Date:         Mon, 23 Sep 96 16:34:06 UT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Scott Allred" <Scott_Allred@msn.com>
Subject:      CCC's Camping trip

Hey all!

Just wanted to post a quick note about Maggie and my experience this past 
weekend in Mammoth.

We hit the road from Vegas about 11am Friday north on 95 to Tonopah (near the 
infamous Area 51) and then headed west on 6 toward Mammoth. My brother told me 
about a shorter route than staying on US6 all the way to Bishop. "Turn off 6 
at Benton, head West on 120 till you find a road a few mile up call Benton 
Cutoff that will take you to 395 near Crawley Lake. It'll cut 35 miles off the 
trip and it's real pretty!" OK. Sounds good to me! Well it was a beautiful 
trip -- in second and third gear you have plenty of time to see everything! 
Two passes near 8000 feet. Wheezing and gasping for air we made it into camp 
about 6:00pm just in time for dinner.

Meeting everyone was really great! The weekend was remarkable for the lack of 
any friction at all. With so many people there (near 30?) dogs (at one time 6) 
and kids (a bunch) it could have been some difficulties. But everyone was 
great!

Food was plentiful and delicious! Mass quantities of great beer (home brew & 
store bought) was consumed. Most of the group hiked out to Devil's Post Pile 
and Rainbow Falls for a great afternoon! Saturday night around the camp fire 
was a sight to see!

Of course, per the CCC charter, two engine case halves were sacrificed to the 
fire gods to ensure safe passage home.

Saturday we lined up as many vans as we could assemble (13 or 14 as I recall) 
and got some great photos. As soon as I get them back I'll post all I have on 
my page.

Sunday we headed back about noon via Bishop and Hwy 6 and uneventfully got 
home about 6:30pm. 744 total miles traveled - 33 gals of fuel -- 22.5 mpg.

Joel and Dave -- wish I could've told you what I found out when getting gas in 
Mammoth -- Hwy 6 out of Bishop is a nice gentle grade back over to 95. I ran 
60-65 till about 2 miles from the top. Hope you found flatter terrain!. (They 
came over Rte. 266 & 168 on the way up at 3:30 in the morning -- on the map 
it's the shortest route but in real life it is outrageously curvy and full of 
8-10% grades.)  

Thanks to all for the wonderful weekend! 



          Scott Allred

          '71 Westy, the Wayback Machine -- 
          Seen at http://coyote.accessnv.com/wayback 
          from Las Vegas, NV