The other side of California on US Route 395

El Camino Sierra takes you past ancient bristlecone pines and glacial lakes where the weather turns in an instant Rishad 

- Saam Mehta

All the leaves are brown and the sky is grey/ I'd be safe and warm if I was in LA/California dreamin' on such a winter's day...

So go the lyrics of California Dreamin', that super song by The Mamas and The Papas recognised instantly by every generation from Baby Boomers to Gen Z. John Phillips wrote it on a chilly New York day in 1962 for his wife Michelle, who was struggling with the cold, and pining for sunny California. I too found myself struggling with the cold as snow came down in blankets and the sky was grey. The difference was that I was in California and I had been safe and warm just 90 minutes earlier.

We were on a road trip on the US395, nicknamed El Camino Sierra. The highway connects Los Angeles with Lake Tahoe along the eastern edge of California. Compared to California Highway 1that pretty and poised road of most tourist road trips-El Camino Sierra is the wild child. A ribbon of black wrapped along the creased topography of the Sierra Nevada mountains, it makes its way through rugged landscapes where ice-sculpted granite masiffs loom high, and runs past ancient geological pockmarks that are now glacial lakes.

Along this highway, especially through the counties of Inyo and Mono, are playgrounds for the adventure seeker. There are miles of scenic trails to explore on foot, horseback or bicycle. The glassy clearblue lakes are ideal for kayaking, fishing or SUP (stand-up paddle) boarding.