Eric Johnson, a long time So Cal Viper Club member, put together a fun filled weekend
for all of us to enjoy. We missed the run last year, so we were really excited to make it
out this year with everyone.
The Orange County group met up in Hesperia early Friday morning.
Nino's '03
Gary brought his old tractor
We gassed up and got ready to make our way north on old Hwy 395 to meet up with the LA group
We met up at the Indian Wells Spring which is also home to the Indian Wells Brewing Company
We loaded up with special beers, soda and candy
It was great to see everyone and we were all excited about the weekend getaway.
Eric gave us a quick narrative about our days plans
We pulled off for a quick photo shot
Jennifer and Jay
Mayo, Ruth and Rita
Gary making the mad dash back across Hwy 395
Glenn and Melissa
Eric
We had a nice lunch in Lone Pine and then headed up to the Mount Whitney Fish Hatchery
They had a beautiful big pond with tons of trout that we could feed.
Melissa striking a pose
Gary and Melissa in front of the 99 year old building specifically built as a fish hatchery
It truly was a beautiful structure
Inside the building, they had some of the trout guppies on display
Glenn and Stephanie
Madison, Eddie and Michelle
Some of the trout in the pond
A beautiful moment.............
Nino and Ruth also found a few minutes to sit enjoy some quiet time together
The wine was flowing and everyone was having a great time at our Friday night hotel
the beautiful Creekside Inn.
We took a short walk over to the restaurant for a nice Japanese dinner
and we all celebrated Jim's birthday !!!
A few even raised a glass to toast Jim
Eric and Lori
Jennifer and Jay
Tom and Nancy from the Central Cal Club also joined us for the weekend
Randy and the girls
Saturday morning was an early start. Looking out our window the sun was already
shining on the creek
We headed over to Schat's bakery to get a fresh pastry (after having a free hot breakfast at the hotel)
Melissa and Mayo were ready to roll
Tom, Eric and Jim
All the ladies were out front waiting for their drivers to pull the Vipers up
Keith and Rita
Stryker Green just pops in the sun
Eric gave us the days itinerary and we headed out for a full day of driving
Eric lead us on a great drive up to Schulman Grove
Ruth and Nino
The line up
Tom and Nancy
Diane found a friend
The Bristlecone Pines are a remarkable tree and we got to learn a lot about them.
Jay and Jennifer
Some of the smaller Bristlecone Pines
We gathered and headed up the mountain for a short hike
The air was definitely very thin as we made our way up the mountain
The views were spectacular
We made it to up to two really cool Bristlecone Pines that are upwards of 4000 years old and are still alive
Eric
Rita and Keith
Nancy and Tom
Check out our hiking shoes
Mayo and Dan
Jennifer and Jay
Glenn and Stephanie
Michelle, Madison and Eddie
Judy and Jennifer
The severe weather and distress causes the tree to grow in a crazy twisted manner
After taking a bunch of pictures, we headed back down the mountain
Some of the tiny wildflowers were in bloom
The visitors center
The views from the lookout were spectacular
Jim gave it a 2 thumbs up rating
Eric
Jim, Tom, Nancy and a special celebrity guest - Doc brown from Back to the Future
Eric lead us back down the mountain and a quick stop for lunch.
After lunch, we hit the back roads where the Viper could stretch its legs for a bit on some wide open roads
We made a few extra stops along the route to take pictures
We caught back up with the rest of the Vipers and they were off and running again
5 of us stayed back with Eric for a bit of a scavenger hunt. One a prior trip a few months
back, one of the people on Eric's tour had lost their sunglasses. Eric was determined to find
them......so we pulled over and started the search.
Believe it or not, Eric found them !!! In perfect condition after sitting out in the middle of nowhere
We saddled back up and headed out to catch up with the others.
The scenery was constantly changing and you could not help but be in awe mile after mile
With dead calm air, Mono Lake was a perfect reflection pool
Gary and Nino
After the cool down period for the Vipers, we looped back around onto Hwy 395 and headed
for Mammoth
Some stayed at the Village, Lori and I stayed at the Westin Monache which was definitely a 4 Star resort
We all met up at 5:00 for appetizers at Lakanuki.
After that we took a short walk over to the SideDoor
The owners treated us all like old friends and we all relaxed and enjoyed talking, eating and drinking
They even brought out a special Anniversary dessert for Lori and I which was really cool
Out in the main part of the center, the annual Margarita Festival was in full swing
Live bands and tequila tasting made for a really upbeat and lively night under the stars.
Sunday morning, Lori and I were up early so we decided to take a ride to check
the area out. First stop was the Earthquake Fault.
I have always seen it in the winter when it was essentially filled with snow.
I was amazed at how deep the crack was. You could not see the bottom
One of the little chipmunks guarding the area
Mammoth Mountain looks so different without the white stuff on it, but just as equally pretty and breathtaking
After our sightseeing, we headed back to town to have breakfast with the others.
Then we hit the road back south for home
Of course we had to make a stop at Gus' . They had billboards all over boasting
"really good jerky" I guess it is better to be modest than boast to be the best.
We bought some jerky and made great time on the road back home.
A HUGE THANK YOU to Eric for planning, organizing and narrating the trip for us.
We look forward to doing it again next year !!!!!