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