Wow!

We’ve blogged before about this area in our Dante’s Inferno post. This time the weather was absolutely delightful except for really strong winds on our last day.  This is another boon docking spot.  You gotta love free camping and no crowds.  The Eastern Sierras are special, and this area is absolutely magical.  No wonder they film so many movies and commercials out here.  On my recent business trips back and forth to SoCal I scouted the area for spots where we could easily park the Airstream. I was afraid arriving on a Saturday it would be slim pickins. But to our surprise, one of the best spots was open.  We had great views of the Owens Valley, Mt. Whitney, Lone Pine Peak, and Mt. Williamson.  Because of the big drought year, the flowers in Borrego were a bust, so we were really stoked to see lots of little flowers blanketing the ground between the rocks in the Alabama Hills.  One of our favorites is the Evening Snow.  It’s completely closed up during the day and opens up at night.

We are now three for three on full moon risings. It’s tough to get all 12 in a calendar year. All it takes is bad weather or a cloudy night and you miss it.  January was while we were at Mama Jean’s in San Diego.  February we watched the moon rise above the White Mountains.  And on this trip we saw it rise above the Inyo Mountains and set just to the south of Mt. Whitney.  The setting was especially impressive; it was a windy day and with the moon glow you could see all the snow blowing off the mountain tops. It looked like wispy clouds. As great as the iPhone is it just can’t capture what we saw.

All told it was a nice little trip. Between Borrego and Alabama Hills we camped 11 nights and it did not cost a penny. And we ate in for every meal!  Now I’m off for some Heli-skiing in the Ruby Mountains this upcoming Monday thru Wednesday with my two buddies, while Amelia keeps the home fires burning in Mammoth.  Then April 1st we are off on some more adventures. Stay tuned!

She’s a beauty!

A shot of the photogs taking a shot of the morning sun hitting Mt. Whitney.

Here’s my shot with my trusty iPhone.

Getting artsy.

The morning glow.

Desert Paintbrush

Evening Snow. Completely closed during the day.

The sun is going down and the Evening Snow is opening.

Night time!

A field of Evening Snow.

The Queen of the Sierras.

Mobius Arch

Double wow!

No wonder the road to Whitney Portal was closed, that is unless you have a single speed!

Love this scenery.

I was quick enough to get the soaring raven in the shot.

The good life.

Our boon docking spot for 8 nights!

This trip was all about getting our solar panels installed, spending Amelia’s birthday with her parental units, tax and dentist appointments. Then going out to Borrego Springs to test the solar panels and see how Sara does with life in the Airstream.

Boon docking is the same as dry camping. There are no hook ups, no water, and no toilets.  And no crowds, which is great, but the best part is it’s free!  When you are on the road, gas and camp fees are the two big expenses.  So if you can work in some free boon docking nights it really helps to bring your expenses down.

Our boon docking spot in Borrego was in the Clark Dry Lake area. Verizon reception was good enough, which is important so I can work.  Our closest neighbor was at least 250 yards away.  People are very respectful of space out here. No one comes into your zone and tries to set up camp.

Airstream Orange County installed our solar system. Danny Galindo and his crew did an excellent job. Danny was extremely patient with my multiple phone calls and questions.  He did a great job educating us.  We went with a 160 watt panel, 2/6 volt Interstate deep cycle extreme batteries, and a 30 amp digital controller.  The controller and panel are from Go Power by Carmanah.

We are completely sold on solar. What a great investment.  Prior to solar we couldn’t make it four days before running out of power.  Now with sunshine we can go on forever without a worry about power.

So now, it’s all about managing your water when boon docking. The fresh water tank is 39 gallons, grey water tank 37 gallons, black water 39 gallons.  So do the math.  We can add water to the fresh tank and still not over flow the black and gray if managed properly.  One of the things I learned at the University of San Diego is cleanliness is next to godliness. So the Harris’ shower every day!  And we were easily able to shower all eight nights. The water management tricks when boon docking are: we bring a 5 gallon jerry can of water to do the dishes outside, four 2.5 gallon jugs of water for drinking and cooking, a five gallon sun shower for Amelia to wash her hair daily, (I don’t have that issue!), and a few times we added a gallon to the fresh water just to be sure we didn’t run out during a shower!  There’s a few more tricks but Amelia didn’t think it was appropriate that I tell the world, so ask me in private and I’ll tell you.  I know it sounds like a lot of work, but it’s not.

