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March Trip to California
3/11/2017 - Mammoth
Dad and I drive all the way up to Mammoth Lakes and back
1st stop • Lava Flow at Pearsonville
First location for photos, the lava flow just north of Pearsonville, CA.
It doesn't look all that big until you compare it to the high-tension power lines that run in that area. The rock wall makes the towers look like toys.
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Pearsonville
2nd stop • Dehy Park
Perfectly placed to be a great stopping point on the way up to Mammoth Lakes, this little park, with it's scenic views, has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember.
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Dehy Park
3rd stop • Convict Lake
Great to see the lake covered in snow. I don't normally come up here when it's this cold, but dad and I decided to brave the weather to see the sites. At least it's not crowed!
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Convict Lake
4th stop • Mammoth Lakes
Just like at Convict, we arrived at Twin Lakes, in the Mammoth Lakes area, only to find that this is as far as you could go. There are at least 4 more lakes up this road that you can drive to... in the summer!
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Mammoth Lakes
5th stop • Sherwin Grade Overview
Heading back south to LA, we stopped at this vista point before heading back down into the Owens Valley.
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Sherwin Grade
6th stop • Owens River
This river originally would flow uncontained all the way into what we now call Owens Dry Lake. It wasn't dry back in the day. Before Los Angeles stole all the water rights all the way north to the June Lake Loop, this lake would be so full of water, that they used paddlewheelers to move mined ore from the east side of the lake to the west.
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Owens River
omelveny
3/12/2017 - O'Melveny Park
Dad and I hiked to the back of the park.
Then I did a little exploring farther in.
Anza-Borrego
3/14/2017 - Anza-Borrego & Palomar Observatory
Today was a southerly day for us!
We drove out towards Palm Springs, then headed south,
and then back to the west into the mountains.
1st stop • Anza-Borrego State Park
It was a somewhat pleasant day. We actually came to see the "spring bloom" but we were either too early or too late. There were some flowers doing their thing, but not like it was advertised. We did find this little camping area - Culp Valley Primitive Campground - which had some hiking trails that we used. One led us to a "spring" which turned out to be a pipe sticking out of the ground. They other led me to a vista point where I could see all the way back down into the valley.
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2nd stop • Palomar Observatory
The road I selected to get us back to LA led us to a turn-off to Palomar Observatory. We chose to drive up to the top, and throughly enjoyed the observatory... AND the entire area. Heavily wooded mountains with windy roads! Just my type!
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Palomar
Sepulveda Basin
3/15/2017 - Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve
Dad and I hiked around the lake.
A quiet morning, hiking around the lake, in a hidden park in the center of the San Fernando Valley. The dam itself is almost famous, in that it is in hundreds of movies and TV shows.
Anchor 2
3/16/2017 - Kennedy Meadows & The PCT
Back to the north!
The road to get here, 9 Mile Canyon Road, actually runs directly west from where we travelled by the lava flow on the 11th.
1st stop • Kennedy Meadows
For years as my family would travel north and south to get to or from the Sierra, we would pass this road and whenever I would ask, dad would say he didn't think there was anything worthwhile up there. Then one time Phil Toma and I were driving around and decided to try it. The very next opportunity I took dad up there and now he wants to go all the time. Lots of hiking, OHV, and biking trails. And camping. Southern end of the Sequoia National Forest. Try it sometime. You'll like it!
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2nd stop • PCT - Pacific Crest Trail
The PCT runs north and south through this area. I chose to hike to the bridge, almost 2 miles north of the campground. It was a relatively easy hike. The elevation was about 6,200ft, so I didnt have too many issues breathing. And the fact that the temperature was cooler helped.
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pctkennedy
sycamore cove
3/17/2017 - Sycamore Cove Beach
Dad and I drove to the beach.
We didn't stay long. It was overcast and cold, but I think we just wanted to get out of the house for a couple of hours.
Coastal Drive
3/18/2017 - Coastal Drive
Dad and I drove up through the hills just off the coast.
We headed out through the Simi Valley, then from Moorpark on CA-23 (where I took my 1st photos) to Fillmore. CA-126 to Santa Paula, CA-150 to Ojai then on to Lake Casitas, where we saw the swan. We continued on to Santa Barbara on US-1001, then turned on ca-154 and headed up to Lake Cachuma. We turned west on CA-246 at Santa Ynez, and stopped at the Chumash Casino to get some lunch. We continued on through Solvang, and turned back on US-101 south at Buelton. I took my last photos just before we came out on the coast at Gaviota.
Malibu Creek
3/19/2017 - Malibu Creek State Park
Dad and I hiked a little over 2 miles to the M*A*S*H set.
We stumbled on this location earlier in the week. Decided to come back on a day with better weather, which was today. A lovely hike, not too hard, just long. Same trail both in and out. I did stop and explore a little at the lake on the way back out.
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