Time for a vacation

Preparations are under way for our summer vacation. We're headed back to California this Friday, but with no intentions of doing an 11 day hike like last year. Instead of the backpacking gear, we're loading up the jeep with all our ski gear, mountain bikes, and lots more food than we were able to take on the JMT! The plan is to hang out in Tahoe (we've never been there) for the first half of the trip (running, skiing, biking, and even maybe some relaxing!), the head down the Eastside of the Sierra Nevadas (one of the coolest places on earth!) for the second half of the trip.

The total drive will be about 1300 miles. A lot less than the original trip we had in mind, which would have taken us all the way to Mt Rainier in Washington state.

We're spending the first 5-6 days in the Lake Tahoe basin, then heading south to Mono Lake / Tioga Pass, then down to Mammoth Lakes.


There will still be plenty of snow in Tahoe for skiing...

We'll get to hang out at the beach... and the water will be super cold, so that will be good for post-run therapy...

And ride our mountain bikes...

Tioga Pass (the gateway to Yosemite) got plenty of snow this year as well... this photo was taken a few weeks ago as they were plowing the road... I think there will be some left for us!

We'll cap off the trip playing in the mountains in Mammoth Lakes, CA... we only briefly came through here last summer on our way to start the JMT, and have been itching to go back ever since...


Blood Mountain and the ultra-classic "Bloody Couloir" (the one split by the 2 giant rock outcrops) is one of the lines we are hoping to climb and ski while in Mammoth

Rumor has it that there is a one mile road race in Mammoth on July 4th... hmmmmmmmm... my friend Luke told me after the Utah Valley Marathon to "learn from Ryan Hall and don't jump in any one mile races right after the marathon"... but rumor also has it that my racing flats are already packed :-)

... oh, and the long term forecast isn't looking too shabby, either...