Rosey makes it into Death Valley NP

River Kern View

Posting opportunities scarse - so here are a few photo's to show we're
still alive, well and happy!

...for one night only

We stayed at Lake Isabella last night, well actually it was by Kern
River. It was very pretty being surrounded by snow, but it was
also... VERY COLD!!!

We pretty much stayed in Rosey from dusk to dawn, emerging in the
morning to frozen snow and a stunning sunrise.

After the best breakfast ever (van-made porridge with brown sugar) we
played by the river, had a quick snow-ball fight and set off again.

Here is a photo, from Rosey, just as we leave the vicinity of the
lake. Will post more pics later.

We're off again...

Pic is Rosey, ready for the off, in front of our cabin. Note Rosey's
satisfying layer of crud build up after yesterday's antics in the snow.

"I can't feel my feet!"

The bad:  The quote above was Sam, about two minutes into a walk around the Giant Tree Trail at Sequoia NP.  To say that subsequent to that there was a little complaining would be an understatement.  To be fair, the snow was thigh deep (on Kay, so we could easily have lost Mae!) and not compacted at all.  Since we didn't have snow-shoes, this meant that the boys boots simply filled up with ice-cold snow.

The good:  Rosey got us up high without complaining (the rising engine temperature kept us toasty inside) and she didn't even rattle to pieces when vibrating along, clad in snow-chains.  Plus, the giant sequoias were majestic in their beauty and the views returning down the mountain side were tremendous.

We recovered good karma with the kids when we bought them ice-cream(!) in a cafe back in Three Rivers (though our latte was not good).

Photos:

- Rosey dwarfed by a sequoia (and a diddy one at that)

- The bark of the giant trees stands out against the snow and ice

- The views from (and of) the road are rewarding

- The cold has worn out the kids

That's it for today.  Tomorrow, Lake Isabella...

(from here on, updates may be patchy, since I suspect AT&T and/or wifi access will be sparse at best, but will keep log and update when possible)

The first rule of planning is...

(drum role) ...be prepared to change your plans!  

Given the snow-storm forecasts for Sequoia NP, we decide to break ourselves in gently and make a last-minute booking for a cabin just outside the park.  The challenge will be preventing this being a precedent setting exercise!!

Photo's as follows:

- Backing up Rosey is to be taken seriously

- The journey along the 99 is mostly very flat, with the occasional telegraph pole and farm, but the sky today was incredible

- Listening to Christmas hits and wearing antlers starts to take its toll on Mae's sanity...

- When we start climbing, the view toward King's Canyon NP is reward enough for our first leg of the journey

- We settle in for the night in our cabin, 'Eagle', and Rosey sits outside in the cold (hopefully she will forgive us - we need her to take us further up to see the big trees tomorrow morning)

 

It's Souless but it's Caffeine

We're off on our winter trip, and... about 29 miles in we have our
first stop, a Starbucks just off the 101 southbound. See how loaded
Rosey is! Then we set off again: Our SatNav, Betty, says just five
and a half hours to go...

Plan: Sequoia National Park, Lake Isabella, Furnace Creek in Death
Valley, Las Vegas and Hoover Dam, then see how we feel! Called ahead
to Sequoia NP to check weather - they've just had a snow storm with
another due - advised to bring chains -so perfect camping weather
then...

Top tune: Baby it's Cold Outside (very appropriate... Sing it Deano!)

Top quote, Theo, at Starbucks: "Are we there yet?"

Things identified as forgotten so far: Bread, Sunglasses, Nappies (so
we are pleased we remembered to bring all three children!)