29 replies to this topic

[simimike]

Great pics mark. On the way to the rally I stumbled across Cort in Bishop and we headed to the same area. Here's a couple more pics of the fall colors.

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[MarkBC]

Hey Guys -
I'm still alive and well...just not very-well connected -- Internet-wise -- here in the Whites. If the funky cell-Internet connection parked here at Sierra Viewpoint holds out I'll add some photos, otherwise I'll update later.
Gonna spend one more night up here, I think -- camped (I hope) in a barely-legal spot at 10,500' where I camped many years ago, just outside the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Area, where the Silver Canyon road heads off/down to the Owens Valley. (I drove down that Silver Cyn Rd many years ago...I recall it being a little scary )
I'll take a couple/3 days to do some driving-exploring as I slowly head back north.

Photos to follow...sooner or later.
- Mark

OK, maybe sooner -- here's a not-too-exciting, but real one: Grandview C.G, site 22, Friday.

Feeding my face while my trusty PV panel feeds the camper battery.

[MarkBC]

Campcraft -- Grandview C.G.: Living off the land...and sky

Piñon -- Nature's rich bounty!:


The Lady Bountiful:


While waiting for the weather to improve I finished the last part of my solar system -- mounting the solar controller in the camper.




Ok, ok -- so my electrical work isn't exactly elegant -- it works!

[MarkBC]

High-Wind Warning!
Saturday I had an Internet connection long enough to read of high-wind warnings for Sunday PM/evening for the eastern Sierra/Owens Valley...and I figured that would include the White Mts, too. Warning called for gusts to 60 mph in the Valley and gust to 90 in the Mts! yikes!

Anyway -- I didn't get blown away, though the camper was rockin'. As I expected, the high winds made for some cool/dramatic clouds -- the "Sierra Wave" and similar.

Here are some photos I took last night in the Grandview C.G. area, including the area I call "Grandview West".








And I got this reminder that there can be cool/photogenic stuff on the ground as well as in the sky. I spotted this little guy/gal (Jerusalem Cricket, aka Potato Bug) while walking from my campsite over towards the cool-view zone:

[Mark W. Ingalls]

Nice photos. Nice k.i.s.s. solar install.

[K6ON]

Campcraft -- Grandview C.G.: Living off the land...and sky

Piñon -- Nature's rich bounty!:


The Lady Bountiful:


While waiting for the weather to improve I finished the last part of my solar system -- mounting the solar controller in the camper.




Ok, ok -- so my electrical work isn't exactly elegant -- it works!

Mark,

I just purchased the same solar controller...am curious about the meter on top of the controller? I bought my controller from Solartorrent (Pureforms), did you get yours there, and was the meter available from them or someone else??

Thanks

[MarkBC]

Nice photos. Nice k.i.s.s. solar install.

Thanks.

When I get home I do plan to make/have-made a PV-panel holder/stand -- something light-weight and foldable, like maybe from aluminum angle. I'd rather not sacrifice my Lafuma chair to the panel permanently, even though it's the only one doing any work.

[pods8]

Campcraft -- Grandview C.G.: Living off the land...and sky

Piñon -- Nature's rich bounty!:

I'm not familiar with pinon, what is it like? Do you eat them raw?

Good work on the solar, where do you stow the panel while in route?

Mark,

I just purchased the same solar controller...am curious about the meter on top of the controller? I bought my controller from Solartorrent (Pureforms), did you get yours there, and was the meter available from them or someone else??

Thanks

Its a separate meter someone pointed out on the forum called a "Doc Wattson". http://www.powerwerx...-dc-inline.html

[K6ON]

I'm not familiar with pinon, what is it like? Do you eat them raw?

Good work on the solar, where do you stow the panel while in route?



Its a separate meter someone pointed out on the forum called a "Doc Wattson". http://www.powerwerx...-dc-inline.html

Thank you For the link Pods, found and got one ordered.

[MarkBC]

A quick update while I have a good, free WiFi connection (courtesy of the Lone Pine McDonalds, where they're currently serving McRib sandwiches! Yes, I know there are no ribs anywhere near the McRib, but they're mighty tasty...with onions and BBQ sauce..mmmm ). Where I'm parked writing this on my laptop I have a great view of Mt. Whitney and several other 14-ers and 13-ers, just a few miles to the west -- so cool!

pods8:
The nuts of the Piñon (Spanish spelling for Pinyon Pine) are what are (I think) generally called "pine nuts" -- available in any supermarket. I actually am not too familiar with them myself (except for buying them once or twice in a store for some recipe). I could hear something falling on my camper roof from the tree next to me when it was windy, and I saw all these nuts on the ground (and still in the cones), and I knew they were Pinyon Pines, so I figured it out. I think they should be roasted, which I haven't done yet, but I ate a few raw anyway...I haven't died or developed any strange symptoms, so I guess they're not poison, at least.
I plan to carry the PV panel under the cab-over-hang -- slid into aluminum channels, probably -- I've read a couple of posts here of guys who've done that...But because I'm such a lazy slakcer I still haven't got that set up yet, so I'm carrying the panel in it's cardboard box inside the camper.

Deltarat:
The meter I got is called a "Watt's Up" (clever name ) RC Watt Meter & Power Analyzer WU100 Version 2.

Last night I camped in the Whites at the exceptional-view spot (10,500') where I camped on my first visit to the Whites maybe 15+ years ago. Exceptional view, for a place you can drive to and camp at. On my first visit there I remember declaring it "The best spot I have ever spent the night vehicle-camping!" I don't know if I can defend that statement (I'm sure I meant the view -- not the amenities)...except that it might still be true for me.

I'm going to spend a few hours this afternoon checking out the Alabama Hills a bit...but I'm staying in a motel in Bishop ("Bishop Village Motel") tonight. There's free WiFi at the motel, so I'll upload a few more photos tonight from my room.
I spent a long and frustrating few hours yesterday at Sierra View in the Whites trying to deal with a sporadic and slow-at-best cell-Internet connection to upload a few photos to this site as well as to my FB page.
Below, my truck/camper parked at Sierra View Vista Point yesterday afternoon -- see how the spot got its name .