The Answer is Owens in the Wind

It's amazing to see transformations on the grand scale, especially as seen from the air! Owens Lake in eastern California is a prime example of big change, and it's our destination in this film. We get to see it as it was in 2017, blood red and nearly dry as bone, and again in 2024, as a proper lake again, for the first time in over 100 years.
The lake is a familiar but forlorn sight to all those who have driven scenic Highway 395 along the Sierra Crest through Owens Valley, on the way from Los Angeles to Mammoth Mountain. Most of us have only seen it over the years as a giant and blighted dry lakebed in the distance. Until recently, it was hard to imagine its glory days of a hundred years ago, when its water covered more than one hundred square miles.
Of course, this film is as much about the journey as the destination. And this flight takes us directly over the high backcountry of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In particular, we get to see fantastic closeup views of the amazing Domeland Wilderness of the Kern Plateau.
So where are we going and how are we getting there? The answer, my friends, is Owens in the wind.
#aviation #flying #cessna #avgeek #Cessna177 #CessnaCardinal #OwensValley #OwensLake #SequioaNationalForest #SierraNevadaMountains #KernValley #IsabellaLake #DomelandWilderness #PaiuteMountains #DanGimpelFilms

[@photo_rohan]

Truly appreciate these videos! Thanks for taking us along!

[@dangimpelfilms]

Glad you like them!

[@MrAmericanworkmule]

Gorgeous

[@dangimpelfilms]

Thanks, glad you like!

[@peteranninos2506]

A great video. I really enjoy the descriptive narration. I think we communicated when I was looking for a plane and I settled on a 1975 Cardinal RG. I notice you have the earlier turbo mod. I was considering it now that I see how marginal a climber my bird is high and heavy.

[@dangimpelfilms]

Thanks! Yes, the turbo will help at altitude and it's another great example of how money can buy happiness. However, hope you have a good engine monitor as cylinder temps can easily run too high with the turbo. Don't recommend getting the turbo without a really good digital engine monitor.

[@michaellangdon7608]

Granite is a volcanic rock it's an igneous rock

[@dangimpelfilms]

What I mean is that granite doesn’t erupt and flow from volcanos and it’s not described as volcanic. Igneous- yes, but not volcanic, because it’s never a lava.

[@BlueSky...]

Outstanding video! Seeing this made my day.

[@dangimpelfilms]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@tanianaaman4727]

Loved this flight! Well done! ❤

[@dangimpelfilms]

Yay, thank you!

[@davidwhitney2116]

Really nice, from end to end!

[@dangimpelfilms]

Thank you very much!

[@normd5776]

always...too short.