Took a few days out and drove the circuit from Oakland south on I5, around the Sierra through Bakersfield, and back home through Tahoe along highway 395 to route 50 to the bay area. Spring is a great time to visit the Eastern Sierra, not to many people on the road and the weather is comfortable. Since most campgrounds are still closed and many stores and businesses still boarded up visitors tend to avoid the area. Perfect if you want a quiet morning photographing or hiking. At Mono Lake for the sunrise there were just eight of us, one group of six and two others (including me). The evening before, at sunset just two. I’ve been at Mono in the morning with something like two hundred (yes!) people – that sucks, it’s no fun. So think about trying the off season, it is a good time to avoid the crowds and enjoy a popular location in relative peace. The area around Lone Pine is beautiful, with the Sierra and Mt. Whitney in the background it’s hard to beat the location. The Alabama Hills, just minutes out along the Whitney Portal Rd. offer fantastic photo ops. I spent an evening and part of one morning at the Mobius or Galen’s (after Galen Rowel) arch without a single other person. At another arch I waited patiently for the sun to rise high enough to shoot the Sierra in the background with the stone of the arch lit up by the early sun and not a soul to be seen. What a fantatasic place to live. I’ll be adding some photos soon with links to others.