On the way to Mammoth…

   This month has flown by, with Al’s unexpected hip surgery in June and subsequent weeks of rest, recovery and therapy. There has been an annual outing with our group of backpacking friends at the end of July every year since 1982. We didn’t know if Al would be ready for this year’s trip; but with the encouragement of our friends and his steady improvement, we decided to carry on with the plans.

    Campground reservations had already been made and a trailer reserved (this was a first for us). Al and I were sharing the trailer with two members of the group, while the other two stayed in a RV. Since hiking might be too strenuous for him, we decided to take our canoe. The main idea was being together with these special people who are living from the east coast to the west.

   Taking the canoe on a trip is always an adventure. While it would be fun to explore the lakes around the Mammoth area, getting the canoe there could be challenging. I had some misgivings about it, especially going up into the mountains.

  Sure enough, while we were in Bakersfield, driving east on the highway, a pickup truck came alongside us. The driver was waving her hand, pointing to the rear of the car. Al figured a door must be ajar and kept driving for a few miles until there was an exit for a gas station. But the problem turned out to be harder to fix than that. A tie-down for the canoe had broken, and one end was dragging on the asphalt. Even though only secured by a single strap, somehow the canoe had stayed on the trailer.

   There wasn’t any choice but to turn around and drive to the nearest Home Depot, several miles away. Al and I stood out in the parking lot under the blazing afternoon sun, trying to attach the new one; however, it was too flimsy. So we hurried back into the store to exchange it, purchasing a sturdier strap. By the time the canoe was securely fastened to the trailer, it was already 4:00 and there were many more miles yet to travel.

   Al had made reservations at a hotel in Lone Pine that evening, since we didn’t have to be at the campground until Saturday morning. It would be nice to break up the long day of driving especially since it was so hot, even with the air conditioner on. We were glad to have discovered the broken strap, because it was very windy as well and the canoe might have gone airborne!

   The view from Owens Valley, with the Sierras running along its west side and the White Mountains along the east side, is one of my favorites.  I love the beauty of the rugged peaks, the wide open spaciousness of the valley and the expanse of blue sky overhead.  And what memories are attached to that area! We’ve had so many great backpacking, horse packing and camping trips. I also remember driving along that same route with my family as a kid, on fishing and rock hunting expeditions. Happy times!  

   When we pulled into the hotel at Lone Pine, Mount Whitney was faintly visible, looming behind a ridge of tall peaks. All of the frustrations and inconveniences of the day seemed to disappear. The greatness of God and of His power came to mind. Everything was put into a different perspective, making our car with the red canoe trailing behind it, our problems and our ‘world’ seem very small indeed. I had a sweet sense of inner peace.

    May we be able to say with the apostle Paul, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12a-13 NIV

   More to come  about our memorable July camping trip! 

Summit of Mt. Whitney 1995