Collaborative travel journal for lovers of the American West! (page 30 of 41)

Hello, A little-visited corner of northeastern California, yet stunning: Lassen Volcanic NP. The story behind this photo: after the tough climb up Cinder Cone, the sky darkens and the storm rumbles. It takes another path, but we still wait nearly an hour for a ray of sunshine to pierce the cloud layer and light up Painted Dunes. Fred

Gorgeous photo!! It was totally worth waiting an hour....

A road... leading to the "BISTI BADLANDS"—the badlands. Upon arrival, the thermometer reads nearly 38°C. The place is lunar-like, and there’s no clear trail to follow, so with GPS in hand, Philippe finds the first rock formations of incredible diversity. It’s stunning—all these surprisingly sculpted rocks. I’m amazed, but the heat is getting to me now; the temperature rises to 40°C. It’s tough! We’ve never drunk so much. We pass through tormented, colorful expanses made up of small canyons and hills. We reach the Bisti Wilderness site—landscapes eroded by wind and rain—then the CRACKED EGGS. Here, the stones look like enormous eggs, a bit of Easter in the New Mexico desert. Very strange... when suddenly, Philippe says, "Oh crap, the phone’s not working anymore! No more GPS!!!" We couldn’t continue the hike because, without GPS, it’s really reckless to wander around here. The only solution? Turn back... We head toward the car by sight. I’m really overheating—quick, into the car, quick, the AC!

What’s going on with this stupid phone? Well, here’s the culprit... Philippe, I don’t know how he did it, but the phone’s brightness was set to the lowest—so, a black screen! Ugh! "Phiphi, you’re kidding me!"

Thank goodness it works again because, without our trusty GPS, we feel LOST! What a story—from now on, we’re bringing two phones...

Hello, A little-visited corner of northeastern California, yet magnificent: Lassen Volcanic NP The story behind this photo: after the tough climb up Cinder Cone, the sky darkens and the storm rumbles. It takes another path, but we still wait nearly an hour for a ray of sunshine to pierce the cloud layer and illuminate Painted Dunes. Fred



Some photos capture a moment of eternity... this is one of them!

I say: all these eggs are fishy. Haven’t you seen *Alien* (the first movie), when they discover all those eggs in an abandoned ship... maybe you guys left just in time... thanks to Philippe and his phone...

Hi Fabienne, I read in the travel guide: "The area, also called Eggs Factory (the nursery), measures 50 m long by 20 m wide and is packed with spherical formations over 1 m in diameter for some, resembling huge eggs ready to hatch. Some movie buffs will see a reproduction of the eggs from which the Facehuggers emerge in the *Alien* saga, while others will see fossilized dinosaur eggs."

Well spotted! Have a great day. All these photos are such a treat, and I love your perspective and captions on them. Michèle

Hello Philippe. Actually, GPS is definitely a very useful tool. Personally, I travel without one, and no iPhone either—it’s a choice, old-school style, with good maps and a good sense of direction. Plus, maps never break down, and there’s no need to worry about whether there’s Wi-Fi or not. Cheers, Bernard.

Hello, A little-visited corner of northeastern California, yet stunning: Lassen Volcanic NP The story behind this photo: after the tough climb up Cinder Cone, the sky darkens and the storm rumbles. It takes another path, but we still wait nearly an hour for a ray of sunshine to pierce the cloud layer and light up Painted Dunes. Fred



It’s so beautiful! It looks like a painting... in fact, I’m wondering if I should use it as a model if you give me permission! 🙂

Hi Fabienne, what a fantastic idea!!! 🤩🤩

This photo just radiates friendship. So nice!

Hi Titoualsace. Just a quick note: A GPS or a GPS app on your smartphone only uses data to download its route (easily done at your hotel or campsite). Once you're out in the field, you don’t need Wi-Fi or any internet connection. Your device picks up the satellite system.

By the way, in the remote areas of the West, to save battery, it’s highly recommended to turn off Wi-Fi, mobile data, and Bluetooth. A power bank is also handy. Sure, a map is always useful, like a compass, but good luck finding one without GPS! For info, this is "King of Wing."



