This video takes you on a tour of some of the spectacular desert areas east of the Sierras, as well as the arid grasslands and dry lake park of Carrizo Plains in central California.
Trona Pinnacles is a site with unusual pinnacle rock formations, near the town of Trona, just south of the Panamint Valley. Trona is actually the name of a mineral which is a primary source of sodium carbonate, so it's used to make baking soda.
The road to the Trona Pinnacles is a 5 mile long dirt road which is passable for 2WD, though it tends to be rough eg washboarded. This is BLM land, and there is an approximately 1 mile by 1 mile area of intersecting roads going thru the pinnacles, with many campsites. I did not find it crowded when I visited.
Next on the tour is the area around Ballarat Ghost Town, a site in the Panamint Valley north of Trona accessible by a washboarded dirt road that is doable for 2WD. This is one of the most remote areas in California. Ballarat Ghost Town consists of a few adobe structural remains, and one wooden building, a former jail. The area is privately owned and the owner has created a small museum. There is also a private campground there, essentially a dirt parking lot with some covered picnic tables, which has a $5-per-night suggested donation. One can go beyond Ballarat in 2 directions, one of which heads to Pleasant Canyon, the other to Surprise Canyon.
Driving north of Ballarat and continuing through the Panamint Valley, takes us to highway 190 and then east to Death Valley. When I visited there recently, there were some magnificent rain clouds above Telescope Peak, the highest point in the park at over 11,000 feet elevation.
Going back west on highway 190 we reach Lone Pine and the Alabama Hills. The Alabama Hills are quite spectacular with the eastern Sierra escarpment and Mt Whitney in the background, but perhaps for this reason, have become too popular and camping there is difficult, as each time I've been there I've found all the accessible spots taken. Several camp spots are up dirt roads which are only accessible to 4WD.
Heading south and west again through scenic highway 178 that passes by Walker Pass, Lake Isabella and other small towns, one can visit the Carrizo Plains national monument, which is west of Bakersfield. This remote park sees more visitors on weekends, but on weekdays is little visited. One of the most magnificent sights there is the large salt lake, called Soda Lake.
Featured music includes:
Om Narayani by Diana Rogers
Walter the Orphan by Hendyamps Studios
Emotional Cello by Joseph E Music
Silver Linings by Hendyamps Studios
The Age of Wood Cello Music
5 окт 2024