Sara did great, except when we left every morning for our daily exercise.  She sleeps in her crate all night without a problem. In Mammoth, when we leave her in the condo she’s perfectly fine. And when we leave her in a crate in San Diego she cries for about 2 minutes, that’s all.  But in the Airstream she just wails and wails once we crate her and close the door. Apparently one day she went on for 30 minutes.  Our tact now is to not crate her during the day, but instead just let her sit in the Airstream. So far, her behavior is much improved.

On Friday, we had a little hiccup. Our water heater went out.  I know, not exactly the end of the world. To make a long story short we woke up at the crack of dawn on Saturday and drove to Airstream Orange County. Danny solved the problem.  It was a long day, but 11 hours after leaving Borrego we were setting up our boon docking spot in the Alabama Hills.

As usual, we will let the pictures tell the story.

The first evening’s spectacular show.

A few minutes later.

Lucky dogs.

Ah, nothing like the warm morning sun, wearing shorts everyday, and watching your dog enjoy it as much as us.

R’s new trailer. He and his generator joined us for two nights.

Father and daughter, all set up waiting for the show of the day, sunset.

And it was another nice one!

Amelia getting through a slot.

Amelia and her friend Cindy. Cindy, her two kids, Shay and Curtis, and a neighbor friend Linden drove out on a Sunday to spend the day with us.
Amelia and her friend Cindy. Cindy, her two kids, Shay and Curtis, and a neighbor friend Linden drove out on a Sunday to spend the day with us. That’s R in the foreground pointing as usual.

Amelia, R, Cindy, and Curtis atop one of the Truckhaven Rocks.

Just another ho hum sunset.

No rain, no flowers, the drought is brutal. We’ve been out here before when the desert floor is a carpet of flowers. This year they were few and far between.

Sand Verbena

Desert Kit Fox. First time we’ve ever seen one. We enhanced the photo. It was taken at dusk as we were driving back to our spot.

The sunsets were better than the sunrises, but this was a beautiful one.

Rock art. Someone was probably stoned.

Up close of the rock art snake, getting ready to eat an rock art mouse.

My two girls, sitting in front of the library.

A hike up Nude Wash with our two airhead friends, Roger and Gail.

Very strange sensation, riding on the Clark Dry Lake bed.

So we fled the big city on June 30, 2013 and drove straight into Dante’s Inferno, 111 degrees in the evening at Lone Pine.  Our first summer in Mammoth Lakes, outdoor activities were curtailed by smoky skies from multiple fires.  For weeks on end, the air pollution was worse here than in the big city.  The first big Airstream trip was rain, rain, and more rain. (I know, “Hello, what were you expecting in Oregon.”)  Now we are in the grips of a severe drought.  The old timers are talking about the infamous 76/77 season, when only 94 inches of snow fell.   The lack of snow makes for a tough ski and snowshoe season, the two things we were really looking forward to during our first winter.  It’s been really weird, weeks and weeks of weather in the mid 50’s, no snow in town, and I’m riding my bike.  Not exactly a typical Mammoth winter. Businesses have closed and others are just barely getting by.  Employees’ hours have been slashed, that’s if they were lucky and didn’t get laid off.  The town is in a state of despair.

And now, as we are preparing to leave this Sunday for San Diego with the Airstream, the biggest storm in years is baring down on us.  The big dump we’ve been waiting for all year.  Hmm, I wonder if the gods are trying to tell us something… well if they are, we are not listening!!

Amelia has already been approved for another year leave of absence by her principal.  We have big travel plans  and are spending another year with the mailing address of PO Box 1453, Mammoth Lakes, California 93546.

Feb 26, 2014. The entrance to the love shack. Usually there’s at least 3 feet of snow on the ground this time of year.

Feb 26, 2014. Looking at our balcony. Absolutely insane, there’s no snow!

The Tundra is patiently waiting to tow the Airstream.

March 1st, three days later and Mammoth is starting to look like Mammoth.

The front of our balcony is one of the many places they store the plowed snow.

She’ll be towing the Airstream tomorrow!

The Subaru and the world famous Hollywood racks, they take a licking and keep on ticking.

As exciting as all this new snow is, truth be told I’m looking forward to boon docking in 80 degree weather out in Anza Borrego.