BODIE MOUNTAIN (10,195') AND POTATO PEAK (10,236') June 4-5, 1999

These two unlisted peaks were scheduled by the DPS. Being a shorter way from home for me, I couldn't refuse to attend.

After camping at a Nevada State Park, I made the short drive to the Bodie Highway, CA 270. Sawtooth Ridge, in the High Sierra to the west, had made a dramatic photo.

The weather was cold and cloudy. I had my doubts, but made an effort to meet the group.

In the Bodie State Park car lot, people began to pull in. It is about a 350 mile drive from Los Angeles. The plan was to hike the peak from here, to get exercise, but because of the uncertainty about the rain, we chose to drive up the rough road closer to the peaks.

From a road saddle, it was a shorter, mile or so hike to the top of the first peak, Bodie Mountain. Some old jeep tracks lead near the summit, where I took group summit shots for the DPS newsletter. I was using a flash unit to fill-in facial features. The group was very cordial to pose and smile nicely. Seeing some entries in the summit register, I snapped a small record.

The rain was holding off. We ambled down the short distance back to the old track. We took the track over to nearby Potato Peak, where a view of faraway Bridgeport, CA, the Bridgeport Lake reservoir, and the snowy Sierra was had.

Bundled up in heavy clothes, we made the best of it. Could you believe it was almost summer?! I took more group photos, and the rain held off till after we made it back to the trucks at about 3 p.m.

The group toured the old buildings in Bodie, as we had the time. This was perhaps my sixth or seventh visit here, but I walked about taking pictures anyway. The peak for the next day required maybe 100 miles more driving for me, and I had already done it. Not much exercise was needed to reach the top. I signed off, and said goodbyes.

I shot another photo of the Sawtooth. While motoring back home over Carson Pass, and Carson Spur, I stopped to view a good sunset.

The total stats wouldn't hardly make a decent hike, even for others, but I liked the company, and the novelty of these easy peaks made a difference from some climbs to come.

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