images from a hardtuned solo event -

deserts and mountains - roughly 1800+ miles in four days through the Sierras, and deserts and mountains of Southern California.

Mountains around Mt. Whitney as seen through a hole in the clouds from Lone Pine

Our original plan was to run through Tioga Pass on Highway 120, and check out Mono Lake. A storm threw us off - closing that, and passes on 108, 4 and 89. So we took 88 to 395 and made it across, but it was snowing at Mono Lake. We didn't take any photos, as we were trying to beat the chain requirements on 395. It looked like the photo below in several places between Bridgeport and Lee Vining, and further south as 395 creeps up to about 8,100 feet.

The road to the trail head for Mt. Whitney. (Whitney Portal Road)

about 1000' below the previous snow photo...

At the Furnace Creek RV camp ground we found Ed's 63 Freightliner and '22 Dodge pickup.

Borax "refining" plant - Death Valley

20-mule teams would carry refined Borax 160 miles to the nearest railroad.

Here's a dirt section of one of the 20-mule team roads

The light colored soil was a sea-floor in prehistoric times. The darker layer (hills on the left) is lava flow.

Death Valley Junction service station - closeup below

Between Death Valley and the Mohave Desert.

A Joshua tree near the Mohave.

Coyotes were howling in these rocks.

Amboy, CA on the old Route 66.

Volcanic crater on dry lake bed, south of Amboy.

Outside Twentynine Palms

Twentynine Palms Inn - has claim to the only privately owned desert Oasis in the state. This isn't it.

Permanent residents of the Twentynine Palms Inn

Joshua tree inside Joshua Tree National Park

Box Canyon Road... awesome!

Good times on the Salton Sea.

Salton Sea bunker living

Smile, you're on Border Patrol Cameras!

Heading northwest on Highway 79

Headed towards Banning (at I-10) on 243

We hit more snow (again) in the San Bernadino Mountains - Highway 2

Los Angeles from Highway 2

Construction of a rock-avalanche roof along Highway 1

This lasted for about 25 miles from Big Sur to Carmel...

Kite surfing along Pacifc Coast Highway 1

Fallout Shelter Jeep Cherokee

Entering Half Moon Bay

New bridge and tunnels nearing completion - avoiding Devil's Slide

Back in the Bay Area....