Friday 8th October - Quincy to Crater Lake

Several participants had decided not to take the final leg of the tour to Crater Lake, so they departed for home this morning. We say goodbye and safe travels to Glen and Georgia, and Phil and Tom. The remaining 7 cars departed from Quincy around 8am, as it was to be a long drive.

The first leg of the drive from Quincy to Susanville passed through much of the area devastated by the Dixie fire which started more than two months ago, and burned close to one million acres. There were multiple traffic stops along the way caused by the cleanup crews felling trees, and removing other debris. 

Waiting for the pilot truck to lead us past more of the Dixie clean up

The debris had already been cleared here, but the blackened trunks remain standing

Here the burned tree trunks have been cut and hauled down to the roadside for removal

The repeated scene of vast areas of destroyed forest was disturbing enough, but we then drove through what remains of the small town of Greenville. The center of the town was almost entirely destroyed.

After leaving the areas affected by the fire, we ran into a couple more delays due to extensive road works. As a result, we arrived in Susanville close to 2 hours behind schedule. Dierdre and Norman set off for home from this point - safe trip home. Since sticking to the original itinerary would have caused us to arrive at Crater Lake after sunset, we decided to omit the visit to the Lava Beds National Monument so we could enjoy Crater Lake. The drive north on CA-139 was enjoyable and largely devoid of any other traffic.

A pit stop on the way to Crater Lake - note Michael Jenkins' Escalade

Michael Jenkins used his third vehicle for this leg of the Oil Leak - a record. Many have used 2, but three is unprecedented!

We reached Crater Lake around 4:30pm. The sky was clear and the blue water of the lake as blue as ever. Some took a short hike, while others just enjoyed the view from the Lodge.

View from our room at the Lodge - hard to beat!

The Lodge stands on the rim of the caldera of the collapsed volvano

The last berries of summer by the Lodge

The Lodge closes for winter in a few days, and some of the other facilities were already shut down for the winter. Unfortunately, COVID-19 restrictions meant the Lodge was only open to registered guests, so our final dinner of the trip was smaller than planned. At the end, we all said our farewells and hope to see each other on future Oil Leaks. Our heartfelt thanks go to Kjell for planning this adventure, and we wish him a speedy recovery from his injuries.

PS:

Before heading for home Saturday morning, Debbie and I took a few photos of Crater Lake for everyone to enjoy:

Sunrise over Crater Lake - I guess that's a thin layer of ice on the surface

A short drive on the rim to see the "Phantom Ship" - an island at the edge of the lake

Still signs of the heavy frost on the card after a 20 minute drive

Safe trips home everyone, and thank you all for making this another great Oil Leak!

Thursday 7th October - Lee Vining to Quincy

The morning sun greeted us in Lee Vining with scarcely a sign of smoke. The mountains were clear and the temperature a little chilly. 

A clear sunny morning, and Glen Wior loads up his F-Type for the coming day

Two of the group left for home this morning, Mike Humphries and Deborah and Joe Harding. Deborah and Joe stuck with the tour for three whole days despite having a dead starter motor which forced them to bump start their car at every stop. We wish all a safe return home, and look forward to seeing them on future Oil Leaks.

Our first adventure today was a visit to Bodie State Historic Park, a ghost town high in the mountains which was a gold and silver mining community, occupied as recently as the 1940s. 

View of Mono Lake on the climb out of Lee Vining on US-395

Bodie is located at the end of a 13 mile road, the last 3 miles of which is a dirt road. This section was heavily washboarded and a real challenge to our E-Types. Some tried to drive it at walking pace, while others found that going faster seemed to help. Either way, there was a lot of suspension action, rattling, and dust!

The remote location probably helped to guarantee that we pretty much had the place to ourselves apart from the park wardens working there. Some of the buildings and artifacts are in their original state, whilst others have been restored. Everyone seemed to enjoy our 1-1/2 hour stay there as we walked about exploring. I've included just a few of the photos I took of the buildings and artifacts:

Jaguars lined up after the 3 mile dirt road torture..

