Comes
the
dawn
at
West
Walker,
and
we
are
up
reasonably
early
and
out,
south
again
on
395
through
Canyon,
Sonora
Junction,
and
Devil's
Gate...
to
breakfast
at
Bridgeport,
near,
yet
still a world away, from Jack Keroauc's Matterhorn adventure...
Through
the
Valley,
bidding
Goodbye God at
Bodie Junction,
up
Conway
Grade,
then
plummeting
down
to
Mono
Lake's
tufa
towers,
Tioga
and
June
Lakes
Junctions,
the
Obsidian
Dome
area,
Mammoth
Mountains,
Mount
Morrison,
McGee
Creek,
Crowley
Ridges
for
early
lunch
al
fresco
at
Tom's
Place.
After
a
brief
exploration
locally,
return to the
main road
and
descend
into
Owens Valley:
White Mountains,
High Sierra,
Bishop,
Big
Pine
Bristlecone
Junction,
Crater
Mountain,
Poverty
Hils [!],
Division
Creek --
stopping
at
the
rest
area
for
a
brief
lookaround --
followed
by
(Fort)
Independence,
notorious
Manzanar,
Lone
Pine...
in sight of Mt. Whitney Ridge.
Beyond
Dry
Lake
up
to
views
of
Joshua
trees,
Red
Mountain,
definitely
the
Mojave Desert
by
now,
Ten-Mile Canyon Junction,
lateralling away from
14,
roller-coastering over the
El Paso Mountains
to
Redrock-
Randsburg,
looking
appreciatively
over
the
latter
on
and
Highland.
Eventually
returning
to the
main road,
over
into
San Bernardino County,
over
Kramer Ridge, more Joshuas and
distant views of the Transverse Range,
crossing Oro Grande Wash to connect with
15,
up to Cajon Summit,
down through the Amphitheatre,
past
Mormon
Rocks,
coasting
the
Canyon
towards
210
west
and
subsequently
south,
at
last
arriving
in
Redlands
for
a
rendezvous
with
John and Elena Browning for a congenial evening...
126th day of summer,
high 98 (locally and in
Redlands --
Walker /
Tom's Place, 88;
Randsburg, 110)...
