On the Road in California

Aloha Friends and Family.  Dave and I just getting our "sea legs" here in Bishop California.  We actually set up our tent and have been living in our camp site for 4 days!  We  had a soft beginning with a two week stay in Chico, California where we were blessed to have a room in Steve and Laurie's lovely home near Bidwell Park.  Dave got a few great days of climbing in at Grizzly Dome and a place called "The Emeralds" near Nevada city.  We both got treated to an archery lesson and course tour.  Steve generously taught us the basics of shooting arrows and we trekked through an oak savanna landscape with targets set up throughout.  We shot from 30 feet back where as the master (Steve) shot from 50 feet back.  We got a few bulls eyes!  At the end of the course we shot for distance from about 100 yards away from the truck.  Dave shot 475 feet.  I shot 300 feet but managed to hit the outhouse next to our truck.  In Chico we enjoyed biking under the shade of the grand tree-lined streets and spending hours next to a big green river that runs through Bidwell park.

We attended some nice yoga classes, but none with the amazing vibe of our Maui Yoga crew.  We miss all of you but are having a great time. Here is a video Dave took as we pedaled to yoga class on a Chilly Chico Morning:

Later in the week, Dave took me to upper Bidwell park - the less developed part of the park.  We hiked gingerly around the poison oak to the creek side.  We dove off big hot rocks into chilly green water.  In this picture, I am testing my balance skills on a large tree trunk that fell across the water.  Behind me is a very deep swimming hole I dove into in between sessions of sun soaking on the rocks. 

Poor Dave spent most of our time at the creek fighting his allergies.  He was a 'snot machine' for most of our time in Chico.

Now we are in Bishop California with the Eastern Sierras towering in the background.  There is still snow on the mountain tops but it is melting quickly in the heat of these long summer days.  Our campsite is 6 miles from town and I am enjoying biking to and from in the cool of the early morning.  I made the mistake of riding home in the afternoon with the sun baking me and a head wind pushing back at me.  I was so happy to get to our shady campsite for a rest!  We have mastered our camping kitchen and are having broccoli and brown rice with spicey almond sauce and cilantro tonight.

Yesterday we were taken to a new climbing area called Pine Creek.  Dave's college friend Katie gave us a tour.  We brought along a friend from Canada that Dave met on line.  Terra was her name.  Wonderful gal.  More on that adventure in our next entry... I got footage of Dave a hundred feet up!