Alabama Hills & Mt Whitney

 After touring Death Valley on Tuesday we checked in to a hotel in Lone Pine, CA. Lone Pine is the gateway to the Alabama Hills and Mt Whitney, the latter being the highest peak in the lower 48 states.  Why name the hills in California the Alabama Hills you might ask.  I did and here is what Mr Google has to say on the subject.  "The hills were named by Southern sympathizers for the Confederate warship Alabama after it sank the Union gunboat USS Hatteras off Texas in 1863. Now, a nonprofit environmental group wants to change the name."  There you have it.  

We were a little tired after all the driving and hiking in the heat and wind the past few days so a couple of short hikes was all we did and then spent the rest of the day relaxing in our room.

The Alabama hills in the foreground have been the setting for many a movie shoot.  How the West was Won, Tremors, The Gunfighter, Ironman, Firefly, Wagon Train, Have Gun will Travel, Star Trek Generations to name but a few.  The even have a museum about all the movies shot here.  

Mt Whitney is framed by the Mobius Arch if one gets in the right position for your shot.  Here is Lori going through some contortions to get in that right position. 

 

Here is my shot of what Lori was going for.

Some guy who wouldn't get out of my shot.  Tourists!!!!

We left the Alabama Hills and made the short drive further up the mountain to the Lone Pine Campground and a short, steep hike to get a view.  This is the view to the west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

The view to the east with a roaring creek filled with melting snow from the mountains and lined by nice green trees. You can just make out our car if you squint.  Beyond that is the Alabama hills, not so big when viewed from the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains.  And then another mountain range in the distance. 

No wind or dust storm today.  Just the usual haze in the distance.  

The creek provides some refreshing shots. 

That's it for now.  We have a couple driving days ahead with a final stop in Port Angeles, Wa and then the ferry over to Victoria.

Till then.