Heloooooo Boonies -> Lone Pine, CA
I awake to the sound of birds, or rather as my expert analysis deems, tweety birds (yes, I’m a rather advanced birder LOL). It’s a sweet sound that I haven’t heard in many weeks and the songs ring crystal clear through the mountain air. Stepping outside the rig I’m met with a light breeze, the barest shiver of a chill, and the first glimpses of the sun hitting the snow-topped peaks of the mountains. The air is so clean it bites your lungs and I inhale deeply to savor the feel. My eyes scan the vast view, travelling from the tiny yellow flowers in the dirt to the bulbous earthern-red rock sculptures that surround our site to the granite grey Sierra Nevada Mountains that seem to rise inconceivably sharply to the sky. It’s a soul-awaking scene and I’m filled with awe at the majesty of it all.
We are but specks compared to this grand beauty…
Those who follow my blog will already know where we are. It’s an old-time favorite spot of ours, the Alabama Hills just west of Lone Pine, CA. This outerworldy landscape is a mix of 150-200 million year old metamorphosed volcanic rock and 82-85 million year old biotite monzogranite that have weathered over the millenia to form potato-shaped sculptures that balance and fold in impossible formations all around the 30,000 acres of the Alabama Hills Recreation Area. The back-drop of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, including Mt.Whitney (the highest point in the contiguous US at 14,505 feet (4,421 m)) makes for a stunning combo that very few can resist. In fact it’s so unique it’s become a Hollywood favorite and has served as the background to endless Western Movies, making this one of the most filmed areas in the US. When you stay here it’s easy to see why.
More interesting perhaps, to those of a boondocking persuation, is this is BLM land and open to free camping for 14-days in any pre-used spot. Thus the reason “the beast” is here.
This is the first time we’ve camped here in Spring and admittedly it’s way more crowded than we’re used to. Of course Spring Break is doing us no favors and there’s a steady stream of younger folk (some more rowdy than others) tent and car-camping all over the hills. Thankfully we snag a spot (one of the few left) and face “the beast” away from the road so we can pretend we’re alone. It totally works and we decide to settle for a while, or at least as long as the weather holds.
Our other challenge, first-world as it is, is the internet signal which we need for our livelihood in order to stay any length of time. As is usual here, the internet signal is weak and erratic. There’s zero Verizon and ATT is bouncing between absolute zip, Edge and occasional fleeting bursts of 4G. So we decide to break out our Wide Band Paddle Antenna
We seek out the nearest tower with this nifty online cell tower locator, point the paddle as best we can in that direction, drop the super beefy coax cable
Our final challenge is to get our windshield clean. Spring, as lovely as it is, brings out the bugs in droves which inevitably leaves a nice spattering of decoration in the front of “the beast” everytime we drive. If we don’t take care of it right after we arrive the bugs “bake in” creating a rather crunchy concoction that is almost impossible to get off. Over the years we’ve tried a bunch of different windshield cleaning options and our easy standby, which uses~ a cup of water (i.e. super boondocking friendly) is a clothes dryer sheet and glass cleaner.
The technique is super simple -> You just wet the dryer sheet with water and it magically loosens the bugs right off. It’s an old housewife trick and makes removal sooooo much easier. Follow up with a light sponge/wipe of water and then final clean with whatever glass cleaner you prefer (we like Invisible Glass
So here we are settled and ready to enjoy the fruits of the boonies for as long as we please, or at least until our 14-day stay limit is up. We’ve brought friends along too, something we often do traveling this length of road (the Hwy 395 experience is so worth sharing) so expect many outings & general RV buddy shenanigans before our time is up (more on that in the next post). In the meantime just imagine us nestled amongst the rocks and enjoying our time back in the boonies. I do so love it here…
Hello there. Thank you for your blog it is very insightful and encouraging. I can’t wait for the upcoming time when I get my RV. The question I have for you is, when you boondock in these remote places, how do you prepare or deter snakes? For instance, the photo of the lonely lounge chair in this posting brings to mind a frighting vision of a rattler or whatever slithering up. Has that happened and what do/did you do?
Thanks again Y’all!
