Except for the magnificent Monument valley in Arizona and Utah there can be no other landscape that more defines the American West than the Alabama Hills! Maybe it’s a result of the 100s of westerns and commercials filmed in this valley or recent classics like ‘Tremors’ and ‘Gladiator’. But many visitors to these hills are overcome with a sense of déjà vu when they first gaze upon this remarkable display of nature's handiwork. These incredible rock formations dot the landscape for as far as the eye can see and you can't help but be overcome by the sense of wonder and amazement at the sea of golden granite boulders rising up from the desert floor. Tucked away here and there are rock arches formed by time and the elements. The rounded, weather contours of the Alabamas form a sharp contrast between the crisply sculptured ridges of the Sierras and Mount Whitney. Reaching 14,495 feet in elevation, Whitney is the highest point of the Sierra Nevada. Its amazing to think that the day before we were swimming at 200 feet below sea level and on this day we were gazing upon the tallest mountain in the Continental United States. After an invigorating hike through the hills our trip would end as it began … with a long drive West over the Sierras and back to the hustle and bustle of the Sacramento valley.