Dianne, Greg, Debbie, Glen and Georgia set off to explore

Remarkably preserved artifacts in one of the homes

Somewhat less preserved building!

Dog lived well in a tin panel covered house

Georgia, Deirdre and Debbie visit the hotel and bar

The store, and garage with gas pumps and a 1927 truck

Very heavily-built truck for carrying ore

Some of the buildings looked like a strong wind would bring them down

Massive mine head equipment powered by steam

We left Bodie at 11am to return the way we came - so more suspension-jarring miles, which we all seemed to survive, fortunately. Despite the trauma to the cars, I think we all agreed that the visit was most interesting and enjoyable.

From Bodie we headed north again on US-395 for lunch at Topaz just over the border in Nevada. We had to fight our way past the slot machines of course, but we had a nice lunch overlooking the lake.

Lunch at the Topaz Resort in Nevada

Another parking lot full of Jaguars...

Lunch over, we had a long drive ahead of us to Quincy, California. Along the way we drove by the North End of Lake Tahoe, fortunately spared from the recent Caldor Fire. 

Parking near Lake Tahoe seems impossible these days, so this is the best I could manage

On our drive north from Tahoe we experienced a couple of rain showers which helped to clear the Bodie dust from our cars, though I'm sure there will be plenty of cleaning to be done when we get home. We had dinner at Sweet Loraine's in downtown Quincy. Kjell had set this up for the tour, and the restaurant had closed to accommodate our party. It was a great meal - the best we have had on the tour so far.

Sweet Loraine's for dinner - photo courtesy of Greg

So here's one of Greg enjoying his entree with the Whiskey Bread Pudding on deck...

Over dinner talk turned to discussion of possibilities for the 2022 Oil Leak. All suggestions and ideas welcome, and volunteers to help plan the trip. Several of the participants will be ending their tour here rather than taking the long drive to Crater Lake. The original planned route through Lassen Volcanic Park had to be abandoned due to the Dixie Fire, and snow is forecast for the Crater Lake area, which influenced some of the decisions. We wish everyone a safe return and look forward to seeing them again in a future Oil Leak.

Wednesday 6th October - Mammoth to Lee Vining

Today's drive was highly anticipated by many of the participants as it consisted of a visit to Yosemite National Park, including entry into the park via Tioga Pass. 

With Kjell receiving surgery on an injured hand, we relied on his prepared itinerary for today's drive. Some of us left on schedule at 8:30am with others following a little later. After a short drive from Mammoth to Lee Vining on US-395, we turned onto CA-120 heading west into the Sierras. The road climbed steeply into the mountains with spectacular views on all sides. The road passes over Tioga Pass at 9,943ft so it became progressively colder as our elevation increased. We were delayed by about 20 minutes due to road construction but, other than that, everything was wonderful. Stops along the way included Tuolumne Meadows, Tenaya Lake, and Olmsted Point.

Cloud's Rest (9,931ft) from Olmsted Point - 5,000ft sheer granite walls drop to the valley below

Half Dome (8,839ft) from Olmsted Point - the iconic Yosemite Peak viewed from the East

From Olsted Point the road descends gradually into Yosemite Valley itself. The first glimpse of the valley always amazes me, however often I see it. There was some haze, no doubt due to smoke from the wildfires, but less than might have been expected.

First glimpse of Yosemite Valley - El Capitan on the left, Half Dome in the center

Having arrived in Yosemite Valley, we each made our own choices on how best to enjoy our limited time there. Debbie and I decided to start our visit by leaving Yosemite Valley! We left on CA-41 heading west to the Wawona Hotel, about 20 miles from the entrance to the valley. This location has special memories for us, and we really enjoyed reliving them as we ate our picnic lunch on the veranda.