Maxi
Rattlesnakes really do avoid people in general. So they’re more likely to stay away from you, although they sometimes do like to curl up under things. Most of our “prep” work just involves being aware, not putting your hands in places you can’t see (e.g. between rocks) and staying well away if we hear one rattling.
In the 20 or so years we’ve traveled around the desert we’ve only had a few encounters.
Nina
Love that area! Your views look fabulous AND we’re glad you are having such great weather! Wish we were there (we want to be everywhere)!
You guys are in a pretty special place too right now (Oregon coast) so I’m wanting to be there too!!
Nina
We love those ‘mini pinnacles’ views! Thanks to your blog info we visited Trona Pinnacles a couple of weeks ago and it was magical – perhaps largely because we had the whole place to ourselves, apart from the odd day tripper! We stayed nearly a week, and wished it could have been longer. Lovely part of the world!
AWESOME! Glad you got to experience that magical place. We were pretty stoked to find it last year.
Nina
I would have bet you were headed for dem der Alabama Hills once you mentioned heading up 395. That is going to be our likely first “test” location pre-Great Escape 2016. It probably won’t be until early fall this year since it warms up there earlier. We SO envy you guys. Why don’t you leave us a geo-cache to find. We accept diamonds, rubies, cash, credit cards, etc. 🙂
Tell you what, I just buried a bar of gold somewhere in the Alabama Hills. Hint – it’s near one of the rocks 🙂
Nina
Sure looks very calm and nice.
We came back to rocket launches and nude beaches and Disney World. Yes there were some good friends mixed in there also.
Sounds like a good mix of activities and a lot of fun!
Nina
Nice spot! And thanks for the tip about the cell tower locater.
By the way, you had asked at one point about picking up Amazon packages while on the road…I wrote about the solution here. http://www.travelwithkevinandruth.com/2015/03/how-to-collect-your-amazon-packages.html
I did see your post. Did you test it out yet? See my comment on your post. I’d love to know if it actually worked for you in multiple locations.
Nina
We are in the process of trying it out. I’ll update when we pick up our packages April 15th!
Happy cats, indeed! I so wanted to stay here last year, but couldn’t due to the signal since I was still working, and needed Verizon. Can’t wait to return now that I am no longer a slave to the signal! (And thanks for the educational birding tips. You are a step ahead of me. haha!)
Yeah if you don’t need signal this is an AWESOME place to stay. Lots of options, especially for smaller rigs like yours.
Nina
What awesome spring photos of your back yard! Just beautiful. And those Wildflowers in bloom in the boonies are always prettier than any yard flowers in the city. Funny how that works, eh?
Now I gotta get out my maps of the mountains, plan next weekend’s trip, and prepare the gear. See how ya are? Making me want my slice of the mountain boonies already, even tho it’s still quite early for that here in the WA Cascades. 🙂
Enjoy spring in the Sierras.
Totally agree. Wildflowers in the wilds are SO much more exciting to me than cultivated flowers. I do like both, but there’s something special about seeing nature doing it’s thing.
Hope the weather clears up for your first outing. Maybe it’ll be an early summer this year in WA? It’s certainly been early spring down here.
Nina
It has been early here this year, very early. The last weekend of February I drove to some lakes in the 4000′ to 4500′ elevation. That time of year here, and thru April to sometimes May-June is still snow mobile, ski, and snowshoe access. Crazy but true this year. So I figure I may as well be getting out to take in all I can since Ma Nature is offering it up this early. Why wait? 🙂
thanks for the cleaning tip Nina, we just got our trailer detailed at great expense and then drove into not one but two swarms of bees within a couple of days, nice and sticky!
Yeah the bugs are ferocious this time of year. We have to clean pretty much every time we drive. Hope the method works as well for you as it does for us!
Nina
We use the same process, but also add Mr Eraser for the really stubborn critters. It works a bit better then the dryer sheets. (Wish I had bought stock in Stoner, after all of the Invisible Glass Cleaner we’ve bought!)
I also finish up the glass, with either Nano Wax Spray (several now available) or Zaino’s version. This helps keep the dust and rain from sticking, and makes the windows easier for quick spot cleans while traveling.
Hope it does not get more crazy as this cycle of spring break rolls thru…
Smitty
Brain Fart! (Again…) That’s Mr Clean Magic Eraser. One can now get them with one side having a light scrubber too. Our old 3M film bra, soon to be gone, is a real PITA to remove the bugs from.
