For years we have admired the Instagram photos of #vanlifers parked in the middle of nowhere enjoying that interesting desert landscape or colorful sunset over the distant horizon.
Quiet ... peaceful ... and in the middle of nowhere?? While the lure of being able to park anywhere for the night (ie Boondock) is one of our reasons for downsizing into a van, I wasn't totally convinced that I would want to venture on the rough gravel roads that ultimately lead into the national forest and BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land ... land that offers beautiful views as well as free boondocking opportunities. But that all changed as we knocked off one of Doug's RVentures ''bucket list'' items and discovered a
Boondocker's Paradise in Alabama Hills, California.
In the United States, there is over 245 million acres of public BLM land that is managed by the Bureau of Land Management for public enjoyment. That is about 10% of all the land that makes up the entire United States. In addition, there are 190 million acres of national forest land. Quite a bit of this public land is located out west and is available for anyone to use for overnight camping free of charge. These lands offer amazing views and wonderful hiking opportunities, but not much else. Since we don't necessarily need a lot of space or hook ups, camping on BLM or national forest land works just fine. Our lithium batteries, under hood generator, and solar power provide us with enough power to light our home, charge our devices, cook our dinners, and most importantly, enjoy our morning coffee. Just give us level ground and reasonable nighttime temps, and we're set ... provided Baby Beest can maneuver over the rough roads that usually lead out to these primo camping spots.
Alabama Hills Recreation Area is BLM land located on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains near Lone Pine, California. Named after a Confederate warship by prospectors during the Civil War, this range of hills and unique rock formations continues to attract droves of outdoor enthusiasts. Dispersed camping (another term for boondocking) is allowed throughout the area. Many sites have fire rings that people have constructed out of the abundant rocks, but there is no other services provided. Campers are encouraged to ''leave no trace'', and I am grateful to say that the landscape appears to be untouched by all who use it ... except for maybe the beady eyes that somehow appeared on this rock formation.
This unique landscape has also drawn film makers since the 1920s. Over 150 movies as well as TV shows have been filmed here. The unusual rock formations provided classic backgrounds for Westerns like the Lone Ranger as well as science fiction favorites such as Star Trek. The rounded rocks, arches, and ''eyes'' that surrounded us certainly seemed like they could be a part of another planet if left to the imagination of a creative cinematographer.
The BLM land around our campsite provided great entertainment for the four days that we were there. We just had to set up the camping chair or find a comfortable spot on a nearby rock and let the passing horseback riders, dirt bikers, and 4x4 jeep brigades entertain us. Or we could pick one of the many hiking trails or gravel roads in the area and just start exploring.
While there can be extreme heat, strong winds, and other desert unpleasantries in Alabama Hills, we seemed to pick a couple of near perfect days for exploring the area and its unique rock formations. Some of our favorites included Eye of Alabama, Mobius Arch, and Cyclops Arch. But just gazing out at the Sierra Nevada range in the distance was pretty sweet also!
At the recommendation of a fellow camper, we did take one day to drive a little ways north up into the Sierra Nevada mountains to hike the Kearsarge Pass. The winding road lead us up to what we had heard would be an amazing hike to some high mountain lakes.
But, unfortunately, the fire dangers were still present in the area, so the forest service had closed off the trails.
What could have been a disappointing trip turned out to be a ''bonus'' opportunity for a history lover like me. I noticed a sign for Manzanar National Historic Site on our way back ... Why did that sound familiar? Because it was the location of a beloved book that I read during high school, Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston. The book told of the struggles and triumphs of a Japanese-American girl who was detained in the Manzanar concentration camp with her family during WWII. We drove around the dry desert wasteland that at one time imprisoned over 10,000 people and tried to imagine the harsh conditions that they were unjustly subjected to.
Manzanar's abandoned landscape with the dust-covered gardens and a solitary Joshua Tree still growing in the center of this historical site served as a powerful reminder of the need for us to treat all Americans with dignity and respect.
A reminder that is as important today as it was during World War II.
Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed our few days of boondocking in the middle of nowhere. Finding a perfect campsite just down the gravel road and waking up to beautiful scenery like this ...
... made our first ''true'' boondocking experience
... Paradise in the Alabama Hills.
No comments:
Post a Comment