On The Fly

In this episode (170) – 5 Years Later . . . "Hey Google, turn on the kitchen lights." Today's blog post illustrates how people take for granted the conveniences of modern everyday life and miss the satisfaction of wilderness camping. (Photos on YouTube). We just returned home from our recent Sierra adventure. Little Lakes Valley in the Eastern Sierras camped at Gem Lakes - Tuesday, September 6, 2022. It had been five years since my last wilderness adventure. An unprecedented heat wave enveloped California and the West this Labor Day Weekend to mark the occasion. The first all CA—State Flex Alert was issued to prevent possible power outages for the West Coast grid. Why? It was HOT. During our drive up Route 395 North through Owens Valley, temperatures exceeded 110 degrees. Millions were drawing excess power for air conditioning. Anticipating cooler temperatures in our mountain retreat, we experienced unseasonably warm, beautiful weather for the Sierras. You may recall that...

In this episode - A Bear Sighting Part 2 . . . If you recall, it was day two of our 2014 Sierra adventure . We left our heroes at the East Fork Campground along Rock Creek i n the Eastern Sierra, an elevation of 9,000 feet. Still somewhat giddy from our bear encounter, we moved on. "Little Lakes Valley trail is very popular," said Brendan. Expect to see more day-hikers than usual." Trailhead parking was already full when we arrived. Quickly we found out why from one of the locals. "We love this place; it's an easy hike with glorious views." We consulted our map, and the elevation gain from the trailhead to Chickenfoot Lake, about four miles, the elevation of 10,789 feet, was less than 600 feet. An easy climb. Many weekend visitors and fishermen came to enjoy the scenic beauty and fish the abundant lakes. I paused to admire the graceful arc of a fly-line as a fisherman cast his fly to the edge of tall green grass at Marsh lake. For those listeners who have ...

In this episode (165) – A Bear Sighting . . . Pull up a chair, and let me tell you the story of a bear. I awoke to the steady patter of rain on my tent in the black velvet darkness of our cozy mountain camp. Wrapped in my sleeping bag, I sat up, craned my head to one side, and listened; there was that strange sound again. Nervously, I reached for my wristwatch and clicked the Indiglo light. It was just after 1:00 a.m., and I was wide awake. "What was that sound? I thought, Was it a Bear?" The skies were ominous that night. A soft, steady rain began at dusk; we had retired early and camped near Chickenfoot Lake, in the Inyo National Forest, elevation 10,789 feet, in the Sierra Mountains just northwest of Bishop, California. This was the second night of our 2014 annual wilderness backpacking trek. Our evening conversation had centered on BIG , ferocious bears. "It wasn't that long ago campers simply hung their food in trees. Not anymore; the bears had wised up to that ...

Podcast, " We Remember Moments. " "We don't remember days; we remember moments." Wrapped in the cozy warmth of a down bag, I'm jolted awake from a deep slumber - nature calls.  The rustle of my sleeping bag shatters the silence. The sweet aroma of the mountain air fills the senses, and that ever-present biting cool crisp air on your cheeks! It's day three of my first wilderness-backpacking trip in the High Sierra Mountains (elevation 10,500 feet), 20 miles southwest of Bishop, California, camped at  Dingleberry Lake . The zipper moans as you free yourself, then the struggle to find your wool sweater, pants, and shoes to stumble into the brisk morning air. Another zipper whines as you quietly crawl to escape the protection of your mountain shelter. Darkness surrounds you. It's early morning, late summer. It's tranquil, except for the soft gurgle of the trout stream that lulled you to sleep last night. Finally - clear weather, the rains have stoppe...

Close your eyes and picture this; it's early evening, a cool crisp breeze in the Western Sierras, relaxing in the parlor of Wawona Hotel , masquerading as the Big Trees Hotel, which opened in 1879, a baby grand in the corner, at the keyboard, piano man, Tom Bopp asks, "Any requests?" "Do you know any Cole Porter?" He winked and smiled, "I could play Cole Porter all night."  Then he launched into: "When the little bluebird Who has never said a word Starts to sing "Spring, spring" When the little bluebell At the bottom of the dell Starts to ring, ding ding When the little blue clerk In the middle of his work Starts a tune to the moon up above It is nature; that's all Simply telling us to fall in love." "Birds do it, bees do it Even educated fleas do it Let's do it; let's fall in love." Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love - Cole Porter 1928 That melody sta...

My reading friend, as you enjoy my Sierra blog posts, by now I’m sure you get the impression that I’m obsessed with age. And maybe I am. Now that I’m on the north side of 60 honestly, I find it difficult to do what seemed so effortless just 10 years ago. Committing to an annual Wilderness Mountain Adventure is my way of reminding myself that daily activity, regular exercise, stretching your imagination, proper diet, and a positive approach to living are what allow me to live life to the fullest.  As Zig Ziglar would say, “You don’t pay the price for good health, you enjoy the benefits of good heath.” So, when I see someone older than me, (older than me, you understand, is 10-15 years my senior) engaged in the same challenging activities it gives me hope that you and I will be exploring life’s mysteries well into our 80s and beyond, God willing. So, let’s get to Part Two of this years adventure. We left our heroes kicked back gazing into a starlit black velvet sky watch...

“Good morning - how far are you going up the trail,” was the question I asked a lone hiker. “Oh, she paused, I’m just out for a stroll.” “Brendan, did you see that woman hiking alone way up here?” “I did, that was probably the oldest person I’ve ever seen hiking these mountains.” “What do you think, 83 maybe 84 years old?” Incredible , I thought to myself, pausing to reflect, at how physically demanding the past few days of climbing switchbacks, scaling boulders, squatting lakeside to filter water, and simply doing the daily chores it takes to wilderness backpack in the Eastern Sierra’s. Owens Valley It was early Friday morning, our forth day in the Sierras, headed home. This octogenarian had climbed over 600 feet of switchbacks to a dramatic view of the Owens Valley, near Bishop CA., destination, Grass Lake. It was day three of our 2017 Sierra adventure. Finally accumulated to the elevation of over 11,000 feet Brendan Laurs, and I were descending to ...

The Harvest Moon is your gateway to fall. It is the full Moon nearest the start of fall or the autumnal equinox . If you missed it this year, Friday, September 16, 2016, the day of the Harvest Moon also brought a  Penumbral Lunar Eclipse . Wow! Can you believe summer is over, another year that has simply flown by. It’s early morning and I’m noticing sunrise creeps over the horizon later and later. Siri tells me, “Sunrise will be at 6:41 a.m. today.” The shorter days bring cooler weather. Soon we will don our jackets for a trip to the market. During the summer you could enjoy sunrise at 5:42 a.m. (for those who were up). For readers of this blog this summer marked a milestone. My 60th year. Yes, Lori had planned a outstanding birthday surprise! Breakfast at Allen's Alley, then off to Los Angles to visit the Grammy Museum. We toured a special exhibit on The Beatles. Turns out August 16, 1966 the Beatles played at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles - 50 years a...