Top Secret

There’s a particular campground we always use when exploring the Modoc Plateau region. It’s shaded by pine trees with spacious campsites and a nice little trail. Hardly anyone goes there, even on a holiday weekend. I don’t want the word to get out, so I’m not going to tell you where it is…

Just kidding… it’s called Howard’s Gulch near the town of Canby, California.

Distant Lands

Dad and I seem to like to seek the out-of-the-way corners of the West. Case in point: the Warner Mountains in far northeastern California. We took a long day hike on the Summit Trail in the South Warner Wilderness. There weren’t very many people on the trail even though it was Labor Day weekend. The top of the ridge was very windy and I lost my hat a few times, but that really helped clear the air. (It was a tad smoky due to a wildfire to the west, another common Labor Day occurrence in these parts.) According to Dad, parts of this area look like the Australian outback (even though he’s never been there).

I’m curious about the “No Shooting” sign at the trailhead. Do they mean movies or guns? Just wondering…

Cueva de Calaveras

Up to Lava Beds National Monument in northeastern California…

Dad and I gingerly explored the opening of Skull Cave. It literally was cool. You could feel the whoosh of cold air flowing up from the depths. Having a lack of equipment and a wealth of common sense, we only walked up to the edge of the darkness.

High Sierra

The Range of Light (as John Muir called it) is certainly an apt name. We were treated to some great roadside views while returning home via Sonora Pass. We read about a guy who spent 35 days crossing the mountains by this route in 1852. Not that easy if you have no road plus wagons and oxen to deal with. The first thing he did upon settling in Tuolumne County was to marry a survivor of the Donner Party.

We all have our challenges, but it seems that daily life is much easier these days.

Mount Dana

Dad and I hiked to the summit of Mt. Dana (13,053 ft.) in Yosemite National Park. It’s the second highest point in the park after Mt. Lyell (which has a long hike in and is a much tougher climb). It was a great experience and the view from the top was stupendous. We got rained on a bit on the way back down, but we rewarded ourselves with a huge late lunch at a diner in town.

The photo was taken at Tioga Pass (our starting point) early in the morning. In it I’m wondering what it’s going to take to reach the top. It was a great feeling to succeed.

Upside Down

The most unusual building in Lee Vining, California has to be the Upside Down House. It was built by silent film actress Nellie Bly O’Bryan (1893-1984) who lived in the area. It’s actually kind of a shack but it’s cool to take a peek inside. All of the furnishings are nailed to the floor which is actually up (the ceiling is down). This being Planet Earth, Ms. O’Bryan needed an assist to defeat gravity. One other fun touch: the plaque on the outside is upside down so you have to stand on your head to read it.

It’s right off U.S. 395, so check it out if you’re traveling through.

The Irishmen

Never being ones to pass up the scenic route, Dad and I started heading back to California via Irish Canyon in northwestern Colorado. It’s an interesting spot with Native American petroglyphs but it doesn’t look very much like the Emerald Isle. The name comes from three men from the 19th century who held up a saloon in Rock Springs, Wyoming and came down here to hide out from the law. Notice that these guys were identified by their ethnicity rather than their crime. This was back in the days of “no Irish need apply” America and many folks distrusted and were scared of the new waves of immigrants coming to these shores. I’d like to say that we’ve moved on from that, but…

Luckily, I’m no crook. But at least I know a good place to hide if I ever need one.