Boulders and a very tall mountain

What I hadn't realized until we arrived in Lone Pine, is what an incredible historical area this was in the bygone days of the Western movies of Hollywood.  The Alabama Hills played host to many famous stars and movies from Gunga Din, to How the West was Won.

So out we went in them thar hills in Search of Randolp Scott's Campfire.  Actually we didn't have a good tour guide or even tour brochure which used to exist so we don't really know where the locations are.  If you want to read a really interesting search for locations here is one by another blogger I read

the photos below are shot with my iPhone.  I also photographed the area with the big camera but haven't had time to process the images yet

Some tall mountains in the distance

We went out early one morning to catch the good light on the morning sun.




The famous arch.  Not to be mistaken for the McDonalds Arches in Lone Pine


Tried to capture the sunlight as it peaked from behind a rock.

Basking in the sunlight with Mt Whitney and Lone Pine Peak in background.
Driving up Whitney Portal road to the base of these 14,000 ft peaks.  Amazing views


The peak on the left is actually Lone Pine Peak which is only 12,000 and change high.  the pointed one way in the far back right is Mt Whitney, some 6,000 ft higher than where we parked.  "Do people actually climb this in one day?" Sraddha asked?  "Not sure." I replied alknowingly.



The road takes us up 3500 ft elevation in a very short distance.
We parked in the high parking lot near where the Trailhead starts to Mt Whitney.  Imagine 100 years ago, scientists used to pack up from Lone pine which is almost 11,000 ft below to study things scientists study on top of mountains (he again said alknowingly).  Whew.

From the parking lot we decided to NOT hike up the Mt. Whitney trail which everyone else was doing but rather head DOWN a trail on the other side leading to the lower campgrounds.  Glad we did as we followed this litte stream as it wove its way down the narrow canyon

Parts of the canyon floor don't see light at this time of year.  You can see below the icicles haning from rocks above the waterfall.  I was sitting down to get this photo


Interesting granite boulders and Douglas Firs were juxtaposed over the canyon floor. Must've been a big avalanch in eons past.


Later in the day I went out to photograph the evening sun and shot this shadow.  Thats' me photographing the hills

As i returned home I caught this sunset up norht over Bishop.  Glad we are here in the sunshine


-Blessings from the Road

Location:Lone Pine,United States