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Beyond Olancha the terrain really gets interesting.  As the Owens Valley opens ahead on the right, we pass a series of rock gardens on the crest, each one unique.  The ever steepening slopes are ever higher as well...

Although the lift north of here on the Sierras can be terrific, it is usually weaker and less consistent than the lift on the Inyos.  Also, the Sierra terrain is so high, that usable airspace is severely reduced.  The 'big boys' going for distance and/or speed almost always cross the valley  here for superior conditions to the east.

(We'll come back south on the Sierra side, just for the UNBELIEVABLE SCENERY.)   

Here we're ready to cross the Owens Valley (20 miles with not much lift) to the Inyos, a huge, bare rock ridge that spawns some of the greatest thermal lift on Earth.