Monday, occluded after a nonetheless most pleasant evening with friends,

Aggie and I took 680 to 80 across the valley

and over the Hill; Highway 89*, the usual..Sierraville, Loyalton**, Hallelujah Junction [with lines of powerball hopefuls snaking out the door and around the parking lot], 395, Doyle,

Fish Springs and finally, just for a minute

[and lunch], Sand Pass at the south end of the Smoke Creek Desert.

Up the desert, over Smoke [the actual creek] Creek

to Wall Spring and in, unloading, unpacking and waiting on our friends from last night

who duly showed for dinner on the desert’s edge

and after breakfast [see next post] continued on towards Libre, their Colorado destination.

*[exCUSE me for not articulating all those highway numbers…out of LA too long ‘n’ all.]

**not even the loneliest town in California; talk about trying to monetize the local hubris! If it was a contest I might nominate Denio, Nevada, though I’m sure there are loneliers.