Here I am at the Crowley Lake Library typing fast to get this story out to you. We have no cell coverage up at our glorious aerie perched up in Rock Creek Canyon at East Fork campground. We’re camped in site #35, cozied in among aspen and next to the flush toilet restrooms. Our campground hosts Terry and Dennis rake the granite sand at our picnic table and our campground walking paths are lined with granite stones. Next time we come we hope to camp at first-come-first-serve site #78 which is dominated by an ancient Western juniper. They are also known by the Latin name Juniperus occidentalis. They grow at 2,600-9,800 feet and are native to Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California. Some beautiful examples of them grow in Rock Creek Canyon. They can live to 1,600 years or more, and most average 100 years.
Yesterday we stayed the whole day up at Rock Creek Lake. We arrived at 9 AM to hike the Mono Pass trail, which starts at 10,250 feet. While we’ve made it to the pass twice in the past, we hiked for 90 minutes stopping often to catch our breath at the 10,450 foot look out of the back country surrounding Rock Creek. The hike is tough, involving climbing steps up over two feet high as we ascend the trail. It’s one of our favorite challenging hikes. Along the way we met a dad whose birthday it was, walking with a son who looked like an elf from Tolkien’s Rivendale. On the return trip I spoke with a couple who work at Yosemite National Park. The gent–confident in his bare-chested chubby body–give me a sense of empowerment in being proud of my own zaftig shape. His feet were clad in Bedrock sandals. His feet looked great and he said he can run 25 miles in them. He and his lady partner exuded joie de vivres.
Back down from our hike we walked into the Rock Creek Resort General Store. We were thrilled to see Jim King, now 70, still running the old-timey welcoming resort. Last time we visited in 2012, there was a less than friendly guy there who told us the Kings sold the place. The pie then–we loved Sue King’s homemade pies from 40 years ago–was gooey sugary. We thought our favorite restaurant in the Eastern Sierras had lost its touch. So, we were thrilled to order the delicious chili–still as good as we remembered from the 1980s. The blueberry peach cobbler–love in a bowl. We talked with Jim after our lunch and found we have a love of the Southwest in common.
Afterwards we sat in and out of the shade at Rock Creek Lake spending a couple of hours looking at the mountains, aspen, juniper, fir, and gazing at the high country blue sky. Listening to the sound of Rock Creek roaring down the mountain. We breathed in the fresh evergreen-scented air, and felt the soft breeze. We talked a long while with Marie, a retired anthropology professor from the University of Nevada Reno. She told us her story of growing up in Alabama and being raised by her grandparents. At an early age she liked to read National Geographic, and decided at the age of 10 that she wanted to become an anthropologist, a term her grandparents had not heard of in the 1950s. However, her grandparents insisted she become a nurse, which she did for decades. Later on in her 40s, with the support of her husband, she earned a PhD in anthropology, specializing in disease with stigmas–like AIDS and leprosy. I asked if I could include her story in this blog and she said I could.
Our 51-year love affair with the Eastern Sierra includes Upper Grays Meadow, outside of Independence CA. Here we camped at site #29 with views of Owens Valley and the Inyo Mountains. We stayed only one night and want to stay longer and explore the up country in nearby Onion Valley at the road’s end. Next time, we’d like to camp at site #13, near Independence Creek.
June 9 we left Grays Meadow and drove through Bishop so that we could pick up supplies and Bill could get bakery at Eric Schats’ Bakery and smoked meats at Mahogany Meats. We love their roast beef sandwiches and order a side of bacon.
Today we walked halfway around Convict Lake, an über popular fishing spot that is over loved by visitors. We still like the vibe. Great for laundry and showers, too.
And finally, a big thank you to Bill’s Grandad and Maree, whose inspiring stories led to the road tripping we do today. And Bill’s Aunt Marion and her husband Philip DeLacey, whose inheritance paid for our beloved Marion trailer. Philip was a childhood actor in silent movies. We have a bronze made of him then, which we take on trips.
Library’s closing. I say adios until the next story.