Scenic 395 - The Official Guide 2024

30 2024 Scenic 395 104 S. Main Street in Lone Pine • 760-876-4208 G ARDNER ’ S Gateway to Mt. Whitney & Death Valley 1008 S. Main Street Lone Pine, CA • 93545 www.bestwestern.com 760-876-5571 1-800-WESTERN FRONTIE R MOTEL Alabama Hills remains at the top of the Bucket List Local photographer Chet Steele shared these photos he took while visiting the Alabama Hills. Photos courtesy of Chet Steele By Darla A. Baker The Daily Independent Three of the most memorable filming scenes captured during the hey day of old westerns featured the Alabama Hills in the backdrop. Located off Whitney Portals Road near Lone Pine, the Alabama Hills is where the Lone Ranger was ambushed, Roy Rogers found his trusted horse, Trigger, and that rascal Gene Autry serenaded many cow- girls on the silver screen. Filming directors first fell in love with the Alabama Hills back in the 1920s and continue to use the unique and surreal landscape as a backdrop in movies, com- mercials and television shows today. Each year, Lone Pine celebrates its western heritage by hosting the Lone Pine Film Festival featuring the Alabama Hills. The Lone Pine FilmMuseum offers guided tours of the area where visitors can get a first-hand glimpse of the many sites featured in productions. So, what makes the Alabama Hills so unique? It is home to over 100 stone arches that were formed due to uplifting and chemical erosion that took place over 100 million years ago. The erosion formed rounded rocks that are nestled between the jagged peaks of the Sierra Nevada and the Inyo Mountains. Early Native American life in the Alabama Hills dates back 10,000 years. Today, the spectacular views continue to draw visitors by the thousands, and in fact, once served as a preferred shooting location for Ansel Adams, second only to Continued on Page 31 Lone Pine