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Mammoth, Mines, 'n' MoreA Bucket List Adventure From the February, 2012 issue of 4 Wheel Drive By Kevin Blumer Photography by Jaime Hernandez, Kevin Blumer
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Do you have a "bucket list?" You know, the list of things you want to do before you "kick the bucket." I do and although it’s in constant flux, there are a few things that haven’t changed over the years. I’ve wanted to see the ghost town of Bodie, California, ever since I read about it in a guidebook called Where Can We Go This Weekend? Meanwhile my wife, Collette, has long wanted to see Devil’s Postpile, a spectacular volcanic formation near Mammoth Lakes, California. We recently had the chance to check off both items in a single trip when Jaime Hernandez, a friend I’ve made through the off-road industry, invited us along on a trip in that very neck of the woods. Jaime’s wife, Beth, grew up in Mammoth Lakes and still has family there. The plan was to meet in Lone... The plan was to meet in Lone Pine around noon and caravan from there. Collette and I are night owls, so we decided it best to do part of the distance the night before rather than feebly attempting to get up at the crack of dawn. We overnighted at the Carriage Inn in Ridgecrest. Many, many times during this trip we were able to see and do things we might have missed had we undertaken this trip on our own. The local knowledge and hospitality offered by Jaime and Beth was top-notch and very much appreciated. On the way out of town, I... On the way out of town, I spied a VP gas station and felt compelled to pull in. I’d never seen a VP gas station, but VP Racing is famous for its racing gasoline. Sure enough, this station offered 100-octane race gas right at the pump! Performance has its price, which was $6.75 a gallon in this case. We topped off with mid-grade and got back on the road. Now that Bodie and Devil’s Postpile are checked off, are we ready to kick the bucket? Hardly. The trick is simply to add things to the list. Follow along as we experience Mammoth, mines, and more.  Roads need maintenance, so...  Roads need maintenance, so it was no surprise to see a Caltrans crew stopping traffic just north of Inyokern on Highway 395. Instead of a road repair crew, we were surprised to encounter a survey crew. Our friendly survey-taker approached the window and asked where we were headed, how long we planned to stay there, why we were traveling (business or pleasure), and whether we usually purchase items beyond gasoline in the small towns along the way. Adventure tourism is the lifeblood of many towns on Highway 395 and I’m sure the collected surveys will bear this out.  Sometimes, the rocks really...  Sometimes, the rocks really do have eyes. This igneous artwork is in the Alabama Hills just off of Whitney Portal road.  We’d been to the Alabama Hills...  We’d been to the Alabama Hills just outside of Lone Pine before, but this run included local knowledge. Jaime showed us several trails we’d never seen on previous visits. Four-by-four and OHV touring is permitted in the Alabama Hills on existing routes.  Look closely. This is the...  Look closely. This is the heart of the Alabama Hills.  We’d driven past the Manzanar...  We’d driven past the Manzanar War Relocation Center on all of our past trips. It was time to go in. During World War II, the U.S. government took hundreds of thousands of its own citizens prisoner and held them in internment camps such as Manzanar. Why? America was at war with Japan, and Japanese-Americans were seen as a threat by some officials. Lives and livelihoods were uprooted over fears that proved unfounded. Not one internee was ever charged with espionage or any other crime. Not only that, several young Japanese-American men enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces and left for basic training from internment camps, including Manzanar.  Most of the buildings at Manzanar...  Most of the buildings at Manzanar were torn down after WWII, but the gymnasium at the Manzanar high school remained intact. It’s the park’s visitor center these days. Displays such as this one show the startling xenophobia of the time.  Families at Manzanar were...  Families at Manzanar were housed in hastily-built barracks like these reconstructed demonstration buildings. Manzanar sits in Owens Valley, a place that’s hot in summer, frigid in winter, and always windy. Knotholes in the plywood made for a dusty, uncomfortable existence. The ADA-compliant ramp in front is just that. Internees young and old had to use steps back in the day.  Internees made the most of...  Internees made the most of Manzanar, including Toyo Miyatake, who had owned a photo studio in the Los Angeles area. Miyatake built this camera disguised as a lunchbox and proceeded to document his experience.  We left Manzanar with a new...  We left Manzanar with a new respect for those who were forced to live there so long ago. Mammoth Lakes was our next stop, as well as our base camp. That’s Mammoth Mountain poking up through the pines with Lake Mary in the foreground. The lakes we usually see are actually dammed reservoirs, so it was nearly surreal to find out that this one was one 100-percent natural.  As mentioned, Beth Hernandez...  As mentioned, Beth Hernandez grew up in Mammoth Lakes, and her family still owns a cabin in the area. A plaque near the front door reads, “This cabin is visited by many and loved by all.” Indeed. We gratefully added our names to the guest register.  Following a refreshing night’s...  Following a refreshing night’s rest, we got back on Highway 395 and were Bodie-bound. Bodie Road is reached just before Bridgeport, and the first few miles are paved. Bodie sits at over 8,000 feet above sea level, so winters are harsh. Bodie State Park is only open a few months of the year.  The State of California is...  The State of California is epically broke these days, so fees seem to be collected at every turn. You’ll pay per person, not per carload, to enter Bodie State Park. We experienced equal measures of cool and cranky park rangers. Despite their varied dispositions, all were knowledgeable.  Bodie sits in a state of arrested...  Bodie sits in a state of arrested decay. Buildings are shored up, but they’re not being restored to any sort of “former glory.” I’d seen photos of this general store on the Internet and noticed what looked like a working light bulb in the window. That couldn’t be real, could it? It was! Bodie has had working electricity since 1910 and this bulb (look closely) is one of three that have been burning for about 85 years. The other two bulbs are in an adjacent room.  Like most ghost towns, Bodie...  Like most ghost towns, Bodie is a former mining boomtown. Saloon-fueled violence meant that the town undertakers did brisk business. This windowed hearse strikes me as creepy. Who wants to see a casket on parade?  Bodie’s fire department was...  Bodie’s fire department was overworked and under-equipped. Water is scarce in these parts and most buildings were made of wood. Small wonder that only 5 percent of the original buildings are still standing. That’s the Standard Mill in the background. We missed out on the Standard Mill tour this time. What to do? Add it to the bucket list, of course.
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