Fred

Crowley Lake between Mammoth Lakes and Bishop



😮 I didn’t know about this place! This region is truly full of surprises, and nature seems to have gone all out here. So I went "investigating" online about this strange geological phenomenon and read that a volcanologist from Berkeley might have found the explanation (basically, millennia-old infiltrations into a layer of volcanic ash, from what I understood!).

hi there! 🙂 Another route! This one takes us out of Death Valley toward Lone Pine. While we were quietly at the summit taking photos and soaking in the views, two US Air Force planes flew over Panamint Valley at very low altitude with a deafening roar—gave us quite a scare! And Factory Butte, which I loved, seen from a different angle.

Martine 🙂

Hello

A place Jean-Luc ("Bluemesa") knows very well in Colorado, along Route 50: Curecanti NRA, between Gunnison and Montrose. Here’s the map: www.nps.gov/.../Map_CURE_2015-2.pdf



Have a great afternoon!

Christine

Another route! The one that takes us out of Death Valley toward Lone Pine. While we were quietly at the summit taking photos and soaking in the view, two US Air Force planes flew over Panamint Valley at very low altitude with a deafening noise, giving us a serious scare.

That reminds me of one of those unlikely encounters that also add to the charm of the US... So: we’re driving toward Death Valley, and before Panamint Valley, a sign on our right announces a viewpoint, "Father Crowley Overlook" (that’s probably where you stopped, Martine).

We pull over to take a look, follow the little trail up to the viewpoint... and there we find a beautiful landscape but especially about ten big, burly guys sitting in a row on camping chairs at the edge of the canyon, next to them a cooler, and most importantly, all equipped with high-end cameras and massive zoom lenses.

I think to myself: "Hmm, bird enthusiasts," I look around for raptors, nothing, I don’t see any signs of nests on the cliffs either... nothing... they’re just chatting... So I decide to go strike up a conversation, "Hi, how are you doing?" and ask them what they’re photographing. They explain that this spot is well-known for jet planes flying over at treetop level. And sure enough, they wait for hours just to photograph them!!!

There you go, Martine, you’ve got your explanation—and if you search "jet Father Crowley," you’ll find dozens of photos of jets over the area!!!

Below is this spot, without the jets (we didn’t wait...).

Hello, A little-visited corner of northeastern California, yet stunning: Lassen Volcanic NP The story behind this photo: after the tough climb up Cinder Cone, the sky darkens and the storm rumbles. It takes a different path, but we still wait nearly an hour for a ray of sunshine to pierce the cloud layer and light up Painted Dunes. Fred



Hi! We’ll be there next September. We can’t wait to explore these underrated regions... Sonia

Hello, A little-visited corner of northeastern California, yet stunning: Lassen Volcanic NP The story behind this photo: after the tough climb up Cinder Cone, the sky darkens and the storm rumbles. It takes another path, but we still wait nearly an hour for a ray of sunshine to pierce the cloud layer and light up Painted Dunes. Fred



Hi there! We’ll be there next September. We can’t wait to explore these lesser-known areas... Sonia

Hey Sonia,

You’re gonna love it 😉 It’s gorgeous.

Good evening! 🙂 I had already gotten some initial info about my travel journal!!! Thanks Fabienne for adding to the details!!! I checked out "Jet father crowley." It’s exactly what we saw!! I hurried to send the video to our travel companions!!! The photo of Lassen Volcanic NP is stunning!!! Have a great weekend everyone! Martine 🙂

Hello Frederic. Thanks for the details—proof, if any were needed, that I don’t understand much about it. Bernard.

Thanks Pekor. Gotta say, the locations make it so much easier to get a great shot. Being in the right place at the right time is also a factor to consider, and it often forces us to tweak our itineraries. Have a great Sunday! Fred

Hi Sonia, Lassen Volcanic NP is one of the real hidden gems from our fifth trip out West. If it’s on your route, you’re absolutely right to plan it. Lucky for you, the Bumpass Hell trail should reopen in August. A little local bonus for you! Happy planning!