My rule today was to take the first campsite after 4pm or 250 miles, but i never qualified it with "whichever comes first/last." Then it was to take the first good bivouac i came to after 5, or the first motel after 6 (God forbid). The first camp i came to was at 3:59, but i only had gone 188 miles, so i drove on. I came to a great bivouac site at 430, but rules are rules, so i drove on. Garmin and Google were useless in pointing out State Park campgrounds.Then, exactly at 5pm, as if right on cue, i rounded a turn in the road and there in front of me was a huge lake surrounded by mountains. Just a few miles up the road was a sign for Twenty Mile Beach State Campground at Walker Lake. I slammed on the brakes, drove into the sandy camp and looked at the trip odometer - 251 miles. Now how perfect is that? This means i only have 250 miles tomorrow to Death Valley. I have to give myself credit for breaking up the five-day drive to Death Valley the way i did, all with imperfect information.
We are completely alone in this camp too, camped right next to the lake. It may be problematic getting out of here tomorrow since the sand is all over and quite deep in most places. Driving the short distance from the highway i got stuck in a few places in deep sand, but the Defender came through, as it always has. Fortunately, i have low gear to help me tomorrow, and if that doesn't work, three differential locks to do the job. Or i can deflate the tires and then fill them up on the highway with my air compressor. And if none of that works, there is always my winch.
As campsites go, thus is another 10, absolutely wonderful. It is a little buggy, but that's what Deet is for. It will also be a little hot in our winter tent tonight, but it will be a relief to get back to my summer sleeping bag, which i have not used since the third or so night on this trip.
Ed and Donner, from the road
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