Wind!! > Silver Canyon, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Alabama Hills

Very windy - so it was clear from the beginning that flying would not be possible today :-(
Therefore I used the opportunity to go sightseeing on this otherwise clear and sunny day (at least until noon)...
First I drove my car up Silver Canyon: this is the ultimate test for a 'normal' rental car: lousy road, narrow, (very) steep.

Silver Canyom

This is one way to reach the 'Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest', where some of the oldes trees on earth are found -some are over 4000 years old. The views at this altitude (> 3200m) are just breathtaking!

So for returning I wouldn't drive down Silver Canyon, but take the 'normal' road. This woul just have been simply unreasonable, as probably less than halfway down I would have the brakes fading...
Next stop: 'Alabama Hills' near Lone Pine. In Europe this would most probably be a National Park or something similar, here it's just a 'pile of rocks'...

Sierra Nevada (driving on the 'regular' road)

Alabama Hills

...rain on the way back to Bishop...

When I wanted to say thanks and goodbye to Cookie and Brian, I got (again) invited for dinner at 'Whiskey Creek', where we celebrated Kari's 5x' birthday. It has been a very relaxed and entertaining evening - MANY THANKS Cookie and Brian for your generosity!!
Tomorrow will be a travelling day, which wil bring Kari and me to the west side of the Sierra for my last few days of (possible) flying... But the route across Tioga Pass and via Yosemite NP promises spectcular views.