Old Highway 395 – How to Drive It
by Sandy McCollum on 29/03/10 at 5:18 pm
Crossing the dessert can be dangerous as well as adventurous. Being prepared for even snow is essential, as the highway goes through so many terrains.
Famous Highway 395 in California offers the most diverse sceneries, histories and adventure of any other highway in the Western US. Movies were made there in the high dessert, and no matter how old you are those old movies are still enjoyable on a Saturday afternoon today. Plus, along the way there’s giant craggy mountains, ghost towns, rivers, lava beds, tufa towers and an antique shop around every bend in the road. Education goes along without trying.
It’s very important to plan ahead when going on a trip down (or up) the old 395, because just the weather alone could put a crimp in your plans. Being prepared for extreme weather is a must, as even in the dessert it can snow at anytime. On famous Mt. Whitney in the Sierras it can snow clear up until July. Plan ahead for trips into high areas in summer months only, to avoid getting stranded where nobody may come by for weeks.
Always tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be returning. Cell phone reception is non-existent out there and it’s not a reliable way to communicate. If you tell someone where you’ll be and when you’ll return, and things don’t go according to plan, then someone at least knows when you don’t return on time and they can call for help. Otherwise, you could be stranded in a place without hope of rescue.
Be Prepared When Crossing the Dessert
Undeniably, a map is the most important thing to have when crossing the dessert. A good map that’s larger than the area you’re traveling in, so you can find alternative ways in and out, if necessary. There are ranger stations and visitor’s bureaus along the way that sell these maps, should you leave home without one.
You also need to know just how sturdy the vehicle is. If there’s any question at all about it, drive a different car or schedule maintenance before you leave. You don’t want to get stranded in the high dessert, where repair stations and parts stores don’t exist. Fill all the car’s fluid receptacles before leaving, too. Better to be safe than sorry later.
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