I had planned on hiking up to four peaks for the first time to check out the area and see if there was a good water source. This hike is close to a 4000 foot elevation gain. One of my tires popped and went flat right before I reached the trailhead. Not good on the first day of a multi-week trip. After fixing the tire I changed my plan since there was not enough time to get to the peak before the next storm. I drove up Hwy 288 which I had never been on before. It is in the national forest and the pavement comes and goes changing to dirt at times. After passing the secluded town of Young I found a free campground. However I did get stuck in the snow finding a shovel while doing so. I went out to the road and flagged down a nice older couple who helped me get out. We almost failed but I was able to finally relax and get some sleep. I did a hike on the highline trail the next day and found some more free camping. I spent valentines day driving in cold windy rain to Death Valley and once I got there the storm was just starting to clear up.