Today the plan is to relax. We’ve been on the road since May 1 except for the time we spent at my aunt Betty’s but we were having so much fun chatting that we forgot to relax then also. We’re tired. Gary even lay down for a short nap today. And I’ve never seen him do that except when he was sick. So, relax it is. Yeah, right.
Well, maybe we’ll do laundry. And, boy, do we have laundry. We started a load and then had breakfast.
We usually have a nice bigger breakfast on Sundays but this Sunday we were on the road and had cereal. Today is the day for the big breakfast and it’s scrambled eggs with peppers and onions, English muffin with peanut butter and jam and a bowl of fruit with yogurt. Ummm. Now for some coffee. We decided to walk the one block to the small restaurant / motel / snowshoe rental / grocery store / whatever (it’s a small town and you’ve got to do lots of things to make a living) for coffee and to go online.
When we reached the door we saw it was closed. Shucks. Our next plan is to hit the Visitor Center, another 4 blocks down and check the schedule for the cave tours. A day off? Now we’re going to the VC - but in a leisurely way.
Remember the couple we were supposed to meet in Baker and drive with them up Mt. Wheeler? Hey, they were at the Visitor Center as we were driving into it. They were wondering how to contact us since they have no cell phone coverage either. Aha, now we can arrange a day to drive up the mountain. And - they want to hike also so we’re all going to drive up the scenic drive and, at the end, we’re going to hike up to the Bristlecone Grove and on up to the Glacier. What serendipity, to meet them right in the parking lot and they also like to hike.
Of course, the Rangers try to discourage old duffers from making longer hikes but we 4 know our limits and hike within them. I think the Rangers ought to be more concerned with the young bucks who think they can do anything and never come to harm. Most old duffers we see on the trails are properly equipped: hats, water, jackets, food, etc. Most young people we see are in shorts, t-shirts and sneakers, carrying a small bottle of water for 2. When was the last time you ever heard of search and rescue for an old duffer?
Finally, after spending some time in the VC, we headed back home, noticed that the small shop was open, took our computers over there and got online.
On another topic. We’re continually amazed at the geologic history of this area, especially that it used to be all under water. It’s hard to imagine these mountains and these deserts under water. However, we had a water line pointed out to us:
It’s the line between the two arrows. Imagine that. (Oops, pardon the white squares around the arrow. This is the first time I tried this and need to watch the little details. Next time I’ll be better. But, can you see that water line? Neat, huh?)
Dinner and finally some relaxing in the evening. Oops, nope. We’ve got to get ready for tomorrow.
6 miles on Mt Wheeler in the snow and over the rocks is not like 6 miles in Des Moines.
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