Welcome to the Eastern Sierras! Lone Pine, CA is a charming little town on Hwy 395 right below the foot of Mt. Whitney, tallest peak in the continental United States.
Granite peaks tower above the lumpy red boulders called Alabama Hills, site of many movies, both Westerns and Science Fiction. You can camp for free here, since it's BLM land.
The Sierra Nevada Mountains form quite a spectacular panorama of changing light, from dawn to daylight:
Video of the Alabama Hills at dawn:
You can take a drive up Whitney Portal Road all the way to the trailhead, and see a waterfall at the top.
Awesome views of Owens Lake, which is being rehabilitated after Los Angeles sucked it dry.
The Alabama Hills look like anthills from this height:
Many creeks flow from the high watersheds. We took the road less traveled, and checked out Hogback Creek, just north of Whitney Creek.
Pollinators make the most of the bright yellow September wildflowers:
At the tippy top of the track, we find the purling little stream hiding in thick undergrowth:
We drove back down the slope to exit the Alabama Hills north, to continue on towards Bishop, CA for the next installment of our Eastern Sierras adventure. Here's a short video of our descent:
Thanks for exploring with us, stay tuned for part 2!
Check out the hashtag #MyCalifornia for more amazing posts by members of Socalsteemit!