Forgot to mention good boost with up to 10 dBi with that yagi antenna at a reasonable price point.
Was a bit surprised to not see the new Z chair in that one picture:)!
Have a blast, and good place to land after the whirlwind of San Diego!
Smitty
I have more pics with the Z…fear not 🙂
Nina
Good tips. We’ve also finished glass with RainX…works in a similar way to seal and bead water.
Nina
Not knocking Rain X, but… Zaino ZCS is Rain X on Steroids:)!
Add in the UV protection, which may sound crazy – but I also like for us when were sitting behind that big sheet of glass, every bit helps!
I’ve also heard good things about Blackfire, which I’m told also has UV protection.
After cleaning our rims well, I add ZCS too, and it really helps keep of break dust too.
And no, this is also like Stoner’s – I own no stock:)!
Be good, have fun,
Smitty
Good to know. I’m always happy to try new products. If there’s something better I’ll definitely use it!
Nina
Have you been there before during the film festival? It was pretty crowded when that was going on so I wondered if spring break would be any worse.
I’m sure the cats are much happier. Ours don’t even want to go outside here with all the noise and people!
Gayle
We have not actually. We missed the film festival by about a week last time we were here, so not sure how crowded it gets. It’s pretty hoping now though. I think I’ll try to avoid Spring Break in the future.
Nina
I have yet to explore the Alabama Hills but you sure do make them look inviting. Guess I’m not usually that far north during spring or fall. Maybe the next fall on a trip to the PNW.
Believe it or not we’re only ~300 miles north of San Diego so it’s actually further south than you might think. It’s a good route to the PNW…just need to watch the weather in the high passes.
Nina
You’re sort of following in our “footsteps”. I loved that place. Hope to head back again someday.
Totally..we follow each other. It’s like déjà vu LOL
Nina
was wondering do you guys use at@t was thinking about going to verizon which is better for boondocking thanks allen
We actually have both. Verizon is our main source of Internet, but we also have ATT on our phones and use that as backup Internet in the rare places Verizon is not available. It’s nice to have both.
Nina
Lovely pictures, I see why you like this place. I love the picture of the cat. It looks a bit like a cougar at first glance, especially with her coloring. The way she is standing there on top of the rock and looking around reminds me of a cougar. She must like boondocking. 🙂
She LOVES boondocking. And yeah, she might have a bit of cougar in her too 🙂
Nina
Looks like such a very cool place, especially after a month in the big city:) We are hoping to finally get to do the whole 395 thing next fall. I am so tired at looking at photos of others. We need to witness all these gorgeous places! Looking forward to lots of fabulous photos:)
I was looking at the Escapee magazine this morning and came upon a photo and I thought that looks like Polly! Then I looked at the caption and saw you name!! John said Polly just has a very distinct pose:) Cute Polly photo:)
Yup we snuck in a photo of her in the last issue. She’s becoming a famous doggie 🙂
Nina
I hit the hills the week of March 9th and there was hardly anyone there and the town was real quiet. First time there but it’s now one of my favorites.
Internet access was a problem from my site tucked way up high in the boulders but one can get Verizon by driving halfway down the hill. And The Alabama Restaurant is a nice quaint little place with WiFi. There’s also a nice little coffee shop with WiFi. Downtown isn’t but a hop skip and jump from the hills so I just headed that way once in awhile to get a connect and load up my iPad with content.
Yup, Internet here is always a challenge but the views are sooooo worth it. Cheers for the downtown WiFi tips…I’ve always just driven to the road with our MiFi, but it’s nice to sit down somewhere for a longer stint. Also good to know the place was empty earlier in March..that just confirms its Spring Break creating the craziness now.
Nina
Another little tip…The Alabama Restaurant is only open till 2:00pm but they leave their WiFi active and it doesn’t require a password so you can just park outside a do your thing – The laundromat is right next door so you can surf and clean at the same time. Make sure to get a nice big cinnamon roll from the Alabama, they’re huge and delicious.
Beautiful spot!! How do you keep kitty from wandering away?
