Just One Night
How much can you really get into in just one night?
Well, you can do a hell of a lot more spending one night outside than you can just sitting at home. Its tough to get the motivation to pack everything up and make the drive out somewhere all just for one night, but we've been doing it more and more over the last year or so and it is always worth it.
On a trip last spring we set out early from home in Los Angeles to one of our favorite camping zones - the Owens Valley. We covered a bit about this region in our last report, but this time we are a bit higher up North and we get into some of the more unique geological sections of this region.
We pulled the truck into camp around noon and I spent the next couple of hours pedaling my bike around the adjacent area. Here in the Volcanic Tablelands outside of Bishop, CA you are met with some interesting rock formations created by many years worth of volcanic activity. And the best way to see it all is, of course, from the saddle of a bicycle.
The terrain in this part of the valley is wonderful for riding bikes, yet at times you will run into some deep sand, so bring the biggest tires you've got. The Crust Romanceur was a perfect choice for this ride with its 2.3" tires and upright riding position, it made for a comfortable cruise through the Tablelands. And, like any worthy bike, it has plenty of bag space for cameras, binoculars, and snacks - and it still handles well when loaded down.
My ride followed the Forest Service roads through the hills. There is an endless network of dirt roads to explore in this zone. Most of the time, I set out with no real route other than some sort of point of interest. And on this ride I wanted to make it out to Chalk Bluff above the Owens River. To get there, I made me own route while following USFS topographic maps of the area.
After spotting a few horned lizards, and some red tail hawks I was back at camp. We made a quick and easy quesadilla dinner back at the truck, then stayed up and watched the stars for a bit before calling it a day. The next day was mellow and we mostly moseyed around the valley, stopping where we wanted on our way back to LA. We took one pull off for lunch at one of our favorite swimming holes (at least one of the easier ones to get to), and another for a hike in the Alabama Hills outside of Lone Pine.
I swore off the Alabama Hills for many years as the oVeRlaNdiNg trend was beginning to reach its peak level of annoying, because the area was flooded with $100,000+ Sprinters, Jeeps, and Tacomas. But in recent years the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has done an excellent job in 'renovating' the area.
It used to be a complete free for all for camping in the rocks. But this quickly led to a destruction of the land itself. Trash was left all over the place, toilet paper was pulled from the ground by rodents and pulled into crevasses in the rock (pack out your TP, don't bury it!). Thankfully though, the BLM put an end to most of the camping in the area and limited only a handful of designated spots that all require an easily attainable, yearly permit. While I am usually a bit critical of changes to limit dispersed camping in most cases, this greatly reduced the impact on the land and still allows for a reasonable amount of camping. Now you don't need to worry about someone pulling their van right up next to you if you are camping in one of the sites. The BLM also limited the rest of the area to 'day-use only,' making it a great spot to pull off and hike around or have lunch.
24 hours might not seem like enough time to make a trip like this "worth" the effort it takes, but let me tell you, it certainly is. Any amount of time you can spend outside is worth the effort it takes. Especially today - we are often all so caught up in routines of work and daily life, sometimes it feels like we can't ever get time to ourselves. But that is rarely the case. Call out of work, pack a bag, and spend a night outside -- even if you only have time for one.