Exploring Eastern Sierras Mountains: Alabama Hills, California

We turned onto Movie Flat Road in the dark cover of night. We could see nothing save for a few illuminated boulders from the roadside. After a 12 hour day of driving and breakdowns, we had finally arrived at Alabama Hills. We navigated to an unmarked campsite with gps coordinates borrowed from someone's travel blog. In true boyhood fashion, @chriskautzer said, "I'm going to wake up first so I can see it before you!"

As it name eludes, Movie Flat Road is the entry to 100's of filming locations. Our biggest interest was one of our childhood favorites, Tremors. However there's many more, including Star Trek Generations, Bonanza, Gladiator and Iron Man (just to name a few). I've heard stories of huge film crews setting up right next to your campsite, and although they can't force you to leave, I imagine a short relocation would provide an up-close first hand experience in movie making.

Photo found at a yard sale for $3.00 from the movie set of the 1939 movie Gunga Din, set in India, filmed in Alabama Hills

We are big fans of the Eastern Sierra Mountain Range, and often travel the long 395 highway which follows the base of these glorious snow capped mountains, yet we had never made it this far South. I had a photoshoot on the books, and although we originally planned to keep it close to home, I could not get these boulders and mountains out of my head. I was surprised when our team agreed without hesitation to drive the 6 plus hours to a location in the middle of nowhere.

When morning came, Chris was in fact the first one out the door. He hollered from outside, making sure I knew I was missing out! I crawled out from under the blankets into the frigid 20 degree desert morning. It was tough, but the immediate view of bright white Mount Whitney peaking it's head over orange baked potato boulders was all I had hoped for!

Unable to wait, we wandered the maze of boulders in our pajamas.

Later that afternoon our team met us and with them they brought a winter storm. Thankfully the brunt of it was visible to us on the low ground at the top of the Sierras. We watched the blue clouds sink lower over the range, bringing with them gusts of freezing wind.

That night our little RV was tossed about on the waves of an invisible sea. I felt like a ship on the ocean, which in hindsight is perfect since the Alabama (in California) Hills was named for a ship. I asked Chris several times if we would blow over. He assured me we would not. Later a little VW bus pulled up right next to us to use us a wind break.

This trip marks our furthest adventure south. We hope to return in the summer with more pleasant temperatures!