Our cats are getting older now (13) and for the first few years we were on the road we kept them on a leash. So they’ve been trained to stay close to us. In the mornings we walk them together with doggie around the hills. It’s slow going, but they pretty much just follow us around everywhere we go. After about an hour they’re exhausted and go inside to sleep the rest of the day. Taggart will also sometimes hang with us outside sunning in the lounge chair. It’s a tough kitty life!
Nina
I love the photo of your cat. My husband and I are planning to try full time RVing next year but we have a cat. Did your cats adjust easily to RV life? Or maybe they were kittens and didn’t know any other life. Thanks for the blog, I love reading it. It both inspires me and terrifies me (seems like you have an overwhelming amount of issues to deal with).
Oh my, this looks like a great spot! Thank you for the tips on window cleaning also. Your blog is a blessing.
Thank you much for following our travels too 🙂
Nina
Looks like a great spot. And the debugging tip, I will have to try that out.
Those dryer sheets are awesome. I think you’ll like how easily they work to dissolve the bugs.
Nina
Such a cool place. We will be heading up 395 within the next month…can’t wait! Enjoy your time in the hills. 🙂
I think you’re going to love it, especially in your new nimble truck camper. Be prepared for some mosquitoes though…they seem to be hatching right now.
Nina
Thanks to your site, we found Alabama Hills and squatted next to the “amphitheater” for a week last May. We LOVE the 395 corridor. We leave home again in a couple of weeks and will explore Sedona and Lake Powell for two months this year. I’ll be hitting your site soon for research on these areas. I know I’ll find good stuff. Thanks.
Lovely! It’s been many years since we hit those two areas (actually not since our first year on the road) so I don’t have any boondocking info for those on the blog. I do know you can boondock around Sedona with a Red Rock Pass. Also there is good boondocking (for a very low price) at Lone Rock in Lake Powell. Enjoy! We have to get back to that area now that we have more experience under our belts.
Nina
Funny – Just hit Sedona and fled, didn’t even spend a day – Way too many people and way too touristy. Used to love Sedona. Am now up at Lake Powell 🙂
Not real crowded here but plan your route in to the beach as there are some that are loose sand.
We went to Sedona our very first year on the road and even then I found it touristy and crowded. It’s soooo beautiful there, but it is getting popular. Glad you were able to find some peace up at Lake Powell.
Nina
Hi guys! Somehow we fell off your email list, but looks like we’re back again. I’m your email buddy & we’re the folks with the 18 ft trailer in Mt. Shasta. Hway 97 and 89 get to us with just ten minutes on I-5 to get to our creek and acre! Sounds like a great time. We’re still looking for that perfect truck/suv for our trailer, sigh….happy trails! -Kathi, Michael and two cats
You are tempting us mightily. In fact we were just looking at Mt.Shasta again today. She may well be on our drive north.
Nina
Looks beautiful – can’t wait to see them!
I hope swing through there on vacation in a couple of weeks. I stopped there two years ago in late April and really enjoyed it.
My wife and I love reading about your adventures. We are on a not so long term plan to retire in our RV. I saw that there is a ghost town near you called Cerro Gordo Ghost Town…hmmm…wonder if there is a future ghost town excursion coming?
It’s a bit of a rough drive to get up there unfortunately so probably not going to be on our itinerary this time around. Looks fascinating though.
Nina
Good choice of routes. We have be traveling and boondocking on Hwy 395 for over 30 years. It never gets old. Have you tried Crowley Lake BLM? The are some great hiking trails west of the CG.
Papa
We haven’t actually. Almost every time we come here Crowley is closed for the season, and sadly it’s still closed now. One day we’ll stop there, for sure!
Nina
Aww..Jeez…Skeeters???…I have killed 4 this past week up here in North Central Wa…Usually we are safe until the week after Mem day…My plan was 2 weeks ago for 395 to Death valley..Plans have changed..Especially with your skeeter warning….Now it looks like Jet Boat Races in Riggins Idaho in a couple of weeks..
May see you on the coast this summer…
David
They’re definitely out…and way early too because of the hot winter and early spring. I’d heard about the skeeters up here, but this is the first time we’ve actually experienced them. Out where we’re currently camped it’s not too bad, but by the creek they swarm in the late afternoon. They’re hatched and hungry!
