Bend in the Road
The high temperatures during my stay in Alabama Hills, near Lone Pine, California, were taking their toll, as the days hovered around the 100 degree mark. While I was otherwise quite happy with my camp setting, I eagerly studied my phone, in search of cooler climates to the north.
Mammoth Lakes, California, was less than a two hour drive north, and temperatures were supposedly in the 70s. I was initially going to spend one more night in Alabama Hills, but then-and-there, in the mid-afternoon, I decided to pull up camp and head north to Mammoth Lakes to enjoy a much more comfortable climate!
Mammoth Lakes
Mammoth Lakes was only a short way-stop during my hard push north to Portland, Oregon. However, I made it a point to enjoy the setting for a few days before resuming my travels.
Mammoth is a mountainous resort town, best known for its skiing. The alpine setting is at a dramatically higher elevation than the other places I experienced along California’s eastern corridor, resulting in significantly cooler temperatures, snow-capped mountains, and sprawling pine forests.
The town itself is nestled within Inyo National Forest, which means that it’s surrounded by a smorgasbord of free dispersed camping opportunities, making it a prime destination for overlanders, boondockers, and van-lifers.
I quickly and easily found a place to pop the camper within the forest just a few miles from the center of town. There is a vast network of forest roads, dotted with campers, and OHV enthusiasts who were out for a ride. While the roads are extraordinarily beautiful as the wind through the pines, they were extremely dusty, so I took care to find a campsite that wasn’t in a high-traffic area!
Mammoth has countless charming shops and restaurants. Unfortunately, during this part of my journey, funds were at an all-time low, so I was unable to enjoy any of these places, with the exception of the occasional coffee shop, and the very comfortable and well-equipped public library.
Missed Experiences
The pursuit of a mobile lifestyle is all about experiencing places. More often than not, these places cost money, whether it’s a restaurant, a park, or even just the cost of gas to get from point A to point B.
It’s frustrating when you set out to collect experiences, but you can’t, because you’re just trying to keep gas in the tank and food in your stomach.
For this reason, I missed Grand Sequoia National Monument, Yosemite National Park, from which I was a stone’s throw, and countless other geographical attractions and cultural venues that I passed during my northward travels along Route 395.
I suppose the silver lining is that I was still able to experience geographies. While they might not have been highlighted attractions, the changing landscape still offered a wealth of new experiences.
Big Hop to Bend
Following my brief stay in Mammoth Lakes, I spent the better part of a day traveling northward to Bend, Oregon. While I usually spend no more than four hours hopping from one destination to another, this was a big push into Oregon, and Bend is at the center of it all.
Bend is in its heyday. It’s that idyllic, hip, outdoorsy Oregon town in which everyone wants to live! It’s the place to be, and it’s in the midst of a massive increase in population.
Its popularity is justified.
It’s charming, beautiful, fun, and ripe with commerce and career opportunities. The public parks are well-landscaped, adjacent to water features, and countless people enjoy the greenspace. Downtown is lined with shops, restaurants, cafes, and breweries. A bustling farmer’s market occupied an alley during my visit.
Like Mammoth Lakes, Bend is also adjacent to forest land, making it yet another hub for nomads and vehicle-dwellers.
I found my way to Deschutes National Forest, on the west side of town, and found forest roads lined with boondockers, where I followed suit and set up camp. For a random stretch of dirt road, it was an interesting display of camper-culture!
There was an Airstream, multiple Vanagon Westfalias, your standard fare of non-descript panel vans, Sprinters, and even a Mercedes G-wagen with a camper conversion from France.
While the forest was still coniferous, it didn’t convey as much of an alpine vibe as Mammoth Lakes, although the amount of dust was still very profound!
Desperate Measures
Due to financial challenges, this was a difficult part of my journey.
While in Bend, aside from taking in the local scenery, and treating myself to a coffee or two, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out my next moves. My son, Cole, was flying into Portland in a couple of weeks to share experiences with me.
How was I going to ensure that he would have a good time despite my financial hardship?
I put a feeler out on social media looking for jobs in the Portland area, whether temporary, part-time, or full-time. Although I wasn’t sure how I was going to manage that when I still had an apartment located on the other side of the country.
All I knew is, I needed to be able to function - I needed to stay afloat.
When we think of adventure, we only ever think of the glamour and the romance. In reality, hardship is just as much a part of the experience, and it’s often the hardships that forge the fondest memories.
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