August 1 - Away


Up


reasonably


early 


and


out


with


John


to


Queen


Bean,


then


good


wishes


until


next


trip,


down


and


up


and


over


to


Claremont,


lunch at


Mongolian Barbeque,


a variant route from 210,


over


134


towards Griffith Park


and the Santa Monicas,


briefly on Van Nuys and Victory Boulevards (always a little 1984 here),


up


405


to


5 --


Weldon


Canyon's


Big-Cone


Douglas


Firs,


Gavin's


precipitous


semi-


settled


Cliffs,


the


last oaks of Santa Clarita,


near


Rye


and


the


River,


up


the


Violin


Grade


into


Paradise


Valley,



Wheeler Peak,


Piru


Gorge,


the Ridge


Route,


Pyramid Lake,


Liebre and


Apple


Canyons,


Hungry


and


Peace


Valleys,


the Burnt Yucca area,


Gorman


Ridge


and


Pass


towards


Frazier


Mountain


and


Tejon,


into


Kern


County


and


down


through


the


burned-over


country


of


Upper,


Middle,


and


Lower


Grapevine,


flooring


it --


past Wheeler, the


Plieto Hills and


Sierra --


then the long pull on 99,


relieved


by


the


Palms of Ming,


scenic


waysides,


distant


Sierra views,


petrol stops, and the parade of counties: Tulare,


Fresno, Madera, Merced,


Stanislaus,


San Joaquin,


Sacramento, Yolo,


Solano...


131st day of summer at home in the latter, high 87 --


85 in the former.