Arrived in Tucson

Not Tucson...

The drive was beautiful over the 50 to the eastern side of the Sierras through El Dorado National Forest.  Scenic rivers followed by Luther Pass was a treat.  With this route I came out above Mono Lake.  You can't really see from the pictures, but Mono Lake is one of the few natural lakes with the bath tub ring surrounding it common to reservoirs.  This is thanks to the cancer also know as Los Angeles, they love their water...

Still learning to uses panoramic mode-  sorry if it looks a little psychedelic.

Bishop is a magical place.  I only wish that my skin could heal faster.  Unfortunately for y'all, it is way too much of a pain to carry two bouldering pads, shoes, chalk, layers, guidebook and camera.  So I left the camera in the truck for the climbing, so you'll have to go have a look for for yourself besides some scenic shots here...  I spent the first day climbing in the volcanic tablelands of Bishop.  These areas were exquisite, also known as the Happy and Sad bouldering areas, and were table like plateaus with gorges carved into them that were crammed, jammed, and slammed full of amazing boulders!  I spent the first two sessions there.  Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, the group of climbers I met were headed to "the Buttermilks."  Another fantastic bouldering area, and a little higher in elevation, the "Milks" feel and look like granite but are a rock type called monzonite, and even more scenic!  These egg-shaped granite boulders were perfect!  There were so many good problems I hardly knew where to start.  I realized quickly that I would need a lot more than three days to even begin to tap into the potential of the area.  Some of the the climbers I camped with up in the Buttermilks had been there since November, and they spend 5 months in the bishop area every year.  There are really that many boulders there, it is truly an incredible place.

The hill up to the right is the edge of the tablelands, due to a water-cut of the cliff at the right.  This area, know as the Owens Valley, is home to one the world greatest pyroclastic events.  Arond 740,000 years ago the Long Valley Caldera 30 miles north of Bishop erupted with a force 500 times that of Mt. St. Helens, leaving ash as far away as eastern Kansas!

After three days of bouldering in a row, my blood-filled bright red fingertips would crimp no longer.  I put in a morning session and headed for Tucson from where I type to you now.  It's pretty hot, as expected, and I will be around here having a look from the seat of my mt. bike for a while until I head up towards the four corners region and into Colorado in a few weeks.