Truck Camping Photo Thread

Crux was actually our first brewery on the trip, right off the highway and a great porter.

 

did you have the tacos

that soft fried shell gets me all the time

 

I went with the Reuben / gf always gets a pretzel... we were definitely not disappointed

 

Well damn, I was just up range of you at Papoose Flat this morning! If I’d known you were hitting the tram I’d have changed my itinerary. Did you come up Swansea or over from Cerro Gordo?

 

Must be nice. 102 yesterday, 100 today. No camping in site for me for a while

 

It was only 119 when I drove through Furnace Creek yesterday. Campground seemed empty, can’t imagine why...

 

Good Lord. That is plum ridiculous

 

Some awesome dispersed camping in NY

 

Awe hell.
I didn't have a solid plan of where I was going. I had come from the bay area after picking up my new shell. The night before I was camped near Lake Crowley. With the temps and smoke from the fire near Mammoth I wanted to get some elevation. It was a decision between the White Mountains or the Salt Tram. I briefly considered Papoose Flats too. I wish I had known you were up there. The road to the Salt Tram from Cerro Gordo was in much worse shape than I remember from nine years ago.
What were the temps up at Papoose?

 

Yeah I saw all the smoke blanketing the area up there. Fortunately around Big Pine and south it was pretty clear Mon-Wed. That fire was like 12 acres on Saturday and the FS very ho-hum about it. Sure took off in a hurry at the start of the week. I guess it is still well contained and running up against recent burns so other than the obnoxious smoke no big deal.

The temps in the Owens Valley were pretty brutal. I had dinner in Big Pine on Monday evening and it was toasty down there.

Yeah my trip wasn't certain until the last minute either. Usually I post if I'm heading out just in case someone will be in the area. Stupid me I didn't post the one time it would have mattered!

Yikes! I did it once back in July of 2003 and it scared the bejeezus out of me. I went up from Swansea and then across to Cerro Gordo. Besides the well known off camber traverse the really scary part was the insanely steep switchbacks coming off the ridge the tram is on. One of the few times I've ever been in a vehicle and considered it a real possibility I could die if I touched the brakes at the wrong moment. Thank goodness for 4LO in that case.

In shade with a breeze quite pleasant. In late afternoon sun without a breeze kind of annoyingly warm. I felt 9000 ft should be cooler than that! During the day there were a fair number of flies such that you were usually getting buzzed and waving your arms a few times every minute. Annoying. Fortunately I could retreat into the FlipPac and open the windows for a nice cool breeze.

I think after three years in a row of attempting June trips that I've not particularly enjoyed I'm going to write them off going forward. I'm usually forced to high altitude without acclimatization to avoid the temps and it is early enough in the summer that there is usually a lot of bug activity because there is still plenty of moisture and plant growth.

 

I guess after blathering on about camping at Papoose Flat it would be good to post a photo of my truck on Papoose Flat since this is the Truck Camping Photo Thread.

For those not familiar Papoose Flat is in the Inyo Mountains just across the Owens Valley from the Sierra Nevada. The flat itself is around 8,500 ft and the Sierra crest in the background about 13,500ft. The flat itself ends rather abruptly on its western edge as the terrain plummets nearly 5000 ft to the Owens Valley floor.

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Well double damn then... I even thought about heading over to your favorite swimming hole in the area...

 

I know it's a little early, but I will be exploring the Owens Valley the first 2 weeks of September.

If any of you plan to be in the area, maybe we can meet for a campfire...

 

Bugs!
At Lake Crowley the bugs were insane. I found one site right on the water and in a second all sorts were on my hood. Then at the site I camped at I was starting dinner and heard a high pitched humming sound. I looked up and discovered a huge mass of mosquitoes. Fortunately the site was stocked with firewood and I made a small fire in the much used pit. So I sat near the fire and made dinner with my Trangia. That night was colder than up on the Inyo Crest.

The bugs weren't too bad up at the tram but I did arrive later and napped in the back of the truck with mosquito netting strung up on the back. I actually slept most of the night with the tailgate closed but the back door open with the netting in place.

Once again my mind was messing with me and thoughts of a report of a stalking mountain lion in the area from an acquaintance gave me reason to close the back hatch.

 

^^^^^ There's your problem right there...

 

Yes but I also got two nice soaks at Whitmore.

 

Man I'm ready for it to cool off soon. Haven't even made it to the mountains much this year. That's going to change in July though.

 

Gee I wonder why they would call a place that's hot Furnace Creek. (Read Sarcasm)

 

Indeed. Though there is some dispute among historians as to whether it refers to the really high air temperatures in the summer, or the rather warm temperature of the creek all year round (it is a warm spring around 85F).

On the other hand the name of "Stovepipe Wells" to the north a bit has nothing to do about heat despite the hot name. The springs were just two shallow pits until the 1930's and they were marked with a tall stovepipe so travelers could find them from a distance.

 

With some of the fantastic ideas, I ended up having a Tradesman built as well. I haven't had time yet to kit out the back, but so far I'm very happy with it. I did add some small Rigid floods on the sides and the rear.