I had just gotten off a client call that I heard maybe half of when I picked up the camera and started to load the next roll of film. My trip to Mammoth was drawing to a close but I wanted to have something in the camera in case inspiration struck. I knew I’d probably be waiting on these shots a while – there was no way I’d be shooting a whole roll.

I took a quick shot out the window of the cafeteria I was calling my office and caught a late afternoon snowboarder at the end of a run.

I packed up my bag and didn’t shoot anything else until we were on the drive home. Between the mountains lurking and the pattern snow and dust had left on the windows I just couldn’t resist.

On the way back we peeled ourselves out of the car in Lone Pine and wandered down the street until we made our way into the Lone Star Bistro to get sandwiches. I ordered quickly, landing on their signature Lone Pine Charmer. I picked up the camera and searched the store while I waited for my friends to decide. These pictures feel like ones I would have shot around Joshua Tree in 2013 with Twin Peaks on my mind. The American waving outside the window – the Coca Cola sign wrapped in just a bit too late Christmas decorations – it all felt like the right set up.

A bit further down the road we took the short hike over to Fossil Falls. The polished basalt looks so alien, especially with the harsh late afternoon light coming down and killing any visual depth that might have been on offer. I confidently lead the group out on the quarter mile hike, but somehow ended up about 100 feet East of the actual falls. We all stopped and posed for photos.

We saw the fires from the freeway on the way home. I put the camera down for a bit and didn’t pick it up again until I was leaving for Chopperfest. I stopped and took a self portrait in my apartment building’s mirror, as I am want to do when I have film to burn.

My dad and I hit the road. We stopped at this Thai place that had a little guy on the spoon. That was about the last thing this roll saw.