Hot Springs Are Twice As Nice

California has many great hot springs and I hope to get to explore some new spots someday but for this recent trip I went to the best of those which Julie and I had found last year. The Travertine formation is a limestone ridge that is being formed by 160* mineral rich water. I enjoyed a High Life and a soak after my hiking and climbing in the Sierra. Because I still had hundreds of miles between me and Santa Barbara I got in Gloria and headed south on 395, a very scenic highway. Dusk over the high peaks entertained me for a couple hours until I was at my sleeping spot, a hot spring in the valley below Mammoth. I had to wait for the occupants to clear out and make some room in the small pool for me, so I went to bed with intent to soak in the morning. My body woke me at 4:30, perfect to see the Perseid meteor shower while staying warm in he hot waters. This also gave me a great early start on the 8 hours of driving to Santa Barbara. Love the air-cooled vehicle across the hot California dessert in August. Gloria is glorious. Here are some more photos of the Sierra.

Zach's Solo Trip

I just returned from a great 11 days on the road to Southern California. With my good friend from college getting married in Santa Barbara I thought it a good excuse to revisit California and play in some of my favorite places Julie and I discovered last year when we passed through. I'll be blogging in different segments in short stories so I don't get blogged out. Since I have a sprained ankle, it is good for me to be typing while sitting with my foot elevated and iced. We'll have to get to that story in the proper order though.
Starting at 6:00 am I drove, Gloria south along the eastern valleys of CA until the High Sierras rose above me in the setting sun. Parking at the end of the road in a little RV park I packed and dawned my pack setting off up the switch backs leading into the high alpine meadows. Just after dark I found my camp on the flat of a huge boulder stacked high on an old glacial moraine. Climbing and hiking the clean granite walls under the fractured ridge lines in between naps among the heather filled my second day. The objective for day 3 was relax and meditate on the rhythms of nature. Check! I hiked out during the late afternoon light, past deer grazing in the meadow, numerous water cascades with their day end torrents crashing down off the upper snow fields and other people enjoying all the great wild flowers et all. There was just enough time for me to throw my pack in the van and drive across the valley to the local, natural, primitive hot springs and soak in the sunset. Aha! Life in the flow.




Back soon with more. love and light zach