Hwy 395 - Riley’s Snow Mojo Wins Again

Last year we spent several fantastic weeks on Hwy 395 and we were looking forward to revisiting many of our favorite spots. Not only are there interesting small towns, hot springs, incredible views of the Eastern Sierras, but the road is easy driving. So easy, that Momma did a short stint behind the wheel. 

I'm driving, maybe Rog should have some lemonade. Lol.

It worked out just fine, but I had to wonder at the wisdom of putting me in the driver’s seat immediately after our stop at Indian Wells brewery and bottling works in Inyokern, CA. Indian Wells does some decent beers, but their claim to fame, in my opinion, are their excellent hard sodas and lemonade. After some judicious sampling we put together a case to go. Be nice and maybe I’ll share. 😊

Lunatic Lemonade is aptly named - 10% ABV. Oh, dear. 

Our first destination on 395 was Alabama Hills outside Lone Pine, CA. There are tons of boondocking spots tucked around Hollywood-worthy scenery with spectacular views of Mt. Whitney. We spent a week here last year and loved, loved, loved it. Here are the two posts if you want to check it out: 2018: Alabama Hills and 2018: Alabama Hills.

This year, as an added bonus, we’d made plans to hook up with Brother Bob again in Alabama Hills. Cell reception was so sketchy we couldn’t do more than determine that he’d arrived first, so we unhooked the Acadia and went in search. We scouted a few good spots but saw no sign of Bob until we’d gone a few miles in on the gravel Movie Flat Road. We laughed to see he’d chosen the exact same spot we’d picked last year. Apparently great minds think alike. 😊 There was plenty of room for both our rigs, so we went back to claim the short bus and get settled in.

Heading back to our old spot on Movie Flat Road.

The Short Bus is set up next to Brother Bob in the White Buffalo.

2019 on the top, 2018 on the bottom.
Almost exactly the same spot as last year!

We did have some new neighbors. These guys were charming.

We noted there was a lot more snow on the mountains this year and temps were definitely cooler and wetter. No worries, it was perfect for exploring the area and enjoying an evening campfire. Riley loved being able to hike and play off leash. 

Into the Alabama Hills.

We found a shady spot for a break.

The area is popular with crazies, I mean climbers. :) 

We saw wildflowers and clouds of butterflies on our hike.

What a great place to explore.

Campfire time....

... and playtime too!

I really do think this is one of the best boondocking sites ever. There is some truth to the saying that the best things in life are free. Sunrise, sunset or just sitting staring at the snowcapped mountains – it never gets old.

First light on the Sierras.

Sunrise was spectacular!

Snowy mountains and wildflowers - a winning combination.

Sunset was another chance to see color in the clouds.

We stayed just three days in the Alabama Hills and then continued north with Bob to Bishop, CA on Monday, 5/13. We opted to stay at the Fairgrounds again, it’s nowhere near as scenic as Alabama Hills but it’s walking distance to everything in town and has fast, free Wi-Fi. Besides, we used their horse washing stall to give Riley a bath, a convenience you won’t find just anywhere. 😊

Bishop was another place we spent a whole week last year, but only a few days this time around. Here's the link in case you missed it: 2018: Bishop. We were all set to reprise Rog’s birthday celebration (albeit a little late) at the Mountain Rambler Brewery and were devastated to find they were closed for cleaning on the only two days we were in town. Whaaaatt?? We (ok, me) had our hearts set on one of their Porter Brownies with homemade ice cream to celebrate Rog’s 60^th. Sigh. Maybe next year. To make up for it, I went a little wild at the Great Basin Bakery, our other favorite spot in town. I managed to salve my sorrow with their excellent Rosemary Shortbread cookies. Lol.

On Tuesday we all piled into the Acadia and set off for a hike at Lake Sabrina. We did this hike last year with Riley and we found a few spots where he could get a snow cone, so we knew it’d be fun. 

Lake Sabrina.

Well, I think I did mention that we’d noticed more snow on the mountains this year. As we pulled in, Rog said it looks like we’ll be hiking in the snow. Just as he said that, I looked down and realized I’d forgotten to change into my hiking boots and was still wearing my sandals!  Oops!  Oh well, idiocy has a price and mine was going to be cold toes! Lol.

My stylish Keen sandals weren't the best choice of footwear! Lol. 

We started up the same trail we'd done before and quickly found there was far more snow than we’d bargained for. It was easily knee deep in places and you couldn’t even see where the trail was. Riley, of course, was ecstatic. He charged up the hill through the deep snow, turned around and zoomed back down, then ran back up and then back down. Then he turned around and about fell over. He was all wobbly on his feet could barely walk. I yelled to Rog that something was wrong. We made him sit and checked for injuries.  We thought he might have hurt himself dashing like a madman through the snow, but it turned out he was hypoxic.  Apparently a 100-yard dash through deep snow at 9128 feet of elevation will starve your brain of oxygen. After several minutes he was perfectly fine, but he sure gave us a scare!

Crazy snow dog! 

We had to slow him down long enough to get some oxygen back to his brain. :) 

Since the trail was completely buried under snow, we drove over to the marina to see if there was another option. Fortunately, there was another trail on the opposite side of the lake that was passable. Riley still had lots of snow to play in, but at least most of the trail was clear.

Over the rocks - less snow on this side of the lake.

So this is still the less snowy trail! Lol.

Mountain views from the lake.

View of the lake from the trail. 

You’d think all that snow play would have been enough for Riley. Instead it must have whet his appetite because he ramped up the snow dance and got his mojo on.  Rog was keeping an eye on the weather reports and another big storm was forecast to dump several inches, or feet depending on location, of snow across the Sierras. Our plan had been to continue north on Hwy 395 and spend a few days soaking in the hot springs around Bridgeport and then head west to Sacramento to visit the youngest daughter, Rian.

So much for our plans. The timeline for getting home was getting shorter and shorter and we didn’t have an extra week to hunker down and wait out the snow. Without chains for the RV, not to mention a strong aversion to driving the bus across mountain passes in inclement weather, we abandoned thoughts of leisurely soaks and beat feet over the mountains. Apparently we chose well, because Hwy 395 was closed later that week!

On the upside, we got to try out another new Harvest Host site.  Saluti Cellars near Somerset, CA wasn’t too far off our route. Fifteen miles isn’t much, unless it’s an exceptionally windy, narrow, hilly 15 miles. Lol. The 300-acre property, owned by Tina and Randy Rossi, is gorgeous. In addition to the vineyard and winery, they host a bed and breakfast and are a venue for weddings and other events. Randy showed us around and opened up the tasting room. We loved the cave where the casks are aged and they hold special catered dinners. So cool! Of course, we also loved the horse, goats and other animals. But the highlight was getting to play with Zeus, their 5-month old Great Dane puppy! (Sorry, no picture of Zeus I was too busy getting puppy love!)

  

Parked at Saluti Cellars.

We had a lovely spot next to the pond.

Cool details: a vintage windmill and interesting stonework.

More of the family and the entrance to the cave. 

One night and a few bottles of wine later we left Saluti Cellars and moved on to Sacramento. After years of avoiding the RV park at Cal Expo (the Sacramento fairgrounds) we’re going to give it a try.