Continuing north along US-395 we come to Lone Pine,
California with the Sierra Nevada Mountains becoming even more impressive. Here we are able to view Muir Crest
with Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the Continental United States at an
elevation of 14,508 feet and Lone Pine Peak at a mere 12,944 feet. This is a climber and hiker’s
paradise.
We stayed in Boulder Creek RV Resort here, a wonderful RV
park with beautiful trees, spaces and amenities. One morning I got up at 6 am to watch the sun climb the
slopes of Mt. Whitney. It is an awesome
start to the day with cool temperatures and singing birds to keep me company as
I walked around the park taking photographs. The rise in elevation has given us a welcomed relief from
the heat especially early in the morning.
It is well worth the harrowing climb in your car for the
views of the mountains as you climb and the valley views as you descend. At the end of the road is the trailhead
to Mt. Whitney as well as the John Muir trail to Yosemite through the
mountains. We shared a breakfast
with a young man who had just completed the 225-mile hike from Yosemite in ten
days averaging 22.5 miles per day only eating peanut butter and energy
bars. The over generous servings
of pancakes, eggs, sausage and hash browns served by the café at the trailhead
is a boon to hikers and to those of us who traveled there by virtue of the
café’s reputation. Eating amid the
redwood trees next to a rushing alpine stream and entertained by birds anxious
to share in the bounty was exhilarating.
Brandon shared a ride back down the mountain in our car after
breakfast. It was a pleasure
hearing his story of following in John Muir’s footsteps and we enjoyed the
unique pleasure of his company that arose merely from a friendly interchange of
conversation over breakfast at a shared picnic table.
The town of Lone Pine is small and western styled. We celebrated my birthday here in a
Chinese Restaurant called the “Merry Go Round” with a wonderful waiter along
with the restaurant’s owner whose authentic Chinese cooking was superb. Steamed pot stickers, Hunan chicken and
Mongolian beef were delicious choices and we went home with enough for lunch
the next day.
This is the site of many Hollywood movies and their history
is preserved in a local museum located in Lone Pine. Up the road a piece is Manzanar National Historical site of
the Japanese-American citizen internment camp during World War II with an
interpretive center. Remnants of
foundations and still standing guard towers attest to the grim atmosphere of
that war here.
There is much to do in this little town and two days was
hardly long enough. We will have
to linger longer on the next trip through.
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