters, incredible scenery, and epic skiing. We stayed at Zephyr Cove RV Resort and Campground on the Nevada (east) side, just north of South Lake Tahoe. Our elevation here is about 6,000 feet (1,800 metres), so nights are cold, but days are warm and sunny. The dry air and the smell of the huge pines are a welcome reprieve from the east's humidity and crowds.

Truckee River Bike Path
	Our friend Jody from Idaho joined us for the beginning of our trip. We are pictured here at an overlook on the drive up to Tahoe City on the west side of the lake, where the Truckee River Bike Trail begins. Jody is holding her little Yorkie/Shih Tzu mix, Jazz who is only 6 months old. Behind us is beautiful Emerald Bay and Fannette Island, on which there is a stone tea house built by Lora Josephine Knight in the late 1920s. Her castle, Vikingsholm, is on the shore of the Bay (not visible from this overlook) in what is now Emerald Bay State Park. Unfortunately, it is closed for the season.
	A gated bridge along the Truckee River. While the setting is peaceful and serene, Highway 89 follows the river, and hence the bike trail, so we always have some traffic noise. Oh well, it is beautiful anyway.
	We followed the 6 mile (10 km) trail to Olympic Valley Park. This sign commemorates the 1960 Winter Olympics, which were held here.
Virginia City
	We planned to go to Carson City and walk the Kit Carson trail, but realized it was just a walking tour around the historic part of town, and the buildings didn't look that old. So we opted to continue on to Virginia City where there was a tour of the Chollar Mine for Brad. As with most old mines, there is a lot of old equipment to walk around as well. This is an old stamp mill. A sign on the side reads "Five Stamp Mill Crushed gold and silver ores Yield 15 tons per day 1860 to 1920".
	The church behind me on the right is Saint Mary in the Mountains. There is another church behind it to the left called St. Paul the Prospector Episcopal Church.
	This town was fun to walk around, with many little shops, bars, restaurants and cafes. The Tahoe House Hotel was built in 1859. Samuel Clemens stayed here before he became Mark Twain. Rooms are still available to rent today.
Kayaking at Sand Harbor
	Brad overlooking the lake at Sand Harbor Beach. The water is so clear, in fact, it is 99.994% pure. Lake Tahoe is the second largest alpine lake in North America with 39 trillion gallons of water; the second deepest lake in the United States (averages 1,000 feet or 300 meters); and it never freezes over.
	The most exciting thing we wanted to do on Lake Tahoe was kayak in one of the glass bottom boats. There are several companies and tours to choose from. We chose Clearly Tahoe and the Bonsai Rock tour. Our guide was excellent, in fact, he took this photo of Brad and me.
	Another view from the beach at Sand Harbor looking northwest. It would have been prettier with snow on the mountains.

 

Ridgecrest Area in California, December 2023

After Point Reyes, we spent most of the month of November on the California Central Coast, first at Oceano Campground in Pismo Beach State Park for 2 weeks, then at Washburn Campground in Hearst San Simeon State Park for 10 days, both the maximum allowed camping stays. I have blogged about these spots before, and we really didn't go anywhere new, so I won't repeat. We did get to visit my California cousins, so that was special. When we left Cambria and headed inland, our intention was to go to Lone Pine and the Alabama Hills to hang out for a couple of weeks before going to Lake Havasu City for Christmas. But, our truck broke down along the way, and we changed plans to have the truck fixed at a diesel shop in Ridgecrest, California. Luckily, we were never stranded, but all the fuel lines needed to be replaced, and the truck would go into a reduce power mode every time it was under strain, like when climbing the coastal mountains!

Last Chance Canyon and the El Paso Mountain Wilderness
	While we waited for the parts to arrive, we found excellent BLM desert camping on Last Chance Canyon Road, between Ridgecrest and Mojave. There are designated camping areas along both sides of this dirt road at various intervals, bordered by a wooden fence to prevent people from driving all over the desert terrain. While there were always other campers nearby, we had this area to ourselves for the 2 weeks we were here.
	We took a drive along Last Chance Canyon Road into the El Paso Mountains directly from our campsite. This road becomes VERY rough for a 4x4 truck, even with the tires aired down, and I vowed I was DONE with bumpy roads after this day! (I wasn't.) Our first stop was the Holly Ash Mine, an abandoned pumice mine. There were several holes dug back about 50 or so feet into the rock face.
	Next we came to Bickel Camp, an historic outdoor museum now, once home to Walt Bickel. Walt built a rugged life here, 30 miles from the nearest grocery store, but with beautiful views of the mountains and canyons surrounding him.
	Farther into the mountains we drove to our destination, the Burro Schmidt Tunnel. William "Burro" Schmidt was an eccentric who spent 33 years digging a tunnel through a mountain to ... nowhere! He told people he was digging the tunnel as an easier access route for ore he would mine, but he never mined even though there were some good veins of ore in the tunnel, and the tunnel, when completed, ended atop the mountain at a steep ledge overlooking the Fremont Valley.
Red Rock Canyon State Park
	Not to be confused with Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area outside of Las Vegas in Nevada, this California State Park had never been on my radar! We happened to pass by it on our way to Ridgecrest to get the truck fixed, and decided it was somewhere we had to explore. We ended up spending several days here. This formation is called Turk's Turban and is visible from the main park road, or by hiking the Hagan Canyon Trail.
	More rock formations on the Hagan Canyon Trail, showing layers of sandstone and mudstone, and the difference in their erosion.
	This rider was taking her horse on a walk to Nightmare Gulch from the Red Cliffs area.
	From the Red Cliffs Nature Trail, we followed a trail across open desert that led to Nightmare Gulch. This view is of a side canyon.
Lake Isabella
	Lake Isabella itself is a reservoir in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains. It was a beautiful drive from our campsite, and took about one hour. After lunch on one of the beaches there, we found the Kern River, pictured here from the Keyesville River Access on Keyesville Road, where there was a kayak/canoe launch.
	We are always looking for new areas to camp, and there were many dispersed campsites on both sides of the Kern River, although access could be a bit potholed. Not all sites would fit our trailer, but a few would. There were folks camping here, and they told us the area had just reopened a few weeks earlier after cleanup from damage that occurred during flooding in March 2023. This view is from one of the smaller sites that had a lovely beach.
Jawbone Canyon OHV Area
	The Jawbone Canyon OHV Area is a huge area of dirt roads winding through canyons and over mountains. At least these dirt roads were better than Last Chance Canyon Road. This was the view from the top of one of the mountains on the loop drive we took.
Trona Pinnacles
	We have visited the Trona Pinnacles east of Ridgecrest before, in the winter of 2013, but I wanted to repeat a couple of photos here. Brad and I had lunch overlooking these tufa formations on the loop road drive.  Note the wildflowers were already in bloom.
	Right after lunch, we had a visitor who definitely seemed to know where she was going. We took many photos of her, but she paid us no attention. (I only assume it was a female, for no particular reason.)
	A view of some of the pinnacles from the loop drive.  From Wikipedia ... Tufa is a variety of limestone formed when carbonate minerals precipitate out of water in unheated rivers or lakes. Geothermally heated hot springs sometimes produce similar (but less porous) carbonate deposits, which are known as travertine.