Day 56 - Topaz Lake, Nevada

We came back into Nevada from California to-day partly because the price of gas is so much less here!

After Las Vegas we headed north along highway 95 (mostly flat desert – a prison and an airforce base along the way) as far as Beattie, where we turned left down 374 into Death Valley in California.

We firstly climbed to Daylight Pass at 4,316 feet then descended through desolate but spectacular hills to Stovepipe Wells Village which is 5 feet above sea level and just before it we passed a sign that said sea level!

From there we climbed again to Towne Pass at 4956 ft. From here it was a steady descent to Lone Pine at 3727 ft where we found a very pleasant rural campsite for “dry camping” and only three other vehicles in the site.  Lone Pine has an excellent interagency information center.

We then headed north along highway 395 – the eastern Sierra Nevada Scenic Route.  A special surprise was finding Manzanar – a National Historic site - where 11,070 Japanese Americans were relocated to, from the California Coast between 1942 and 1945. Superb photographs and descriptions of the life in this camp.  This was just before Independence where we had lunch at “Jenny’s Café”.

I was greeted there by a senior public health nurse who said “I used to work with you”. I had known her between 1984 and 1989 in the Vancouver Health Department. She was visiting relatives in Independence.  We spent a short time, but not long enough, reminiscing!

We proceeded to Bishop where there was an excellent bookstore. I got a little carried away and bought “Civilization” by Niall Ferguson (2011) whose book “The Ascent of Money – a financial history of the world” I had previously enjoyed.  I also bought “Pakistan on the Brink – the future of America, Pakistan, and Afganistan” by Ahmed Rashid (2011).  He has written a book “Taliban” in 2000 which I had read.

Seven miles beyond Bishop we found another “dry” campsite – Pleasant Valley County Campground. It was hot – up to 81F at 6pm before the sun went down. Unfortunately there were a few biting mosquitos. We were beside a stream.

What is of special interest is that we were passing through the Owen’s valley. This valley from 1908 onwards became part of the Los Angeles water system by the acquiring of land and water rights that enabled the development of the Los Angeles Region. To-day the residents of the valley are very resentful of the effect it has had on farming and particularly when the water authority started pumping ground water as well as using the surface water. For more details see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Aqueduct

To-day we proceeded North in the Inyo National Forest Area. Continued fine weather and spectacular views of the Sierra Nevada snow capped mountains to the west and Sierra California mountains to the east.  We passed through Sherwin summit pass at 7000 feet, Deadman summit at 8041 ft, Conway summit at 8143 ft and Devil’s gate summit at 7519 ft.  The Ford 6.8 L , 10 cylinder engine had no problems (apart from gas consumption!).

Shaun, Penny and Lucy