The last leg - Bodie, Ancient Bristlecone Forest, Buttermilk country

We woke up leisurely the next morning. Had to pay for the firewood. Six dollars.rammaged through wallet, counted all the quarters and cents, had only
five. And a twenty. Should be just put in the five?
Or the twenty?
Maybe the $20, and take another two stacks.
Rummaged through bags, finally got the dollar.
We ate muffins, noodles and had tea.packed up, the next destination was buttermilk country, just spend an hour or two, and then we'll be on our way.
Buttermilk country is popular for bouldering, rock climbing and off-road. Its at the base of the eastern sierras, the best part was the drive that
gives a fantastic view of Owens valley and the white mountains, the high-desert landscape, Mount Humphreys, Mount Tom and the Eastern Sierra
Mountains. It got its name from the fact that a dairy, known among miners for its buttermilk, was once located along this route.
This place appeals to all abilities of climbers, has a diverse range of rock types and climbing styles, and all in driving distances.
So, off we went.
I was a bit reluctant as usual.
Of the sports and recreational activities, rock climbing appeals the least to me.
What’s the fun of climbing a rock? And scrapping a knee? Some fun that.
Anyway, we went since Dharma enjoys it, and Rebecca seems to climb without fear effortlessly. I thought I'll give it a shot too.
The dirt road takes us to the area; we drove 3 miles almost to the end and parked, and walked up to a group of easy looking rocks. I felt better.
The sign said that green flags marked areas that to being restored, so off-limits for now.
We drove away to a spot, and Dharma disappeared by the time Rebecca and I got out of the car.
I looked in all directions, and we shouted out to him.
No reply.
He looked down from the top of a pile. How did you climb? Why didn’t you reply back?
He was too excited to reply.
Rebecca did a neat climb, and I stumbled along. Not bad I had to admit. These rocks are definitely worth climbing.
No more stops we decided, now straight back home. Drove a couple of miles, a sign said Indian tacos. Its almost lunch time, lets get some. So, we drove into a smaller street and finally saw a home with the same sign.
Native American tacos and Indian fried bread - basically thick fried bread with minced meat, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions and sour cream. Homemade
It tasted really good. We ate some on the way. We drove into Bishop, we noticed the tri-county fair tents, the parking was a bit too far from the tents, so decided to skip that.
No more stops, I said.
A vista point, the freeway sign said. So, off we went. Grand view of the mountains and the valley, benches put for visitors, and a couple of boards with some details of the mountains. With gang graffiti sprayed in black.
Idiots. Thoughtless idiots.
Can they find some other place to announce their insane presence?
No more stops, I said again.
Dharma suggested the Inyo craters. It’s on the way.
Oh, sure I said.
The Inyo craters or mono-Inyo craters are a group of volcanic craters; the mammoth scenic loop takes us there. A short mile hike through pine trees brings us to the craters. There are no signs or boards about the craters. When were they formed and noticed? How big are they?
The carters are small, of course much smaller than the Ubehebe Crater in Death Valley which is the biggest. Trees have grown in the edges and even within the carter, a pool of green water at the bottom.
Hump, I grumbled about the lack of information about the craters.
No wonder many people don’t visit such places. What’s the point of taking a diversion form their travel, hiking a mile in the forest, and just seeing a hole in the ground with green water? And no information of its existence?
Anyway, we drove on till our next stop back on 395 to the day area again. Splashed in the river one more time. The trash cans were full and overflowing with the long weekend visitors’ trash.
We had spent almost an hour there, no more stops, we said again.
But stop we did.
Again by the river, parked the car, and again fought the shrubs and plants to find a way down.
A neat quite place with not a soul around. Splashed around in the cool waters, and drove on.
No more stops.
Back home, content with the trip. A weekend well spent.