California's Alps

Sometimes I Wonder about Driving these long Distance for a bike ride. A guy I "met" through bikejournal, Twain berg, had been bugging me about coming up his way to do a bike ride. The catch: His way is Markleeville, CA, about 400 miles away.
Most of the time I was on US 395, Mostly desert but the Sierras on one side:

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and the Panamints on the other:

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I stopped at the Manazanar War relocation center. Manazanar was where several thousand Japanese Americana were detained during World War II. I though this was poignant:

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The Auditorium, which was Built by the Nisei, is the only buildimng left standing. It was converted to a Fire station after the war:

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A picture is worth a Thousand Words. i was standing on a Foundation. Can you imagine spending four years in a tarpaper shack here?

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I stopped by mono lake:

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I got TO Markleeville about 6. I went to the Campsite. no one there. So I went back into tow and found my buddy from Oregon, Joe Kennan, standing on the corner. Considering Markleeville only has 100 people, I think we found my party! we had dinner, and got back about 8, well after Dark. The Campground had all kind of signs waring about feeding bears, so I slept in my van, Worked out well.
Twain made a fire to us to keep warm:

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Another BikeJournalist, Steve Glichirst, came down from Cardstson, Alberta, and made all of use Real Canadian Flapjacks with Genuine Maple Sryup. here he is another of my Oregon Buddies, Dave Van Gundy:
We then rode into Downtown Marlkeeville for the start of the ride:

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Why alps?

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An Indian Reservation without A Casino?

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The Plan was to ride To Genoa, Nevada. We all made, but I had a flat tire, which everyone joked was punishment from the recumbent gods since I brought my upright bike. Some of us had lunch in Genoa , and others went over the Mountain to Lake Tahoe
Genoa is the Oldest town in Nevada:

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We had gotten a late start, so it was 2 o'clock we headed back. Steve ran into my rear wheel and the broke a spoke on his rear, but I escaped unscathed. Later on I ran into a Cattle Drive going the other way! Yes, this is definitely the west. The cattle looked spooked, and I didn't want to reach into my seatbag and throw them even more. I had also ran out water half way back. One of Twain's friends, Tina, Showed me a water Hydrant. This may not have done me much good, as I already dehydrated, plus now I had to climb back over the mountain to Markleeville. The fact that I was at Altitude(6000 feet), plus not spend a lot time with my Diamond frame Conspired against me. I walked some, and though about getting ride back to the campgrounds, but I preserved.
We closed out the day with a campfire.
But wait there's more tommorrow - this Jobob character told me so.!