From Stanley Cup Champions to having to jump the Jeep twice, the last few days have been a lot.
What we had thought at first was the triple digit Las Vegas heat, turned out to be a loose ground wire affecting our car battery. Twice, in the wilderness, we attempted to start off for the day from our camp site when the car wouldn’t start. Unbelievably, both times, we flagged down a passerby and it was no more an issue than it started.
Death Valley, CA.
After Vegas we started our journey north, by way of Death Valley. This place is as hot as it is below sea level and otherworldly looking, but beside that, just a seemingly long drive filled with more tourists. Going from 280 feet below sea level to above 4000 in a matter of about an hour or so is interesting though.
But that’s the kind of things you find yourself entertained with during hours of driving. Not everything on a road trip is as incredible as the thought of taking a “road trip!” makes it sound, but that’s the reality of it, and I’m okay with it. As a matter of fact, finding the slightly above ordinary in a sea of mundane is what makes the kind of photography I enjoy so challenging and thusly so rewarding.
Mammoth Lakes, CA.
Moving north from there, the climate began to come back to normal, starting with camp in Mammoth Lakes, California (where we honed our hatchet throwing skills), and then a little spot called Snag Lake, until finally driving our way out of the top of California and into Oregon, where I really started to notice my appreciation for cooler weather.
Snag Lake, CA.
The part of me that had romanticized about living anywhere south of the 38th parallel has died on this trip. Rest in peace..
P.S.- If you find yourself near Lake Tahoe, skip past all the touristy stuff and slide into Tahoe Mountain Brewing Company. Cheers.