Adventures of a Quantum Cowboy

My trip down to the Antelope Valley from Boise, ID took about a day and a half, and by far the best scenery was on US-395 south through eastern California. The west coast of the Golden State is America’s Pacific front door, and many are familiar with the coastline and its megapolis major ports such as San Francisco and Los Angeles. But I find few outside those who live here who have traveled through California’s backyard: the raw, sparsely populated medley of desert, mountains, forests, and lakes that are strung together by US Route 395.

I entered the highway from I-80 near Reno, in the short stretch of the road that dips briefly into Nevada. From here I didn’t have to wait long for some spectacular views of the Sierra Nevada mountains. This long and beautiful range is the spine of California, running on a north-south axis from near the Oregon border to the southern edge of the Mojave Desert. US-395 runs along the eastern edge of this range for most of its time in the Golden State. The top photograph was taken near Mono Lake, CA looking southeast.

If you are looking for places to camp in the midst of awe-inspiring natural beauty, there is no shortage of either along this route. US-395 passes through or near Yosemite National Park, the Hoover Wilderness Area, the Ansel Adams Wilderness Area, the John Muir Wilderness Area, Inyo National Forest, Sierra National Forest, King’s Canyon National Park, Sequoia National Park, and the South Sierra Wilderness Area.

US-395. Photo by Nalin A. Ratnayake, June 2006.

After traveling through Owens Valley, the highway dumped me into the northern Mojave Desert. It is difficult gauging distances in this region of vast distances and towering mountains (many peaks well over 13,000 ft), as there is little to offer a sense of perspective. For example, see the above picture, taken southward on US-395 between Yosemite National Park and King’s Canyon National Park. For the famed wide open spaces and rugged mountains of the west, look no further than this beautiful route surprisingly devoid of traffic and people (note that I was able to stand in the middle of the highway for about 10 minutes taking pictures, and never saw so much as a single vehicle).

Mammoth Lakes, CA. Photo by US Geological Survey.

The best place to stay on the way down is Mammoth Lakes, a small resort town in the mountains near hiking and biking trails, campgrounds, clean motels, and reputedly some of the best skiing in California (look for a second installment this winter).

US-395
Joined at: Jct I-80 (Reno, NV)
Left at: Jct CA-14 (Inyokern, CA)
Mileage: 331
Stops: Best Western, Mammoth Lakes.