Thursday six of us fro the Sierra Canyon Hiking Group did an 11 mile hike. We exited interstate 80 at the Soda Springs/Norden exit and parked on the road just north at the Lola Montez trail head.
The trail to Lower Lola Montez Lake is relatively easy and about three miles long. From there we climbed to Upper Lola Montez Lake. There isn't a trail but someone has put rock cairns along the route and climbing up through the boulders to the lake wasn't too hard.
From Upper Lola Montez Lake we followed a jeep road and did a bit of cross country to get to Lily Pond. Half the group sat and enjoyed Lily Pond while Duke, Walt and I bushwhacked our way to the top of Buzzards Point. It was a tough slog but the view from the top was phenomenal. By the time we got back down to Lily Pond my pants were covered in thorns.
If you would like to see all of my pictures from the hike you can see them on Flickr here.
Bear Lake Loop Hike with Sierra Canyon Hiking Group
Duke and I haven't hiked with the Sierra canyon Hiking Group since August 14 before our road trip. Today we did a great short hikewith the group. The Bear Lake Loop is in the Gold Lakes Basin which is north of Truckee. The hike goes past Big Bear Lake, Little Bear Lake, Cub Lake, Long Lake, Round Lake and Silver Lake. The weather was cold enough for gloves but the sun was shining and I was thrilled be outside enjoying the trees, the mountains, the lakes and the trail.
If you would like to see all the pictures from the hike you can see them on Flickr here.
A Great New Blog – The Tucson Tamale Company
I've added a new blog to my blog roll – the list on the right titled Blogs I Always Read. The new blog is about the creation of a company called the Tucson Tamale Company. The blog is written by Todd Martin, the founder of the company who also happens to be the guy who hired me at Intuit. Todd left Intuit a few months ago. He used to manage restaurants and is one of the best leaders I have ever worked for. I have great expectations for the Tucson Tamale Company. Following his blog should be fun.
Lots Going On
I haven't posted a lot lately but I have had a lot going on. My daughter and my grandson were here last week. It was really fun to have them here. Aidan is just over two and he talks and laughs a lot. Laughing with a baby is an experience of pure joy. He especially liked our new truck. Every time we turned on to our street or went outside he pointed out Papa's truck.
Friday we took Aidan and Shannon home and then went into San Francisco and joined friend to visit the new Academy of Science. It was very crowded but it is was fascinating. My favorite parts were going up on the living roof and experiencing the show at the planetarium.
We had a good rate on a hotel room at the Hyatt bought through Priceline. I know that parking in San Francisco is expensive but having to pay $57 to park overnight at the Hyatt was still a shock. Having to pay for internet at the Hyatt wasn't a shock but it still really bugs me.
Our friends all had dinner with us at a wonderful Basque restaurant in San Francisco. Piperade was the perfect place for us to have a long leisurely dinner with wine and lots of good talk.
On Saturday we took a leisurely drive up to Petaluma including stopping to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. Duke's daughter had a crew race on the Petaluma river on Sunday morning. She was in one of the two Saint Mary's boats in her race. They came in first and second. Very cool!!
From Petaluma we headed home to Reno. The very tops of the peaks around Donner Pass had a dusting of the first snow of the year.
James Monroe – The Quest for National Identity by Harry Ammon
Just over a year ago I decided to read at least one biography about each U.S. President. So far I have read the following.
His Excellency George Washington by Joseph-Ellis- John Adams by David McCullough
- Thomas Jefferson by R.B. Bernstein
- James Madison a Biography by Ralph Ketcham
- Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
On my recent road trip I finished reading James Monroe – The Quest for National Identity by Harry Ammon. Monroe served in the revolutionary war, participated in the formation of the United States, was an ambassador to France, a senator, secretary of state and served from 1817 to 1825 as President of the United States. Reading this book I gained an enormous admiration for Monroe's dedication, his hard work, his intelligence and his leadership.
According to Ammon, Monroe lived in an "age of reticence (and of much prudery as well)…. in Monroe's day it was customary for political figures to destroy papers of a personal character. Only one letter from Monroe to his wife survives, and the only specimens of her hand are in the form of signatures on legal documents…………..Therefore, a biography of Monroe must be essentially political in nature"
It is disappointing that nothing can really be written about Monroe's personal life. But I still liked this book. It is a political history of the U.S. during Monroe's life. It is a credit to Ammon that he can make politics so readable.
Marion's Blog 