Autumn Road Trip - Day Two

Man, I was so tired from my long drive that I didn't sleep very well at the hotel, 😏 and rose super early on Friday to start the next leg of the adventure.  I couldn't leave too early, because I'm terrible about driving in the dark, and would miss the scenery that way, anyway; but I was loathe to hang about, so I did start off in the pitch dark.  By the time I reached Carson City, the day was coming on and the rain in the night was seen to have put snow on the peaks along my way.

Daylight as I come into Carson City for gas, which was $2.55 as opposed to $2.89 at home

View from my rearview mirror, driver's side

Sunrise lightens as I travel

The snowy mountains are still wreathed in clouds

Looking back towards where I've been

And looking forward to where I'm going

Approaching Topaz Lake where Nevada meets California

Pretty, eh?

First of 4 I hope to hit today

A very cold, blustery day, but so pretty!

Looking back over Topaz Lake

Here's where I turn off of Hwy 395 and onto Hwy 89, and head into the rocky Sierras

One view of a particular craggy hill

View out my passenger window

That's kinda where I'm heading

A different aspect of the craggy hill

And yet another, to show the valley that hides behind it

Climbing up now

Looking down on the road I just travelled.

One more view of that craggy hill, only now, there's snow in my world

Okay, I'm nervous, but there are no more turn-arounds

I am talking out loud, telling myself to keep going 25 mph so I don't lose traction, and sweating copiously.

There's my reward, which was unexpected and gratefully received!

I turned around here, disappointed, but unwilling to penetrate to Markleeville.  Darn!  Hmmm.

I have sweated the icy trip down to where the road is almost dry again

One pretty curve along the way.  The area had obviously gone through a wildfire.

Pinkish shrubbery

Topaz Lake

Topaz Lake from another side of it

I've hit Rock Bottom (road)

Coming into Gardnerville

Passing through Minden

At Carson City, I turned onto Hwy 50, determined to get at least El Dorado County under my belt.

Snow was evident but better worn and plowed so I approached Tahoe at a slow but confident pace

Lake Tahoe!

Lake Tahoe!

I am in California (El Dorado County) at Stateline Nevada

Back past Zephyr Cove and through the tunnels towards home

Chowder and a tuna sammie at Black Bear Diner to soothe my weary bones for the final leg home

Black Bear Diner train

What driving on snowy wet mountain roads does to your rear window and car body

Nevada State Museum - Carson City

Back on the road again

There are the Red Rocks again

I couldn't get closer, because where I did get contained a trailer-camp, a truck, and a guy target practicing across the trail

Yesterday when Yoda and I passed this way, there was no snow on the peaks.  We will turn west at Hallelujah Junction just ahead.

Rest stop had this cloud over it, and I encountered scattered showers all the way home from here on.

Two long days, four counties, and lots of miles, but I am now up to 39 of 58 California counties touched in 2017.  When I got home, Jeffery and Craig had gotten a LOT accomplished in my absence.

Autumn Road Trip - Day One

Last week, I took off to add 5 more counties to my "Counties Visited in 2017" list while Craig and Jeffery did a work project at home.  This trip may bore some of you, because it was a lot of driving along the eastern side of the Sierras; but I found it fascinating how different each area was, despite having many of the same elements.  Here, see for yourself!

Heading west through my home canyon

At a Lake Almanor sub-division, these trees provided the gateway

Out into the big valley

Approaching Susanville

Heading north on Hwy 139 out of Susanville

Rocks and colors

Numerous vistas between hill passes as I wend north

I approach Eagle Lake

And then I continue on past it into the high desert country that is slightly different

Liked this delineating line of trees ahead

Another pass, another valley ahead, and all lit and shadowed by the storm clouds that would be rain clouds later on.

Another tree'd hill passage

This is only about 1/3rd of the whoopdy-whoop road, but I caught as much as I could

One last stretch of "flat" valley and......

Tah dah!  I am in Modoc County, and I had to come all the way to Adin to get here.  67 miles from Susanville.

Ash Creek looking west from the bridge

Ash Creek looking east from the bridge

One section of the general store I went into.  The town boasts 275 people!

Another view of this over 100-year-old store

He lurks just outside the restroom which states clearly "For Customers Only".

Downtown Adin, California

Pretty spot along a creek heading back the way I'd come

Boulder strewings, natural or man-created?

Those are cows at Eagle Lake!

Cowboys and dogies

This was the third herd I saw along the shore

cattle and mountains

Last look back at Eagle Lake

I call this shot "The Vast Deepies" because you can see so far.

The clouds hung low as I re-approached Susanville

Ghost Mountain on Salt Flat looking expanse

Here's a "close-up"

Can you see the dirt storm rising off the fields?  It was powerfully windy the whole day, and I ran into several dust clouds

Gosh, how I love a rocky tor!

See the red rocks on the far hill?

I want to go closer, but it's late and I'm ready to get where I'm going - Reno - before darkness falls.

The mountains near Hallelujah Junction, about a half-hour north of Reno.

I'll show the second day of my tour in a post to follow.