The Loneliest Highway
December 2nd, 2009 by Lauren Locke-Paddon
On the Road in America: A cast of five characters: Helen, Travis, Stevo, myself and the ’82 diesel van. We were headed from Oakland, California all the way to the other side of the continent to see the USA (which for most of us was still uncharted territory). On our departure we were dragging bottom with the combined weight of our bodies, canned goods and excess equipment for the journey as we waved goodbye to Oakland and headed east. Last stop in town: Cole Coffee to keep us going for the duration. We tried to keep our expectations minimal except for the one thing we knew: this was going to be an adventure.
East Side of the Sierra - Day one of our trip was undeniably arduous. We tackled the youthful vertical grade of Sierra Nevada. The engine overheated at the hottest part of the afternoon and we all silently questioned the sanity of the trip we had planned.
After the summit we put the engine in low gear to keep from burning the brakes as we made our way down U.S Route 50 “The Loneliest Road in America” to the expansive flatlands north of Mono Lake. East of Sierra Nevada is probably some of the most vividly wild landscape in the world. The light often plays up the contrasts of the jutting mountains, flat desert and big cumulous clouds. In late September, there were still brightly colored wildflowers covering the ground.
The rugged landscape is a clue to the tumultuous geological activity of the area, and hints at another great attraction: geothermal activity and its most delightful consequence – hot springs! We’d arranged to meet friends of ours who have made life-in-the-van a lifestyle choice (both employed as mountaineer guides during the summer months) and knew of a mostly undeveloped spot near their “home” outside of Tom’s Place, CA. “Just go to the green church and turn left,” directed Lynette. Like anyone accustomed to more specific, city-style directions (and unconfident in cell-phone reception in the middle of nowhere) I requested more details.
But true to her words there was the green church at Benton Crossing Rd., abundantly apparent for lack of any other structures around. We turned at the first road and there it was: a lovely hot spring and informal camping. We delighted in Lynette and Logan’s compact home (complete with stove, bed and refrigerator) in the bio-diesel powered Sprinter and soaked in the hot springs. The hugeness of the sky is not to be underestimated east of the Sierra and the stars were truly brilliant that evening.
Eds note: Weather conditions mirror the intensity of the physical landscape and can be intense and mercurial. That said, autumn and spring are often delightful on the east side of the Sierra and winter and summer can be manageable with the proper preparations. (Check the Caltrans website for more information). This hot spring and several others are accessible by taking Benton Crossing Road located near the Mammoth Yosemite Airport off Highway 395. Follow Lauren’s journey across the USA as she and her companions head toward Goblin Valley in Utah.
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