Sunday, May 23, 2010

May 23, 2010

Owens River

Owens River

The base of Whitney

Japanese garden remnants at Manzanar internment camp

Mono lake

Happy days are here again..... for my creditors at least. The house sale is complete, and I can start paying my overdue bills on Monday. This past year has been an uphill run, and it is quite a relief to win one of the battles.

On the diabetes front, it looks like I have two choices..... a careful diet, and no medications, or a more relaxed diet, and moderate medication. So far, I am down to medication only once a day, and am trying to transition to no meds. It seems that my activity level makes a huge difference.

The “base of Whitney” expedition met with much early success, and was expanded to include the entire south eastern slope of the sierras. This grueling and dangerous undertaking included not just the natural terrain, (mountains, rivers, snow, hot springs, high winds, and lakes) but also man made obstacles such as restaurants, museums, and various retail outlets. It was exhausting, but well worth the effort.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

May 2, 2010

Hello all,

The good news is that there is not much news. My health continues to improve, and I have been able to work. There has only been a few times in my life that I have really enjoyed working, but now I feel blessed.

The 2 story house is sold.... well, in the process of being sold. I have sold it for less than replacement cost. I am a bit disappointed in the RE market right now, but am a bit happy that I have a buyer at all. Anyway, it should close in 2-3 weeks, and I will be able to pay some bills. I know that it doesn’t sound exciting, but really, it is.

Along with my health, my urge for adventure is returning as well..... Woo Hoo I am packing up the motor home and the kayaks, and heading for the Owens river for a week of camping (I know that it really isn’t camping) and paddling. The Owens river is, coincidentally, in the Owens valley, which is on the eastern side of the Sierra mountain range. The valley is at about 4000 ft. elevation, and is over seen by Mt. Whitney which is over 14,000 ft. elevation. This makes the Owens valley the deepest valley in the USA.

I remember the Win women, Claudia, Nancy, and friend (forgot the name) hiked to the top of Whitney, so I plan to maintain the honor of the Win men by exploring the bottom of Whitney. I mean...... the top is very small, and the bottom, well, it is so very large and deep, and much more difficult to explore...... I expect this feat to be accomplished in only one grueling day. Starting out in Santa Clarita, I expect to maintain a 60 MPH pace for the first 2 1/2 - 3 hours, (difficult, but doable) then a rest stop for lunch at a local restaurant, see the sights, and then another 2 hour sprint to the campground at Bishop.

I know that this is an ambitious schedule, and I have been sick and unable to train properly, but I really think that I can do this, and crave that wonderful sense of accomplishment that follows any difficult endeavor.

The Owens valley is just full of good things to do and see.... many old western movies were shot in the Alabama Hills, which is an area just outside of Lone Pine, that is dominated by huge piles of huge boulders.... picture the good guys being ambushed by the bad guys. There was also a Japanese internment camp, ironically near a town named Independence, that was used during WWII. If you like geography, natural science, and history, it is a good place to spend time. I am going to try to leave early enough to at least tour the museum dedicated to the internment camp.

The California Kayak Friends have organized the trip, and are always good company.