8/31/07 - 9/1/07
Our flight was delayed in Cleveland, so we didn't get to the hotel until 1 am Vegas time - 4 am East Coast Time. Note to self: Don't EVER stay at the Sahara, ever, ever again. It's one of the cheapest on the strip for a reason. Talk about your typical seedy, smoke-filled, Vegas cheese-fest. The lights in the room didn't work, which was probably a good thing - it prevented us from seeing just how awful the room actually was. But we didn't care - we were exhausted. Afraid of what was lurking under the covers, I opted to sleep on top of the bed. Until I came to the conclusion that the sheets were more likely to be washed than the cover. So I reluctantly crawled in and crashed.
We were up early, though - 7 am. Called my mom to let her know we were OK, and headed to the buffet breakfast at the hotel which stayed with us most of the day. Hopped in the rental car and were on the road by 9:30 am. We have a blue Subaru Outback which is brand new and awesome. It was already hot in Vegas. I don't think it's ever NOT hot in Vegas. It was hot at 1 am when we got there. We cruised south on the strip to check things out and then hit 160 west toward the mountains and Death Valley. What an incredible drive. "Watch for burros and wild horses in roadway." That's not a sign you see in northern New England! Nope - in Maine it's a yellow sign with a big picture of a moose on it... No words, just a picture of something you don't want to be unlucky enough to run into at 70 miles an hour. But I think our favorite sign was the one for the Death Valley Health Center. Delightfully ironic.
We couldn't get over the scenery. Mountains upon mountains, miles and miles of... nothing. No buildings, no towns, no rescue. Neither Mark nor I have been out this way before, so this is totally new to us. Death Valley was wild - incredibly beautiful, incredibly brutal. It's hard to believe that it is a place where wildflowers flourish in the spring. It's hard to imagine anything surviving there. Our temp topped out at 114 degrees at an altitude of -190. Ironically, the signs warn you to turn off the AC to avoid overheating. Us, or the car? Tanks of radiator water are plentiful in the area.
We stopped at Zabriskie Point for the obligatory touristy photo-op and then headed to Furnace Creek Ranch for lunch at the Corkscrew Saloon. A frosty Sam Adams and a sandwich totally hit the spot. Dave, the bartender, chatted our ears off and drew us several fine napkin maps of the local secrets and cool views that the "tourists" don't know about. We thanked him profusely, and promptly decided that we weren't up for an hour and a half hike in 114 degree heat. And yeah - the "it's a dry heat" thing? It's a crock.
Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park
We swung into the little general store after lunch and bought ice cream sandwiches which literally melted all over us before we could get to the car. Back on the road, we headed west past the only actual sand dunes in the park, and eventually caught our first breathtaking glimpse of the Eastern Sierras. WOW. It's like a huge wall of rock that rises straight out of the desert floor. We rolled into Lone Pine at about 3:30 and stopped at the ranger station to pick up our permits - were told of an active bear in the Wallace Creek area and were advised to steer clear. It was also recommended that we not leave our vehicle at Whitney Portal, which we had planned to do - apparently the bears have taken to tearing apart cars at random - not just because they've discovered a tasty morsel. So, the very nice folks at the Mt. Williamson Motel are graciously letting us leave our car here for the week. Paul, one of the owners, will be our ride to the trailhead, so we'll give him a jingle when we come off trail and he'll come pick us up. Perfect! The Onion Valley Trailhead, our starting point, is here in Independence, which is about 24 road miles north of Lone Pine. The Mt. Williamson Motel is just a hop and a skip from the road to the trailhead - but it's around 15 miles and 5,000 feet of elevation gain to get there. We'll drive up there in the morning to check out conditions at the starting line.
Our home away from home - Cottage No. 5!
Sunrise - alpenglow on Mt. Williamson as seen from our motel
Independence and Lone Pine are small, sleepy towns - but the people are wonderfully warm and welcoming. The views here are to die for. We drove up to Whitney Portal tonight to check things out - got our first close-up of the mountain itself. Photos can't do it justice - it is imposing, and it's distinct profile can't be missed. I can't believe in just two days we'll be hoofing it towards the top. The Portal is just over 8,300 feet - and we could really feel the elevation. Back in Lone Pine it was HOT - well into the 90s. At the Portal it was around 70 - a huge temperature difference. Lots of people there - camping, fishing, hanging out. The drive up to the Portal is an adventure in itself - that a road was actually built out here is an amazing feat. This is going to be an incredible hike.
Mt. Whitney from Whitney Portal Road
No comments:
Post a Comment