Sierra Trek continued...

My back is out, lower left sacral musculature screaming and gnawing for the last ten days or so. Too much sitting I am sure. I saw a chiropractor before my trip, didn't really cure the problem.Thought all the hiking would fix me but I was wrong.

So you will have to excuse me if my trip recount is a bit disjointed and scatter dashed. Not to mention brief. Medicine not working.

So last we knew I was traveling up the Eastern Sierras and I had some time to kill. I was going to meet up with two buds who were taking their motorcycles to Susanville, Jamie and Bill. They were an hour and a half back and we had loose plans to meet at a barbecue in Big Pine, the Copper Table, for lunch.

I ended up going to the Alabama hills, west of Lone Pine, famous as a movie locale for umpteen westerns. 

Lots of cool rock formations and I chance to take a nice hike and stretch my legs and back.

It was a perfect June day, not too hot, fresh clean air. 

Photographers like clouds but we are not as Gandalf would say, weather masters so sometimes we have to make do with just blue skies.

Afterwards I drove ten miles up the mountain to Glacier Lodge, near the most southern surviving glacier  in the Sierra Nevada. Glacier Lodge has cabins that were built in 1932 and is situated on Big Pine Creek. Very pretty area. 

The Glacier is called Palisades and there is a 19 mile up to it passing seven lakes if you care to make the trip.

I did not.

I did hike up to a pretty waterfall and take some shots however.

Place was beautiful and just what the doctor ordered.

Met the guys for vittles, as good as the write up.

Afterwards. I headed up to the Bristlecone pines.

Last time I was there with Ken I had altitude problems, no problem at all this time. Probably because I did three hikes at altitude the first day.

I went to the Visitors Center and was told that there was no fee for seniors. I asked if she wanted to see my pass and to my chagrin, she said no. Seriously? How come I still feel like a kid? Guess I don't look like one any more.

I drove the 14 miles on very rough road to the Patriarch Grove. There was a sign  that mentioned that there were no services and that the road ate tires with its sharp teeth. I am about due for tires and was a little worried but the Mazda CX 5 awd handled the road beautifully.

There was a large group of Los Angeles area photographers out there, ready to spend the night taking astro shots. They had a moderator on a walkie talky telling people what to do. So not my thing, artistry in groups. I flee.

I like the place though. Hopefully will come back one day with a wide angle prime lens and take some night shots over the trees.

It was a long and careful drive back in the evening. 

Watching my gas gauge and the local deer. 

People are motivated by different things. I am an explorer and new information processor. My buddy Big Mike used to call me Charge because I always pushed it, had to take a big bite out of the apple and move forward.

I don't think I have changed.

One of the reasons I mostly travel alone is because normal people who do not share my obsession don't really feel like keeping up and I totally get it. No problem with Leslie or Ken, that is about it.

Got back to my hotel, had a decent night's sleep at the Motel 6 and got up early the next morning to cruise up the base of the Sierras and hit every lake and new road I could find. 

First stop was an old friend, Convict Lake. I experimented with a bunch of new grad filters there, to limited success.

to be continued...