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 11/03/08 - On Thursday, John, Sal and Julia, Ruby and Dennis met at the Chevron in Big Pine and headed out with John in the lead for a long adventure in the desert. We headed over to Eureka Dunes and spent some time there looking at the huge sand dunes before heading over Steele Pass, enjoying perfect weather all the way to Saline Warm Springs. We made camp just south of Middle Springs and settled in for supper. The wind picked up as the sun set and it would continue to blow throughout the night. We headed to the warm springs, and had it to ourselves! It was great, but a little cold getting out in the wind. However, soaking and joking was wonderful, in this little spot in the middle of the desert!  Thought it was windy all night, most slept well after a fun day!

Friday we all got up, ate and got onto the trail during a morning air show by the Navy out of China Lake (F18’s in the morning fake strafing us as we crossed Saline, wow). We made our way over to McElvoy Canyon and left the rigs at the mouth of the canyon. We then hiked up the canyon which seems dry as one enters but as we made it farther up the plant life let us know there was water.  It seemed hotter as the hike went over rocks and through thick growth.  Soon we could hear the water and then we made it to the falls, a wonderful fern covered two or three story tall wall with delightfully cool water raining down, in the desert!  We all enjoyed the cool water, splashing it on ourselves to cool off. Heaven!  We hiked back down to the rigs and then took off for the Salt Works.  On the way we made radio contact with Lance who’d come up South Pass. He was at the Warm Springs waiting for us.

The Salt Works, usually all water, were almost completely covered with salt! It looked like snow. We walked out on the salt, talked about the salt tram that once carried the salt over the Inyo Mountains and enjoyed the views of the valley as evening descended knew we needed to head back to camp!

Once at camp, Halloween at Saline Warm Springs, the folks at the Springs were great fun. Some were in costume and some made there way to our camp to joke. Some had fireworks. All had fun on a near perfect night.  We found that the “other” springs at Middle Springs was warmer and we enjoyed that as well as a shower in the natural spring water. But, everyone was exhausted after another great day so we all hit the hay.

Saturday John had us on the trail early, so we broke camp and got moving. We went South on Saline Valley Road and then made the turn to Cerro Gordo. It was raining lightly  on and off. We left the valley floor and started to climb the Inyos. As we went up it got colder and windier. When we got to Cerro Gordo we had to put on winter clothes and the wind was nearly enough to knock us off our feet. We looked over the town, respectfully as it is private property, and then Sal and Julia with their expedition trailer headed to the pavement while the rest went higher!

We headed to the Salt Tram Summit Station. This is the top of the Salt Tram that carried salt from Saline Valley to Owens Valley. It is in pretty good shape and we walked on it and looked down one side into Saline Valley and down the other side into the Owens Valley.

We then headed over to descend the Swansea Grade, passing through the clouds at 9300 feet, then down through the pines and back to the civilized world!  We got to see more of the Salt Tram ruins on the Owens Valley side on the way.  There was a lot more to see but it was getting late so we promised to come back to see more.

So, desert waterfalls, salt flats, warm (hot) springs to soak in, the tram summit, a ghost town, running in the clouds, rain, sun, wind, sand dunes, mountains, pine trees, fireworks, warm, cold, high, low, wet and dry and more all in one trip!

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09/21/08 The team met up at Jawbone Station and with John in the lead we headed out into the EL Paso Mountains to tackle Nightmare Gulch and whatever else we could find. John knew just where to go for the kind of things we like to do! Juan and his family. Jeremy, Dennis and Ruby followed John off into the desert. 

We went down Nightmare and it had changed a bit over time, the mud was gone but more rocks were in place. It was beautiful and fun. Everyone enjoyed it and it was a great warm up for what was to come!

John then took us up a trail he had done many times before but never with a group of Tacoma’s, usually it was just him and Jeeps. The trail, had five dry water falls, each a bit more difficult to conquer than the last. John made it up after a few attempts, ready to help everyone. Jeremy and Dennis got a little help from the winch but Juan, no locker, made it up due to his new found magical power to turn off gravity!

Then we decided to head over to Sheep Springs and on to camp. Dennis blew a tire on the way and the team all pitched in like a NASCAR pit crew to replaced it quickly before heading back, past Bickle’s camp and across the Bonanza Trail.

As evening set in we made camp, ate and settled in for the night around a fire full of plenty of laughs. Then it was time for some well earned sleep on a perfect evening after a perfect day!

In the morning John took the group down Goler Gulch and back to the pavement. A little more time in the dirt before the end. We then headed to Randsburg for some great Soda Fountain drinks and grub before hitting the road for home again. 

Another successful SCTC run done! We got lucky with near perfect weather for our first true desert outing of the fall season.

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09/08/08 - Another successful but different kind of trip for SCTC. Trailboss John, Lance and Aunt Pam, Guests Sal and Julia and Tailgunners Dennis as Ruby met at Brown’s Camp in Bishop on Saturday. John had already spent much of the week up in the mountains with his Brother and secured us a camp site. Off we went up into the Sierras, a few hours on the trail to camp along a stream in the trees.

After setting up camp, the rain came and we all relaxed as the storm passed and enjoyed the weather. After the storm passed we headed over to Funnel Lake where Sal and Julia tried their luck fishing and the rest looked around at the Jeeps and the lake. Back at camp that evening, a relaxing fire by the stream and millions of stars!

The next morning John lead the group up to a great view of South Lake and a mine, where Sal’s Ford F250, yes we took an F250 out with us, refused to start despite our best efforts. Sal also had an Adventure trailer back in camp. It was decided the best plan would be to leave the big truck there and get it towed by an off road tow company since there was no way a Tacoma, which all the other rigs were, could tow it. We headed back to camp, only to find high winds had downed on tree over one of the trails and destroyed Dennis and Ruby’s Easy Up. Unphased the team hooked the up the Adventure Trailer to Dennis’s rig, Sal and Julia got in John’s rig and they headed back to Bishop. Lance and Pam guarded camp. Down in Bishop a tow was arranged for the next day and Sal and Julia were set up at Brown’s Camp. John and Dennis with Ruby, headed back to camp, after a quick stop to tighten the belt and flush the power steering fluid in Dennis’ rig with a turkey baster acquired from Vons. Lights blazing, they got in at about one in the morning.

Sunday morning camp was broken and out we went. At the turn off to where Sal’s rig was, Lance and Pam bid us fair well. John, Dennis and Ruby headed toward Sal’s truck to ensure the two had made it. As we got up to about 11,000 feet we saw a tow truck bouncing a long, coming down without Sal’s truck. It seems they could not find it! So we took them up to it, watched it get hooked up and drive off. Dennis and John stayed with them until they’d gotten over the summit and then headed off to explore a bit, finding an overlook to Green and Small lakes, views of brislecones and making it to about 11,700 feet.

Heading back to Bishop and the pavement, a quick check was done on Sal at Brown’s Camp. His truck was at the Ford dealer and would get fixed to bring them and their trailer home. The run over, the drive down 395 was all that remained.

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