It is another normal day at work today, but this weekend was anything but normal. We left SJ (San Jose for you who are not down with the nor cal lingo). And headed for Yosemite at around 1:30 on Friday. We got there with normal traffic and drove over Tioga Pass to the eastern side of the Sierras. The eastern side is the mos beautiful side because there are relatively no foothills. The mountains go from 3-4 thousand feet straight up to 13000 ft in only a few miles. This makes for a dramatic scene that cannot be captured in pictures, but we tried all the same.

The view from Tioga pass.

Backside of halfdome. Very cool.
Friday night was spent dispersed camping on an old forest service road in the Inyo National Forest. We found this great spot in the middle of nowhere. The next day we went over to Mono Lake and saw the Tufa’s. These weird looking things are calcium carbonate tubes from underwater springs that form these weird looking structures. The lake used to be much higher, but the inlets were diverted (by the most evil empire that is Los Angeles) and the lake level has dropped ever since. The lake is 2.5 times saltier than the ocean and seemingly only good for looking at(it is vital for birds on their migration route).

If you look closely you can see the millions of flies at the waters edge. Very disgusting in a kind of cool but not so cool way.

One of the many Tufa's.

The view near our first "illegal" dispersed camping site.

Brenda and I overlooking the last part of Tioga Pass.

From there we drove the June lake loop and got a great view of more mountains. Our destination that day was the Rock Creek lake road and the Mosquito trailhead. Brenda was a bit skeptical when I told her the name of the trailhead, but the hike was more than I could of imagined. There was little/ gradual elevation gain and four lakes all along the way with the final one we stopped at being Long Lake. There were a lot of people on the trail later in the day, but enough could not be said about this beautiful place. It is amazing the wonderful creation that we have been entrusted with by God to take care of. The views of granite rock faces make me think of the verse that says if we do not praise God the rocks will. It only makes me want to praise God all the more because of the gift he has given us(and the thought of those mountains talking makes me freaked out).

After our hike we ran into a Ranger and talked to him a while. We told him where we camped the previous night and he informed us that there is no dispersed camping in the Inyo NF. What a crock of crap. I love the area in the Inyo NF, but if they don’t let people use the land for recreation it might as well be called a national park. National forests should have less restrictions(I mean they allow logging so why not camping which is much less invasive...once again I must say...idiots).

Brenda and I on Tioga again...nothing new.

Me reading my Lattitude 38 magazine. It is the greatest sailing magazine out there.

Brenda eating a yogurt in the backcountry thinking that it can't get better than this.

It did

One of the most pristine areas on the hike.

A great area where we had a bite to eat and a well deserved rest.

The ranger did tell us about this other hike so we went off to try that one (about a hour south). We got there, got a campsite (at a campground...one of very few times we have paid for one) and then set off on the hike. The directions we had said that it was very easy, but we did not have a map and did not look closely so we went the wrong way we thought we were going and headed straight up a mountain. It was hot and sweltering with no shade, and after we talked to other hikers coming down, we decided to call it a day.
The next morning we headed out and stopped at various locations on our way home. First was the Kenough Hot springs. They were about 90 and very nice. We then went to Mammoth ski resort to check it out and wow is it nice. I guess they are open in the summer and they have a lot of mountain bikers that go up the lifts and then down. Finally we headed north and stopped at the Travertine Hot Springs. These were much hotter around 110 but not as private and...how should I say...clothing optional. The term "clothing optional" for some unknown reason this seems to be an encouragement for 50+ year old men to strip down and show the world what...they have to offer. Well enough about that. We then went over Sonora Pass and back home. I was very beautiful and we had a great time.

Tonight we had a soccer game and lost. There is something else I would like to get off of my chest. During the game a girl asked me how tall I am, and then again after the game another guy asked me again. The next midget that asked me how tall I am I am going to ask them How short they are and how much they weigh. I know that it is not socially acceptable to ask shortness, but it is somehow acceptable to how tall people are.

Enjoy the pictures and don't just look at them. Get out there and do something about that and see the wonderful Creation God has given us to use and protect.

Me enjoying the water (clothes on of course)
Brenda with the same.
What a great backdrop.

Entering the wilderness.

Great valley to hike up but very hot.

Travertine Hot springs. The water flows down the ridge in a small channel and then into the pool.
The channel on the ridge.
A huge crevice that happend due to an earthquake. it is about 20 ft. deep.
Mammoth mountain.