Nina
Great post with lots of good information. We’ll file this away for the future when we head that way….we’re still in the buying phase of the RV lifestyle.
Our windshield looks like a massive battlefield – will have to give that method a try! Love the pics of kitty and the mountains 🙂
Just a note on Cerro Gordo…it is private property, and although they sometimes welcome visitors, it may be a good idea to let them know you are coming. Also, it is a very rough road up to the old mines, and you need 4×4 to continue over the old tram, and the crest of the mountain.
BUT…the views of Saline Valley, and all of the Owens valley are tremendous!!
Steve
Yeah I actually just looked at this on the map yesterday and it’s too rough a drive for us (we’ve only got the CR-V). Looks like a wonderful jeeping trip though!
Nina
Glad to hear you made it out of the BIG city.
We are just back from five days hiking in the Owyhee Canyonlands. Very nice.
If you haven’t yet been there, consider checking out the Steens Mts. an Avlord Desert. The Steens might be too snowy, but the Alvord Desert should be perfect right now. Pike Creek is a very nice hike and there is a great boondocking spot right on the edge of the playa a couple miles South of the Hot Springs, that has good Verizon service (don’t drive on the playa if it even looks like rain). Have a milk shake in Fields and Nancy (the milkshake lady) will tell you how to find it (it’s about a mile south of her house).
Fun travels,
We SOOOOoooooooo want to see the Steens. They’ve been on our “wish list” for years, but we just never seem to make it over there. We have them pegged for our drive down from Oregon to New Mexico later this fall. Hope to make it there!
Nina
Fall is a great time because the loop road through the Steens will likely be open. And, if your timing is right, the Aspens could be in full fall color.
Sweeeet!
Hmmmm…..we were planning to take 395 back to Ashland when we leave San Diego (which probably won’t be for another couple of weeks). But after seeing the dreaded word “skeeter” I’m thinking perhaps it’s not such a good idea after all. Darn! We’ve driven 395 several times in the fall and loved it and were looking forward to a spring journey. But perhaps we’ll go the coastal route instead. I’ll keep watch on your blog for skeeter updates. 🙂
This is our first time here the spring, so it’s our very first experience with mosquitoes in the area. Not sure how bad they get or how wide their breeding area is? I’ll be curious to see what we find as we travel further north. I’ll definitely report back.
Nina
It’s hard to believe it is busy there, all of your photos make it look like you are the only ones on earth. Very peaceful looking. I am interested in this boo docking thing, we don’t have that here is BC
Busy is of course relative too. I’m so used to being very isolated here, so seeing most of the spots full and cars everyday on the roads seems weird. I have to admit we do have a nice site with no near neighbors.
Nina
Hi Nina; another great blog, Dryer sheets? Sorta like the jack knife of chemicals. We’ve been following you now in one form or another for several years. You and Paul are a great inspiration in so many ways. I’ve started my blog now, not in the ball park when compared to yours, but a beginning. If you care to read, here is the page. https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=201461221391777792#allposts Happy trail, Matt and Ida
Welcome to Blog Land! I tried to access your blog, but it’s giving me an error saying “user not authorized” so you may want to double-check the settings.
Nina
Thank you so much for your blog on Lone Pine! We took our “beast” (all 45 feet of it) and ended up staying 5 days. I’d love to post a picture of our gorgeous spot but I don’t know how to do that here. We fell in love with the Alabama Hills and the area in general. We hiked up to Lone Pine Lake, went on jeep rides, climbed rocks, and had a fantastic time. I love your blog and have picked up on so many places to visit that I would have passed by before. We are in Bend, OR now for a few days and then heading towards McMinnville and Olde Stone Village. Hopefully, we will run into you somewhere … we’d love to visit with you and pick your collective brains 🙂
Sweet! Glad you enjoyed the area. Love Bend too, and McMinnville…you guys are going to have a blast. If you’re still on the coast July/Aug come see us at the lighthouse in Cape D.
Nina
I was there 3/27 & 3/28. I thought your rig look familiar, didn’t have a chance to check your blog till now. I found this place reading your blog. I actually camp at the site you were at in your review. Awesome place…except I was surprise to see mosquitos there, but only dawn and dusk so manageable. Thanks for your info and tips. Enjoy!