MAMMOTH TRIP!

Well, I got to ski Mammoth for the first time last year and vowed to do it at least once every year thereafter.

After a few fits and stops, I was able to achieve my goal when my friends Rick and Maurele invited me to their condo for a couple days AND I got cheap lift tickets online!

Here's the obligatory wind farm photo.
Going through Red Rock Canyon

Passing by Ridgecrest

Here we are at the top of Chair 3!!!

We decided to head for the TOP on the gondolas, which I'd never been on before. They don't stop, you just have to rush up, put your skis on the side and hop in!

The view up the hill from inside the gondola.

Maurele and the dude who was already in the gondola.

There are my skis hanging off the side...

On the backside I was amazed by the trees and how the snow was frozen on to them all blown sideways.

Heading up chair 13, I think...but I can't remember.

Man the ski was blue!

After a while, Chucky joined us. He was very critical of how I ski, which is OK...I need all the tips I can get.

I think this is the bottom of Chair 4...but it was hard to remember...that is a MAMMOTH mountain.

Here I am!

And this is on the OTHER side of the mountain above Eagle's nest, I think.

These are from my drive home...sigh...

The mountains coming out of Mammoth are, of course incredible.

I think this is Owens Dry Lake bed.

Coming up on my favorite cinder cone around Coso Junction.

Here it is from the north.

And here's the view of it from the south...sort of.

Back in Kern County....

Don't see too many of these in Bakersfield, land of the big white truck!

I like how it's a SMART car, but the back hatch says it's a "smar" car. Wonder what the dif is?

Funny what catches the eye when walking downtown

Later that day...

I met up with Don and the gang at Arizona Cafe, which I LOVE and haven't been to for ages.

Then we toddled over to Goose Loonies.

Hmmm...seems no matter where we are, we always look the same, like we're in a bar.

Saturday run

I wanted to do the hills Saturday, but got up late and it was foggy as hell, so I stuck to my old standby, the river.

I took all the littles, Rowdy, Jack Jack and Chico Pete (he's way out front). We did about 8.5 miles according to the GPS!

The Allen Road bridge is coming along.

Here's the view from the top. Private property??? With what it's costing taxpayers to build this sucker, there's not private about it!

When we got back to the lake o' death, there were a bunch of fisher people around. Who'd wanna eat anything they caught in that lake? Ick.

And the Bakersfield model yacht club was setting up, which seems like a way better use of the LOD (lake o' death) than either swimming or fishing in it.