Let’s begin with a recap of a few important points from last time; (1) I worked an extra day last week so that we could enjoy a three day weekend, (2) we had big plans but things didn’t turn out quite as planned, and (3) our agenda was very random. So, how did it all turn out? I’ll tell you right now!
It all started with the gorgeous drive through the snowy mountains of Northern and Central California, during which we finished the most recent volume in the Song of Ice and Fire series, A Dance with Dragons.
Then somewhere between the mountains, we arrived in Bishop. This is the one famed bouldering area in all of America that Bilbo had been most looking forward to, so the butterflies were fluttering as we drove into the first bouldering area.
The Sad Boulders, which made Bilbo very happy, were nestled into the mountains with a beautiful view of the surrounding meadow. We made it there in time for a good hour’s introduction to Bishop bouldering before the sun went down. Of course, Bilbo did all of the climbing, while I took pictures. He had a blast!
The next morning we drove through town as we set out on the search for the Birthday Boulders—a task that would prove more epic than anticipated.
All began well as we drove towards those distant mountains on nice paved road. Turning off the the main road, we found ourselves on a dirt road that was still manageable, but bumpy. As we continued the road became rougher and more narrow until we weren’t sure if the Civic could make it any further, so we decided to turn around…
And got stuck. I guess we were a little late on backing out. The poor little car got it’s pretty little front end hung up on a rock, and it’s poor little front wheels just spun to no avail. Lucky for us, we were blocking the road and our plight soon became that of everyone who wanted to pass. That meant that we had help! With our brains combined we attached some webbing to the rear so half of us could pull from behind while the rest of us pushed the front. Thankfully, it worked and a half an hour later we were heading out of there with our tails between our legs.
With Birthday Boulders out of the question, we moved on to another area called Happy Boulders…with easy access and roadside parking. Like at Sad Boulders, we were at the base of the hills with snow-topped mountains as our back drop. Absolutely gorgeous!
Bilbo had a great time, but the rock was very sharp and soon his hands were cut up and bleeding. Once Bilbo’s hands were rendered useless, we threw in the proverbial towel and rerouted towards Reno, NV, for the night.
We arrived just in time to see the city light up for the night life! If you got rid of crime, litter, and crazy people, Reno’s main strip would be like walking down Wal-Mart's Christmas aisle everyday--what, with all of the bright lights and music. Actually, you could leave the crazy people and it would still fit the profile.
Casino’s weren’t our mission, and we were soon driving through the business district on our way to REI. Once you are away from the main strip area, you realize that Reno is a town of stark contrast. The remainder of the city is your run of the mill, medium residential feel with a cluster of towering, glittering casinos looming over it. It definitely gives the place a strange, disjointed feel. After a surprisingly short visit to REI, we gulped down a classy dinner at Denny’s and began the search for a nearby hotel. Despite our disappointing day, we didn’t stay at he Ho-Hum Motel. Come on guys! With a name like that it’s no wonder you have vacancy!
The next morning we decided to take a not-so-direct route home along one of the scenic drives listed in our book, “Scenic Drives”, which just so happened to take us to Mount Shasta. As we left the desert, we could see storm clouds rolling in and the rain began.
Help! I’ve been bear-napped!
The further we drove, the further the temperature dropped until we were driving in snow. Beautiful! Living in a temperate climate this winter, where not one drop of snow falls, has taught us that we need snow! There is something about it that make us feel the joys of winter. So, when we leave Humboldt County and find ourselves in a snowy area we get pretty excited.
The good and the bad news for the day: snow as falling at Mount Shasta when we arrived. This was good because we were going to ski, bad because we couldn’t see the most massive mountain in California. Now, if you remember my skiing history, you’ll know I’ve tried multiple time and have failed multiple times. With this trip, we decided it was time to call in the big guns…a professional ski instructor. I got lucky because I was the only one signed up for the group class, which meant that I got a private lesson for a group price. Upgrade!
In less than an hour he had me turning, actually going down the hill, and stopping—no mean feat. So Mr. Ski-Man decided I was ready for the ski lift to the bunny hill. YIKES! I was nervous, but my teacher had done his job and I made it all the way down without falling. Well, not until I was finished with the trail. I did a nice belly flop heading back towards the benches.
Having finally experienced some success, we called this week a wrap and began the drive back to Ferndale. To let you see the extreme randomness of our weekend, here’s a map of the almost 1200 miles we covered.
Good thing we had three days to do it, huh? Next time, we’ll tell you about our St. Patrick’s Day adventures close to home-base; which began with a visit to an old saloon. Hopefully the luck of the Irish will be with us this time!
No comments:
Post a Comment