Outside the Wawona Hotel 

On our return to Yosemite Valley we witnessed one of many examples of sections of forest destroyed by wildfires over the years.

This section of forest was clearly burned several years ago, but is showing little sign of recovery

Having exited Yosemite Valley, we were able to repeat the experience of a "first glimpse" as we emerged from the tunnel on our return. The smokey haze gave the vista something of the appearance of a faded water color...

El Capitan, Half Dome, and Cathedral Rocks from the tunnel exit

We drove the length of the valley to its head, where the famous Ahwahnee Hotel stands on the valley floor, surrounded by Half Dome, Glacier Point, and Yosemite Falls. 

The Ahwahnee Hotel, built in 1927 surrounded by the valley's landmarks

All too soon, we had to start out on the 2 hour return drive to Lee Vining for our stay at Murphey's Hotel. We were briefly delayed by a helicopter landing close to the road at the end of the valley, presumably as part of a rescue operation.

Helicopter leaving the meadow on an emergency mission

Debbie and I had a great day in Yosemite, and it seems that we were not alone. We heard in the evening that Tioga Pass will be closing tomorrow because of an incoming winter storm, so it seems that we visited just in time.

Tuesday 5th October - Lone Pine to Mammoth Lakes

Day two of the V2VOL commenced in Lone Pine, California with visibility somewhat improved with less smoke in the air. The view of the Sierras from the hotel promised well for the rest of the day.

A little after 8:30am we started out heading north on US-395 for just over 40 miles. Michael Jenkins had returned home with his E-Type on a tow truck overnight (due to the broken alternator bracket), and rejoined us later in the day in his black XK8. The morning's highlight was to be a visit to an ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. At the start of the drive into the mountains on CA-168 we regrouped and Kjell briefed us on what to expect of the 6,000 foot climb on twisty roads to an altitude of 10,000 feet.

Getting set for the climb to the Bristlecone Pines (a few cars not shown here)

The climb into the White Mountains on the well paved twisty road was very enjoyable, and the temperature dropped steadily as we approached the top. The cars handled the climb well and once at the summit we explored the Bristlecone Pine Forest. The forest is home to the oldest trees in the world. Some of the living trees are over 4,000 years old and exhibit spectacular forms with twisted and beautifully colored wood. A number of trails are laid out to explore the forest, accompanied by information plaques with lots of details.

Bristlecone Pines near one of the trails

The bleak conditions contribute to the pine's slow growth and longevity

These dead trees exhibit the characteristic twisted appearance

At 11:30am we started the descent back into the valley and smoke. It had been a wonderful visit to the White Mountains, and the clear blue sky was a real treat.

View across the valley with the far mountain summits above the smoke

From this point, we headed north on US-395 again into Bishop for lunch at Whiskey Creek. Following lunch and a fuel stop, we headed north again towards Mammoth Lakes where we were to spend the night. Kjell included a side trip to Rock Lake Creek to view some of the local Fall Colors. Unfortunately, as we were heading out of Bishop Kjell's alternator failed. As he lives locally, he decided to switch cars and rejoin us later, having sent us on our way. 

The group became separated on the drive out of Bishop and some experienced the Fall Color side trip, while others didn't. While fall colors weren't apparent at the lower altitudes, as we climbed into the Sierra the leaves changed to yellows, oranges and reds. 

It wasn't until the group that we were driving with arrived in Mammoth Lakes at the Hotel, that we heard from other members of the group that Kjell had been involved in an accident near Bishop and been taken to hospital. We understand that he escaped with minor injuries, but will stay in hospital overnight. Some members of the group came upon the scene of the accident after Kjell had been taken off in the ambulance and were able to retrieve belongings from the car (which was heavily damaged) thanks to a very helpful Police Officer. They then visited the hospital but did not see Kjell. Our thoughts are with Kjell for a rapid recovery from his injuries. He has put together a wonderful itinerary for the Oil Leak and will be thinking of him as we complete it over the coming days. Get well Kjell!