Owens Valley - Liquid Gold

Slope-side switchbacks await. The Whitney Portal road follows a different route than the one seen in 1954's The Long, Long Trailer starring Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, but even the modern route can spell big-time trouble if your cooling system and brakes aren't in good shape.

After twisting up the switchbacks and dodging errant rocks on the Whitney Portal road, we came to Whitney Portal itself. At almost 8,000 feet, the air is noticeably thin and the temperatures are refreshingly cool. This is the portal through which Mt. Whitney hikers pass on their way to the peak's 14,505-foot summit, the highest peak in the lower 48 states.

Is your pack too heavy? This scale at Whitney Portal will tell you. The Portal also has several signs that give advice on everything from altitude sickness to bear safety. The bear safety sign had an impressive headline: "Never underestimate an animal that can learn to ride a motorcycle."

Lone Pine Creek forms this gorgeous cascade on its way past Whitney Portal.

To gain a better understanding of our surroundings, we checked out the Eastern California Museum in small-town Independence. This yard-full of equipment was used in the construction of the L.A. Aqueduct. The equipment is in remarkable shape for its age, thanks to a dry climate. With hot summers, biting-cold winters and nearly constant wind, it took some pretty tough people to build the Aqueduct.

Check out the hand-crank starter on this Fordson tractor. It's good that they don't make 'em like they used to. The Fordson was mass-produced starting in 1917, so this tractor was likely used for aqueduct maintenance rather than during the initial construction.

Wood often combined with iron and steel on early machinery. There are untold ways to lose a finger, or worse, on an implement like this one.

Inside the museum we found lots of cool stuff on display, but this set of "coyote dentures" stood out among the rest. Local resident George Washington Hancock (1882-1969) needed new dentures, but didn't have the money to pay for a professionally made set. He made his own by melting down toothbrush handles and molding the warm plastic over his gums. Coyote teeth were used because they were easy to obtain.

The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest was next on the list. This sign greets you as you head up Highway 168 out of Big Pine.

The Ancient Bristlecones live high up in the White Mountains of the Inyo National Forest. They are the oldest non-clonal living things on earth, and the oldest bristlecone is the "Methuselah" tree at 4,775 years old. There are two main groves of Bristlecones, the Schulman Grove and the Patriarch Grove. Methuselah is in the Schulman Grove, but the Forest Service will not tell you which tree it is. This is to protect the tree and leave you wondering. Two trails in the Schulman Grove offer visitors a chance to see the gnarled old trees up close.

This is from the Schulman Grove Discovery Trail looking back at the Bristlecone Byway. Looking west you can see the Sierra Nevada's looming in the distance. The road turns to dirt just past the Schulman Grove. You'll continue on for another 9 miles to get to the Patriarch Grove.

Most of the road to the Patriarch Grove is within easy reach of stock SUVs during good weather. The views are epic, and stopping to drink in the scenery is almost mandatory. This is above 10,000 feet and subject to severe winter storms. Plan this trip around the season, as the entire Bristlecone Byway is closed during winter. Even during the summer, the weather can change quickly at this altitude, so prepare accordingly.