I got off to a late start after waiting out the midday desert heat in an air-conditioned burger joint in the tiny town of Inyokern, just a few miles east of the trail in southern California. Climbing up to the ridgeline from the highway beneath circling vultures, I was soon rewarded with expansive views of the arid Indian Wells Valley to the east. As the sun began its slow descent westward, the mountains took on pink, purple, and bluish hues. I spent a windy, sleepless night up on that ridge on the side of Mt Jenkins, but the striking sunset and then early morning sunrise over the mountains made it well worth it.
Russell on the Road 