{"id":3346,"date":"2018-10-01T16:30:56","date_gmt":"2018-10-01T23:30:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.russbishop.com\/blog\/?p=3346"},"modified":"2020-09-04T16:32:07","modified_gmt":"2020-09-04T23:32:07","slug":"a-land-of-extremes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/russbishop.com\/blog\/a-land-of-extremes\/","title":{"rendered":"A Land of Extremes"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Lone<\/a>
Lone Pine Peak through Mobius Arch, Alabama Hills, Inyo National Forest, California<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains in California is an area rich in superlatives. From the lofty summit of Mount Whitney (the highest point in the contiguous United States) to the ancient Bristlecone pines (the oldest living trees on earth), the Owens Valley, nestled between the Sierra and the White Mountains,\u00a0is itself the deepest chasm in North America.<\/p>\n

So it’s no surprise that driving up Highway 395, through\u00a0quaint high desert towns\u00a0in the shadow of some of the continent’s most imposing peaks, is a visual feast. This is a land of extremes, not only in elevation and longevity, but climate zones and geology. And with so much variety, anyone traveling this route needs to think carefully about their itinerary as there is far too much to\u00a0explore and experience\u00a0in a weekend escape.<\/p>\n

One exceptional spot that should not be missed is the Alabama Hills Recreation Area just west of Lone Pine. This is a wild landscape of\u00a0graceful arches and giant boulders strewn across the desert floor. In stark contrast to the snow-capped peaks above, this area has been\u00a0a favorite of advertising agencies and Hollywood studios going back to the silent movie days, and it’s easy to see why.\u00a0The warm dawn light here has a special quality that seems to illuminate the rocks from within, and beautifully accentuates the transition from the desert to the alpine environments.<\/p>\n

Over the years, the Alabama Hills have grown in popularity both as a photographer’s paradise and a traveler’s escape where camping is free and easy in a gorgeous setting. Unfortunately because the area is under\u00a0BLM (Bureau of Land Management) jurisdiction\u00a0and lacks the protection afforded other similarly\u00a0dramatic sites, it has seen its share of vandalism. Many have advocated for its wilderness designation over the years, but in a strange twist of fate it seems its fame and accessibility are likely to prevent any further protection.<\/p>\n

So enjoy this treasure, its beauty\u00a0and the unique sense of freedom it provides, but be sure to take only pictures and leave only footprints. And if you do happen to discover a new arch, give it a name and keep it to yourself so that the next person who visits can savor the same wilderness experience.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a9Russ Bishop\/All Rights Reserved<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains in California is an area rich in superlatives. From the lofty summit of Mount Whitney (the highest point in the contiguous United States) to the ancient Bristlecone pines (the oldest living trees on earth), the Owens Valley, nestled between the Sierra and the White Mountains,\u00a0is itself the deepest chasm in … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “A Land of Extremes”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,61,173,20],"tags":[436,15,56,437,72,438,14,108],"class_list":["post-3346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-environment","category-history","category-landscape-photography","category-travel","tag-alabama-hills","tag-california","tag-desert","tag-mobius-arch","tag-mountains","tag-owens-valley","tag-sierra-nevada","tag-wilderness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/russbishop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/russbishop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/russbishop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/russbishop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/russbishop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3346"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/russbishop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3346\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/russbishop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/russbishop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/russbishop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}