Thursday morning, having NOT stayed overnight at the North Rim... found us a good way closer to my Aunt and Uncle's house, just inside the elbow of California. We drove on the Nevada side of the line, through hours and hours of deserts. If you haven't visited a desert state before... you may not realize that desert isn't always sand and saguaro. We saw at least four very distinct types of desert.
We observed that through most of this route, we had mountains in all four directions around us. The roads wandered and wound through the valleys as we traveled from south to north.
All during this day, as we pressed through the ever changing desert, the mountains stayed on four sides. Then, we came upon some huge military area. Wow. Bunkers as far as you can see in three directions. Then, gorgeous Walker Lake.
As the Sierra Nevada Mountains drew closer and closer, Mom mentioned how she really hates the high mountain passes.. but knows we must cross them to get to California.
On a single lane highway with limited passing zones, I was stuck behind the only slow driver to exit the state of Florida. Days of driving... 9 of 10 vehicles that passed us were from Florida.
Until today. Our longest milage day thus far, which was just under 700 miles to our destination.... and I'm behind someone enjoying the scenery.
Ahead, I could see a rainstorm pouring down. I was sure I would be pumping gas in the rain, as we wanted to fill up before crossing into California. Finally... a gas station. I filled up while Mom went in to use the facilities. However... the facilities were closed. They had a porta-potty. Uh... think I'll hold it.
(This proved unwise.)
Meanwhile, we can still see the storms pouring out its fury on the mountain to our west.
Mr Google directions took us across the highway, and back South. Then we were Welcomed to California. Google directed us on a circuitous route of surface streets... and we were presently informed we were in the Toiyabe National Forest. It was a giggle when we first saw the National Forest sign. But before long, there were actually trees to see.
We descended into a valley village... and the road began to climb a little. It soon began a steady climb. It had been in the upper 80's, nearly 90* when we entered the Toiyabe Forest. The temperature began to drop.
Amazingly, we saw snow! In June! HA HA HA... ha? The snow rapidly turned to sleet/ hail/ torrential downpour. The storm we had been watching to the west had settled on the mountain. Temperatures dropped to 32* in moments. There was no place to pull off. The accumulation of sleet/ snow was being pushed by the bumper of Mom's Ford Escape. The ruts were flowing two inches deep as we were forced to just keep going. Mom said we passed a sign that we were 9800-some odd altitude. I was trying to keep going... white knuckles. We were both praying loudly.
Around one turn in the road, it hugged the mountain on the right. The torrential rain/sleet was making a waterfall off the mountainside, pouring across half the lane. You've seen *watch for Fallen Rocks* signs? There were fallen rocks bounding into the road. Softball, cantaloupe, BASKETBALL sized rocks. I danced the Nelly Bell between the biggest and over the smallest. And then... we were through it.
(Our other rainy encounter was in Albuquerque... it was five lanes wide traffic with the wipers slapslapslapslapslapping as fast as they could, while we guessed where the lanes were supposed to be, and dodged pedestrians and bicyclists who thought crossing a wire fence divided 10 lane highway is best done in pouring rain).
It was another 80ish miles to our destination... where we rested and visited family for several days. (Our family nearly encountered a log truck losing its load in front of another log truck, which blocked the entire highway down the road from their house... and were turned home from an appointment while we were there.) (No injuries).
Our drive home was long, and uneventful!
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