Saturday, January 07, 2006

Back in the 'Zone

Just got back a couple of days ago from the 48th state. Just business roundup and a chance to visit Barbara Rogers and Buddy and Sue.

It was a great visit to the Sonora Desert; I really love those cacti and sunsets. Fortunately, Buddy and Sue like to walk, and we took a morning stroll on the fab Sabino Canyon trail, although this time we were on asphalt almost the whole time... Jay and I are fans of the dirt trail itself, mountain lions be damned.

Did tons of driving and tried a few new roads, too. After Tucson, we made it up to Lone Pine very late one night, hoping to have 2 1/2 days of skiing at Mammoth. Wouldn't you know the whole town was blizzarded-in, and we just turned around, took off the chains, and high-tailed it to Shaver Lake. This is the amazing thing about the Sierras. Half the roads close in winter, first of all, but to get from Bishop-Mammoth Lakes to Sierra Summit in the lakes behind Fresno, it is best to be some kind of hawk. It's thirty miles or so by feathered wings, a whole day's drive by high-combustion Detroit engine.

Shaver Lake Hotel was cute & historic, but the walls are as thin as a Seabright beach cabana! The carousing, drunk guy who came into the lodge at 1:44 am our first night ruined my sleep. Ah, well, the slopes for the next two days were piled with powder (not all of it groomed) and we were in heaven.

Roared into Fresno just in time to have dinner with my dad and the head Curator at the Fresno Art Museum. My dad gave a nice talk, with about 24 slides, about his show there. It was a lovely evening and the show looks wonderful in the gallery they chose.

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