Blogs from Bishop, California, United States, North America

In Mojave befindet sich unter anderem der Flughafen, von dem aus das Spaceship One gestartet ist. Viele Firmen im Bereich Raumfahrt haben hier ein Buero. Ausserdem dient Mojave der Zwischenlagerung von Flugzeugen, da die Luft hier extrem trocken und Niederschlag praktisch nicht vorhanden ist. Diese werden zum Teil eingemottet, zum Teil aber auch neu lackiert, nachdem sie ihren Dienst fuer Lufthansa und Co getan haben, fuer Air Kongo aber noch gut genug sind :). Wir legten einen Abstecher ins Death Valley ein, wo man tatsaechlich erstmal 1000 Hoehenmeter abwaerts faehrt. Abends war mal wieder Lagerfeuer und Bier angesagt, mit Crashpads als den besseren Campingstuehlen. Klettern im Boulderparadies "Bishop", oestlich der Sierra Nevadas, die noch von Schnee bedeckt waren. Ich rieb mich am Montag acht Stunden so dermassen auf, dass ich am naechsten Morgen kaum mein Muesli ... read more

I headed west out of Bishop in near 100 degree August heat. The neighborhoods and irrigated fields yielded to sage brush and open desert as Route 168 rose up the slope of the Sierras. And the higher I rose, the cooler it got. By the time I reached the end of the road at South Lake, I was at 9,800 feet enjoying a warm comfortable summer day. My plan was to hike up to 11,900 foot Bishop Pass. I could hike this as a two-day trip, camping at Bishop Lake just under the pass, or hike a little further and camp in Dusy Basin on the other side. But today had to be a day hike, and so I geared myself up for a 2,100 foot climb in five miles. Not too bad actually, even considering ... read more

Having scratched the social itch with the meetup.com circuit, I head south towards the southern (high) Sierras. The meetup hiking conditioned me pretty well to tackle some tougher hikes. The first stop is a place where I'd parked and hiked before- South Lake. While before I had only done a short day hike up to Treasure Lake, I decide to give the more compelling pass over the crest of the Sierras (Bishop Pass) a try, since conditions must be far more amenable to hiking now. However, I'll need to backpack it, so I don't have to worry about getting back after dark or feeling rushed. Also, I bring the snowshoes and ski poles just in case. I park nearby for the night and set out in the morning. The one way distance to the pass is ... read more

Gonna make this one quick. I head south on 395 to Mammoth Lakes, where I do some laundry, get groceries at the local Vons, and do a walk-in at a gym called the Body Shop. Get some apple strudel a la mode at a local eatery. In this eatery the cook gives me some tips on good places to camp. Following the tip I head further south and go down Pine Creek Rd that heads into the Sierras. Beautiful scenery as usual. I head past a gate that's partially open. The road turns into a treacherous single lane rocky path. This is much worse than an unkempt gravel road- the rocks are large and they look sharp. Partway up I stop and get out to walk up the road a bit to see if it improves ... read more