Un-ranting. The very opposite of ranting.

(ExCathedra is the rant-persona of the man who writes this blog. Though he apologizes not at all for his ranting, it is not all he does. In person, he is actually quite pleasant. For example...)

Mr B and I returned yesterday afternoon from our annual Eastern Sierras jaunt.

A pleasure from start to finish; I would have happily stayed longer.

He picked me up at 5am last Thursday and off we went, stopping in Oakdale at 6.30 for our annual breakfast at the Corner Cafe. Pancakes, sausages, eggs, coffee...yum.

then took Route 108 through the Sonora Pass

over to Bridgeport and some of its scenic suburbs...

followed by a picnic lunch at Mono Lake, watching the phaloropes in clouds (like starlings)  and then down 395 to the metropolis of June Lake (pop. 629).

Checked into our beloved funky ramshackle cabin at June Lake Pines,

visited the Lake

That's Mr B there

and barbequed dinner by the porch, Mr XCathedra cheffing the lamb chops.

Next day we kayaked on surreal and extraterrestrial Mono Lake in the morning

Note Mr B and kayak on shore, to left

and hiked around Gull Lake in the afternoon.

More barbeque that night: Italian sausages.

Saturday we drove down toward colorful Crater Lake, where we'd been before,

and after stocking up on food and gas in Bishop, headed up to the higher elevations.

Desert between 7-8,000 feet

Stopped at Lake Sabrina, a drought-ravaged shadow of its former self.

Before

Now

But the little cafe there had the best blueberry pie --homemade by the owner's wife-- I've had in years.

We checked in at our "resort" at 9200 ft, went for a 2-mile stroll up the road 

past idyllic trout ponds 

to even more devastated South Lake

Then

Now

These lakes have been purposely drained by LA hydro companies

to dampen the Owens Valley and prevent its toxic dust

from polluting the city.

then returned for a cold chicken and salad dinner on our porch.

View from the porch

Sunday we hiked up to Treasure Lakes, at 10,668 feet, and had lunch.

Three hours up...and up and up...and three hours down. A challenge for the lungs one way and the knees the other. With its 1000+ foot elevation gain, the trail is like climbing up and down an 80 story building's staircase. Sometimes the trail is lost among the rocks, and climbers leave stone cairns to help mark it. Very grateful for these!

On Monday we took a slow drive over to Tioga Pass, had lunch here

and then checked into our tent at Tuolomne Meadows lodge: no electricity and a wood-burning stove for heat.

A stroll on the John Muir trail, family-style dinner at the lodge dining room --our only meal out-- and, if you can believe it, back to the tent for half-assed charades and ghost stories by electric lantern. Don't ask.

But it was great fun. It was hard to go to sleep because I was laughing so much.

Yesterday we drove home through the always awesome Yosemite

and were back in the city by 1 pm.

A great time was had by both. Looking forward to next year.

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