Jim's home | Windsurfing home | La Ventana Again home
I took the route east of the Sierras recommended by friend Arnie. After crossing the border in Mexicali I headed to Las Vegas, NV and got to walk around the Imperial Sand Dunes. Got gas and groceries in Las Vegas and headed north, camping at a rest area at a lonely intersection with a road leading east to Death Valley. Then north on more lonely roads to Reno, NV and on to Susanville, CA. A big electronic sign said "WARNING, winter storms west of Reno", so I didn't cut over to I-5 and instead headed to Klamath Falls, OR.
The border crossing. It's a mess.
Scenes from the Imperial Sand Dunes in CA.
Camped at a lonely rest area in NV. It was actually very nice and quiet.
The ground was snow covered in Susanville, and a pass north of there would take me 1,000 feet higher. Drove through snowy forests and fields on clear roads. Saw a rainbow over a snowfield. Hit blizzard conditions coming into Klamath Falls and camped in the Kla-Mo-Ya casino parking lot north of Klamath Falls. Snow plows were plowing the lot all night. Was 32 degrees inside my van and 18 degrees outside in the morning. Glare ice on the roads when I left an hour before dawn. Just me and the tractor trailers on the road going 40 mph. Temps dropped to 5 degrees on the way to La Pine, OR, then all was nice approaching Bend. I wanted to go to Hood River, OR and took the roads at the base of Mt. Hood. They were snow packed with chains required. Kept speed up and made it safely to Hood River, then home. What a trip!
A rainbow over snow just north of Susanville, CA.
Heavy snow falling approaching Klamath Falls, OR.
Camped at the Kla-Mo-Ya casino north of Klamath Falls. Very thankful that it was there.
Snowy roads near Mt. Hood, OR. Signs said "Chains required".
