The Land of Cut-Off Jeans: Travels through the Mid-West into PA

Link to Photo Album of this Trip/Blog Photo Roll

This chronicles my travels through the Mid-West and ending in Carlisle, PA

So... I Actually Left California- so may as well ride bikes along the way

Leaving CA

I should change the title of my blog. But yes, I left the Eastside. The Range of Light. The Eastern Sierra. It is happening. It is real. Wow.  If I'm going to leave, then I need to at least enjoy my drive to quaint New England.
I currently am wishing I owned a truck and had the whole summer off to bike and tour the West and British Columbia.  However, my knee needs a'fixin, so I'm doing a "Sampler Tour" of the West, and trying to mountain bike or bike in every stop along the way.  I'll have to go to more National Parks and do some dispersed camping on National Forest lands in the fall, unless that fire outside of Fort Collins is still going then.  Then I'll just re-route.

HIGHLIGHTS of my Mountain Biketastic Adventure in an Easterly (sigh) Direction

Parting with the Sierras and the Great Basin (I hate goodbyes) .  

I decided to meander up 395 and over Monitor Pass to the best little towns South of Tahoe... Markleeville and Woodfords. You do blink and they are gone, but oh I love them.

Mammoth Lakes Interagency Welcome Center- Where Dreams Come True
Where my love began (and my first USFS job and first job in the Sierras)

Day at the Beach 2

Yesterday was a nice day for a bike ride in Bishop.
Today it's snowing in Mammoth. Happy Memorial Day weekend. Always seems to snow or rain.

REAL canoli from Schat's in Bishop
The Carson City Schats= gross canolis 

Slow Down the Pace... Take Out the Adventure?

Having injured my knees constantly since exploring the Sierra's, makes me realize that some people can recreate outdoors solely, but I need to and should have always supplemented with the gym. Needless to say, what's done is done.

I've been venting to friends here as I had some tough "career" front type decisions (as I do every year multiple times) and we have concluded that it is hard to live here without feeling like every adventure needs to be challenging. Sure there are days where you may do a short hike to a lake to swim in the frigid water, or the casual trail run on 3S__(insert 08, 02, or whichever Forest Service Road is to our liking), or a day of (gasp) reading by the creek.

The Pie's the Limit

Nostalgia is starting to take over my life.  There are lots of things I want to see and do and probably will need years more time to do them.  The knee, time, and distance are always factors. The seacoast and Redwoods will have to wait. British Columbia and Montana will have to wait. I also am going to physical therapy three times a week.   I suppose I could not go, but my knee is pretty important to me right now.

This weekend aside from getting ripped off at the Subaru dealer repair shop in Reno,  I went to Tahoe.  I love the North Shore and my friends were so kind as to take time out of their busy wedding planning lives to hangout with me.  I took a friend along, as his job doesn’t start right away and he’d never really been to Tahoe.

My "Guest Post From the West Coast"

Last week I sent in a fairly personal blog post to my good friends at My Backcountry Vermont . I sometimes have an issue with being too personal, but once in a while it's okay. I still don't like using iphoto because I can never remember the best way to send the photo files, so they came out a bit small... so I reposted the blog and made the photos bigger.

Guest Post from the West Coast

Introducing our newest guest blogger, Silvia, for our first edition of Guest Post from the West Coast! This is a great reminder to live in the present. And, Silvia, I, too dream of someday living out of a car -- a vintage vw van, actually.  ( :

Peace from the East,
Sarah


Author’s Note: I wanted my first “Guest Post from the West Coast” to be about adventure.  However, I recently tore my right ACL (did it last year to my left knee in a stupid telemarking breathtaking view type situation) backcountry skiing Mount Gould in the Central Sierra.  I can write a post about that later. So as a now “ACL-less” person, I’d rather talk about something else for now.  I’m not sure who will read this, as I typically don’t write blogs this long, nor with footnotes.

Huggins the Cat

A month ago, every night for a week before I was to be home, our 16 year-old cat, Huggins, had been sleeping at the head of my bed.  

Catnap in the living room rays of sunshine

"She hasn't done that in a while. She must know you're coming home."

After I left, she didn't go back into my room.  It's interesting how these things work. 

The past few days she hasn't eaten, and is dehydrated and uninterested at making her funny chattering noises at the birds in the window. She wouldn't leave one chair until someone came home.  

I was an artist once

"She purred a little bit last night. I think she's been suffering and we just didn't know it...I think she waiting until she saw you one more time."

 Huggins was put to rest tonight and buried next to Sunny the Cat, with the blue rabbits foot that I got in elementary school next to her.  My poor mother. The bonds we make with our pets. The years of our lives they represent. 

Kneading Dough to Pass the Time

A recent spacebook update from my USFS friend in Mammoth reminded me I haven't quite finished this post.  I have led the life of a hermit... or a hermitress this winter and I want to explain why.

Traditionally in college, when I wanted to get away (from my thoughts) I'd borrow someone's dog or dogs, or start baking,  ride my bike, or I'd just do things by myself or with one or two of the same people. Having a conversation over a cup of coffee and horrible "cider" today with someone I haven't seen in ages reminded me of how time flies and it's so great to catch up with old friends.  I haven't been purposefully trying to be anti-social, but merely, that after a summer of wandering the wilderness in a job I was so lucky to have, I needed time to further reflect on where I am going.

Hiking North toward Ebbetts Pass.
Love this trail shot. Where am I going? Where does it go?

In the land of apple cider doughnuts

I used my last Mardi Gras costume contest plane ticket (thanks Rafters of Mammoth Lakes) that I won and went home to Vermont for a few weeks. I forgot my camera charger, but I did take a few photos.  I really needed Vermont time. A time to see good friends and family and new babies.  I also visited UNH and UVM to see about their Graduate programs. I almost got to SUNY Cortland.  It was fun to be in the Boston area a few days and learn I'm not so great with the train schedules, and spend time (or try to) with some great long-time friends from home and college.

Many times when I visited my parents in Southern VT, even when I lived in Vermont- I wanted to see everyone I knew and do everything I could. That is virtually impossible. Even though I had more time this visit, I still didn't accomplish seeing everyone and doing everything. Next time. 

A foggy view of the Green Mountains/ Appalachian Trail ridges from Mt. Anthony hike with Mom.