So those of us in Southern California, we usually try and get out as much as we can from the city and the daily rat race. We are very fortunate to live in an area where we have so many options in our backyard. All within 100 miles of each other we have the desert, mountains and the coast. In one single day, you can snow ski, explore the desert and surf the waves. However, that being said there's always that one time of the year where try to avoid the desert. At any given point during the summer the temps can rise to 116 on an average day in Death Valley and at night only cool down to a measly 90 degrees. This is why we choose to avoid the desert as much as we can during the summer months and head to higher, cooler elevations.
So, obviously the higher you get the cooler it gets. So we usually try and make it up to the Eastern Sierra Mountain Range at least once or twice a year if we can. That and we try and get up into our local mountains in SoCal at least once also. This combined with a Pacific Coast run, maybe up to Big Sur usually keeps us happy and fills the desert gap. Forests have so much to offer for the outdoor enthusiast, whether its hiking, kayaking, fishing or what have you, you will find something to fit the bill. That or do what many do, relax in the fresh air, peace and quite and enjoy the land.
This year we've made two trips up to the mountains. First trip we headed to the Northern Sierras to an area called the Stanislaus National Forest. Founded in 1897, it's home to Yosemite, 78 lakes, 711 miles of rivers and 898,000 acres of lush, beautiful landscape. The idea behind this trip was to meet up with a fellow overlander friend from Portland and catch up. Maybe cast our lines into the Stanislaus River, hike around the area or head out into the back country exploring in the trucks, but all of the above would be a bonus in our eyes.
Not being a local to the area, we researched a nice spot that everyone could get into and have access too. We chose an off highway campground deep in the heart of the Stanislaus Forest. Now i have to say, we usually don't do campgrounds but when they're somewhat off the beaten path and mildly remote they usually work out well. The campground in mind for this trip was Sand Bar Flats down on the Stanislaus River. It was a dirt road that switch backed down to the water level and RV's, large trailers are not advised to travel. Perfect.
When we arrived, we luckily found the last few campsites.
The menu was always more than exceptional. Pork tenderloin, Tri Tip, Brats, Chicken, Beef Kabobs, side dishes galore, dessert Pieholes and Nathans Famous Hotdogs. Too much to even list and i have a wasteline to prove it. It was rough, let me tell you.
Tri-Tip cooked to medium rare perfection.
Served with fresh cooked corn from under our hood and some amazing baked bread from the Bread Store in Sacramento.
A potluck can create some smiling faces.
Even the dogs knew something would get dropped eventually.
Delicious Piehole cooked over open flame and filled with chocolate pudding and whipped cream.
We usually eat like it's our last meal. Last Supper?
During the day, i fished and caught more bug bites than anything.
I even gave the river some love when i fell in. Although a little chilly from the snow run off, it did take talent.
The Stanislaus river is named for Estanislao, a Miwok leader from Mission San José, who led a band of 400 former mission acolytes against the Mexican government in 1828 and 1829. The band made its base along the banks of the river, then known as the Río de los Laquisimes. The word Laquisimes could be a Spanish loanword referring to the "Lakisamni", an Amerindian tribe that lived on the Stanislaus near Knights Ferry. The river also was a very well known for a debate to build a dam that was built that now forms lake New Melones. Before the dam was built the Stanislaus was a great place to river raft quite a long distance. The history is great here.
Tall trees everywhere you looked. This was the view from our hammock, not bad at all.
The camping area was nice. It was small and cozy. The sites were tucked away in the trees with almost a jungle like atmosphere. The part i liked is the large boulders that separated you from the rest of the campground. It felt more remote and you didn't hear or see any other campers in the area this way.
As the fire rolls on, the teardrops lined up and creating comfy places to rest out heads.
A little hair of the dog. Yes, that says Pepe. We just had to try it when we saw it for sale.
A night in camp.
We figured we'd make a loop out of the trip, proceeding onward and eastward by head over the Sonora Pass and down the 395 to home.
Spectacular scenery around every corner. We had to pull over several times to soak it in.
The Sonora Pass is pretty incredible all in itself. Steep grades and almost like glacier type snow on the ridge tops. Here you can see how steep the grade is.
This pass is located at 9,624 ft. and is the second highest pass in the Sierras. Trailers are not advisable through this section but with our small teardrop and electric brakes we didn't worry about it. I've actually heard stories of cattle trucks emptying their cattle and letting them run ahead of the trucks because the road is so steep the rigs couldn't make it. Pretty wild.
I was wearing sandals so i figured i'd do the Capt. Morgan pose.
The snow pack was melting and we had to be careful. Was almost like walking on a glacier. The dogs wanted to get closer, but we had to keep them in check for if they were swept under the water, we'd never see them again.
After approaching the 395 and Bridgeport, we said our goodbyes to our good friend from Portland as we split and he headed north and we headed south for home. Of course no trip down the 395 is complete without a stop at Erick Schat's Bakery in Bishop, CA.
Although we didn't do too much exploration on this trip or much of anything.. sometimes those trips end up being the best kind. Everyone needs a little downtime and there's no rules when you're in "Adventure Mode"
Big thanks to Mike from Portland for driving south to meet us and everyone else for making the haul. We had a great time as always.