Once again we are fortunate to have a week to vacation in the Eastern Sierra's at Mammoth Lakes.  This is the first time that Alek has been here ex-utero, so we wondered how that might play out.  Alek seemed to adapt to the new environment with ease.  The high altitude and involved days seemed to knock him out.  So he went from periods of high activity to long naps.  And at night, when we kept him warm enough (the little squirmer kept tossing the covers off himself) he would sleep quite soundly.

Alek likes the cabin.  It has all sorts of new things to explore, and ways to get dirty.  It's a little boy's paradise!  And it comes complete with a doting Grandma.

Our friend Michael brought these Koala bear slippers all the way from Australia.  Alek's feet are finally large enough to use them, and they came in handy since the first night's temperature was about 43 degrees.

I am the Baby Whisperer..

Grandma is so happy with Alek that she actually prays to him..
OK, the real story is that Alek was exploring around the cabin floor and Grandma wanted to get down to his level, so to speak.

Caroline took Alek for his first backpack trip using the very nice pack that was given to us by our friend Gayle.  The pack worked very well, and Alek enjoyed the majority of the walk with his eyes closed.  I'm sure it was a memorable experience for him.

Connie tried out the frigid water of Horseshoe Lake.  Even Paco would only go in to knees.  Connie did some laps against the shore and emerged feeling all "tingly", as she described it.

OK, I climbed a hill that was THIS BIG!
Connie takes a breather at the last resting stop before we summit the "Red Cone" which is about 10,500 ASL.  I think we trudged up almost 2,000 feet of altitude to get there.  It was a wonderful walk in the hills.

Roy makes his way up to the resting spot before the last pitch to the top. 

The red arrow is where the cabin sits (approximately) on Twin Lakes.

Roy makes his way up the last pitch to the top of Red Cone.  This picture reminds me of the Diego Rivera paintings with the one who is toiling dominated by his large hat.
Gil, Sarah, and Paco enjoy the view from the top of Red Cone.  You can see the lift sheds at the top of the Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort peaks.  The peak that we bicycle from is in the distance in front of Gil.

Alek shows off his grape hat.  It was a gift from Judy in the hope that Alek learns to enjoy being a wino like his parents.

Alek scooted around the cabin floor.  He particularly liked playing with, and chasing the lemon.  Now about those socks..  Alek was cold again - the temperature dropped again, and we decided that instead of trying to explain to CPS that we aren't torturing a small child, we thought we'd find some warmer attire.  We went to the thrift shop and found some Halloween 10¢ socks that saved the day.  Thrift Shop!! you say?  Well, after the sticker shock from the chi-chi toddler tog shop, we had to keep our family values intact, and that includes 10¢ socks.  We'll dutifully deposit the difference in the college fund..

We took a scenic drive to see the Petroglyphs in the Owens Valley.  Going through Red Rock Canyon was a particular thrill since the canyon gets pretty tight in some places. 
And there are some formations that have holes in them, like the one shown in the second picture.

Alek and Caroline took in some of the Petroglyphs.  Since it was about 92° and windy, you start feeling desiccated pretty quickly.  Continuing the tradition of silly hats, Alek is wearing his swim diaper as a hat, and Caroline is sporting her San Diego Wild Animal Park hat with the fake Cheetah trim.
Alek was unhappy at being cooped up his car seat when the roads were too smooth, and he let us know about it.  He really prefers the off road avenues.

The Petroglyphs themselves are quite interesting.  No one knows what they mean for sure, and some of the shapes remind me of the signs you see in fields of corn.  It does make one wonder..

Alek got a big kick out of the rocking chair.  He kept his Grandparents very busy rocking him back and forth while he giggled infectiously.  Those rosy cheeks are chapped by the cold, but they didn't seem to bother him at all.

Lisa and I went biking at Mammoth Mountain for an afternoon.

We said our Goodbyes and headed home.  Another perfect hosting by Roy & Sarah.

Lisa and I headed home together with some wine tasting stops along the way.  Caroline went home the day before because Alek got sick. 

Page Last Updated 11-Aug-2003