Summer events of 2014

We returned to Southern California with the idea that we'd work on the many upgrades for the boat as well as take a trip north.  The upgrades included taking off the old teak and sealer from the cockpit seats and stern, and replacing with plasteak, adding spreader patches to the jib, replacing the membranes on the water maker, and a multitude of other items.

Plasteak installation in progress.  Biggest challenge was taking off the black goo from under the old teak.

   So far, we have the teak almost installed, and have ordered new seat cushions for the cockpit as well.
   The trip turned out to be an outstanding idea, especially as the weather in So. Cal. has been quite hot.  Leif added a shell to his truck, which allowed us to put bicycles, hiking gear, and luggage in without worry of theft or rain.

It was a bit creepy walking through the caves, but what an experience!!  

 We first headed out to Pinnacles National Park, formerly a national monument, but upgraded to the newest National Park.  It was a surprise for me, but Leif had it planned all along, and brought along a flashlight for the caves inside the park.  I scoffed at that idea, but they turned out to be a spelunking experience that was really exciting.  The pinnacles themselves were dramatic and hiking around them was beautiful with extreme heat and the cool of the caves.

Some of the amazing perched rocks at Pinnacles National Park.

   We then left for my cousin's house in Berkeley, and a thorough cruise of San Francisco bay on their sleek Grand Banks yacht.  The weather cooperated and we had awesome views as the fog lifted and then the wind piped up later that day.

Joanne and I enjoying the views and trying to stay warm!

 Joanne had packed a delicious lunch of sandwiches, salads and libations which were enjoyed as we motored downwind towards Giants stadium where a game was in progress.  So fun to see the boats anchored with kayaks and dinghies scuttling all around in search of home run balls.  We didn't think that the World Series would soon be here!

Giants stadium, lots of cheers during this game.

   The next stop was my brother's house up in Nevada City, where they had recently redecorated several rooms and added a hot tub to the newly landscaped yard.  It looked like a totally different house as we arrived, very upscale and lovely.  This is not to say it wasn't prior, they live on several acres up a mountain road with beautiful trees and an inspiring view.

My brother Brian, getting our tubes ready for our rafting experience!

    We arrived early and stopped in at a winery for a tasting of the local wines.  This led to us being asked if we would like to help harvest the sauvignon blanc grapes the next day, which sounded like an interesting affair.  So, up early, we headed out to Sierra Starr vineyard, were equipped with clippers and told where to start.  Three hours later, we understood how difficult it is to harvest grapes, leaning over and bending under each vine to snip off the multitude of bunches clumped tightly on each branch.  It was a truly interesting experience, which was recorded by the local TV news station.  I heard later that we did make the morning news, as I was miked up and interviewed about our experience.
   While visiting my brother, we enjoyed relaxing in their new hot tub, hiking the canal trails nearby, and tubing on the Yuba river.  Of course it was great to catch up on all of their doings that we missed by our travels in Mexico.

I'm always a sucker for wildlife, and this little one walked by with a friend as we had coffee one morning.

   Next was a side trip to Mammoth Mountain, where we have a small condo near Canyon Lodge.  This was a chance to relax and get in some long distance hikes and bike rides around the local mountains.

Who's to say that Mammoth is not dramatic?  It is so beautiful up here, even glaciers high up.

 The weather was beautiful, cool, crisp mornings and warm afternoons.  We hiked McGee Creek, Rock Creek, and rode our mountain bikes around the lakes and a park outside of town.  On the McGee Creek trail we heard there was a beaver dam and lodge up a ways... so we kept going.  Sure enough, there was a very intricate dam and tidy lodge mid-lake.  This was a highlight for me, being the ultimate "OSU Beaver".   This vacation stuff can be quite exhausting!  Sooner than desired, we needed to head out to our next destination, Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons.

This is up Rock Creek, near the Gem lakes.