Van ready to go.
Jim's home | Windsurfing home | This trip's home
Van ready to go.
I'm rendezvousing with my pal Frank at Mohave Lake. It's a dammed lake on the Colorado river near Bullhead City, AZ, south of Las Vegas. We plan to windsurf and hydrofoil windsurf (Frank mainly) for a few weeks, then come home through Joshua Tree park and Death Valley monument for some cool, mid-winter day hikes. Will also check trailforks.com for whatever mountain biking we can find.
So, to get there from the PNW, the preferred route from all accounts (thanks Rick!) seems to be go I-90 across Snoqualmie Pass, then Yakima and Tri-Cities to Pendleton, then over the Blue Mountains to Twin Falls Id, then south on 93 through NV to Las Vegas. Then on to Mohave Lake. My first post here entails going from Poulso (my home) to just shy of Twin Falls, ID.
Snoqualmie pass only had "traction tires advised" showing on the highway signs. I blew over it with ease in my converted Dodge Promaster van. Minor slush at the pass, but nothing scary. Lots of snow at the pass, but the throngs of people in Subarus and Teslas could have the ski-in-drizzel conditions that I saw.
Snow at Snoqualmie Pass.
The sun came out in the Tri-Cities area, but didn't lessen the creepy feeling I got going by the nerve gas bunkers at Umatilla at the VX disposal depot. Pendleton grade was exciting as usual, then the mildly scary passage over Deadman's pass, Poverty Flats and Emigrant hill by La Grande and Baker City, OR. I ran out of steam just shy of Twin falls and spent the night at a rest area. Hamburger with fried onions and toasted baguette slices with oil and balsamic vinegrette for dessert.
Dinner in the van. Avacado burger plus toasted baguette slices with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.