Wrong Way, Go Back

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With a week spent in Las Vegas, it was definitely time to move on away from all the bright lights, poolside bars and ringing casinos and get back to nature... but with a twist.

Westward, you climb out of the valley through the Rainbow Mountains where, would you believe it, I actually got some flurries of snow... I couldn't believe it either!! The temperature dropped from 86F (27C) down to 42F (5C) in the space of 20 miles before rising again to nearly 90F (29C) as I came down the other side. Now if I thought it was dry and barren in Vegas then this was Mars! Sand and rock, as far as the eye could see, meant that I had entered Death Valley National Park.

Death Valley is like nothing I've ever seen.... to most it is a hot expanse of land to be avoided at all costs, but in my eyes it was just a different kind of beautiful. Yes, it's hot... yes, it's dry... but it is also an area that has been folded and buckled by tectonic movement over millions of years. The ridges here are the equivalent to rock waves giving the appearance of a pink and yellow ocean during a storm. In the early 1900's the area was mined for all sorts of minerals that the earth had thrust to the surface, before being made a national preserve in the 30's and then a national park later. There is still mining that goes on as some of the land titles still exist to families within the borders but very few actually do... and then it is more small time in the vein of how it was done a century ago rather than what we consider mining in today's age.

Continuing to head north west, the highway dips down to the aptly named Furnace at over 200 feet below sea level. The tourist centre here has a large display out the front that to only tells you the current high and low temperatures but also the highest for the last 12 months... needless to say, I'm glad I wasn't here last July... 132F (50C) is ridiculous in anyone's book (and seemingly it's reached 144F in the past).

With time still on my hands (Coachella is still over a week away.... see, this is why I hate set dates on my travels), I continued up the east side of the mountain range that separates California from Nevada thinking to catch some of the sights I missed on the way up the coast... mainly Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks.

North of Death Valley there are three mountain passes that you can take to cut through onto the plains of California. After the first two were closed still due to heavy snow, I didn't hold much hope for the third... going straight through Yosemite. As predicted, Tioga Pass was closed too meaning a long and roundabout trip all the way up to Lake Tahoe to try and get across. With the sun setting, I reached the ski town of Lake Tahoe, and in the pitch black started my decent down the other side.

Now what's worse than pitch black?... on a road that twists and turns?... with a cliff on one side and a mountain on the other?

When a snow storm hits at night!!!

With the snow reflecting my headlights straight back at me, visibility was down to about 2 feet. Luckily, for some of the way, there was a vehicle in front of me (I couldn't tell you what type) that gave me glimpses of brake lights before corners. Still, 30 miles took over 2 hours to cover... and a hair raising 2 hours at that!

The fact that I had had to back-track so far north, and the fact that I was still ahead of schedule meant that I was able to accomplish two things...

1. to see some of the things I missed on the trip up... and

2. return to visit some of the friends I'd made as I was heading north.

Those that know me, know that I rarely pass up an opportunity for a good wine, so the fact that I'd missed the Napa Valley the first time round was like a thorn in my side. Being able to dig the thorn out was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Armed with a map of the valley from the tourist centre in Napa, I was surprised to see so many vineyards in such a small area (only about 20 miles long and 10 miles wide)... some with only about a hectare of land. With a couple of recommendations, first stop was Judd's Hill where the taster was more than happy to fill me in a little on some of the local history and the specific varietals that are grown in the area. With the original Spanish explorers that settled in the district, the missionaries planted the first grapes for their services... but once the new world settlers found the area in the late 1800's the trade boomed. Prohibition in the 1920's meant that vineyards were suddenly limited to producing only for religious reasons and many went out of business, the government seizing the land for taxes in arrears. By the 50's, a lot of the valley was still uninhabited, but some enterprising people saw an opportunity to by the land back from the government (they only had to pay the taxes owing which meant some large properties were bought for as little as $500) and the industry in the area was back in business.

The Napa Valley is mainly a red wine district with the predominant varietals being Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon (which grows just about anywhere in the world). There is a smattering of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc as well but I tended to find that the Chardonnay was used more for sparkling wine and the Sauv Blanc didn't even remotely resemble the varietal that I know and love from the colder regions of Australia and New Zealand.

Robert Sinskey provided the second winery that both the tourist centre and the taster from the Judd's Hill recommended. With award wining wines and savoury tapas to enjoy with them, they sure know how to entertain. But unfortunately, it was also on the tour bus circuit so little time was spent in the hustle and bustle at the tasting counter and it was on to the final vineyard for the afternoon.

Coming highly recommended by everyone I'd spoken to, as well as being the oldest winery in the area, Frank Family. Speaking to the owner's son was a true pleasure with the knowledge he was able to impart. After studying in France for a number of years, he returned to take over the family business and has successfully built it into the multi awarding winery it is today. One thing that he said that really stuck with me was that unlike most fruit producers, vineyards literally keep their stock on the brink of death, with very little nutrients in the soil and only the bare minimum of water!! Because of this, the plant thinks it is dying and is forced to fruit to try and continue the species... but the fruit is smaller and much more concentrated in flavour due to the limited water. I guess the moral is that sometimes the harshest treatment can yield surprising results.... at least in the plant world.

Loaded with a couple of bottles, it was down through San Francisco to Santa Cruz again and back into Monterey to revisit Rob and Sara. Now that they had made the move from Chicago and managed to set themselves up, we met for a drink or 10 so we could both fill in the blanks from the last 2 months. With generosity in their hearts, I had a place to stay for the next 2 days and we spent the time with darts or a pool cue in one hand, and a wine or a beer in the other. A bottle from the Napa went to them as thanks and it was a pure pleasure to see them again. Hopefully we will catch up and I'll be able to return the favour one day soon.

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