Eastern Sierra Odyssey

An iconic view of the American West & the Sierras.

Pardon the length of this post, but it truly was an odyssey... so hop along and enjoy the ride. :)

It was the end of week 9 of spring quarter, so of COURSE I would be spending the weekend in the library, studying the days away, getting all prepared for my finals, being the studious human I am.... Wrong. I did quite the opposite of this, actually, and it may have been one of the most spontaneous decisions I've ever made. Perhaps not the most responsible choice, but SO worth it.

This odyssey began on a Saturday morning at 6 am. Our two cars were packed to the max with 9 bright eyed adventurers, a wide array of snacks (homemade trail mix is a must here, folks), backpacking gear, some great music, and a zest to get out into the wild.

We drove up from Santa Clara to the Yosemite Valley and arrived around 11 in the am. As we drove through the valley I was in absolute awe of the monumental rock formations that surrounded us. When I looked up from my seat to these giants, it reminded me how small I am in comparison.

Approaching Yosemite falls.

Pro tip #1: Buy walkie talkies!! You WILL lose cell reception, and it is quite possible to lose the other car you were caravaning with. Yes, this happened to our group, and it took a while for us to find each other. So even if you are taking one car, heed my advice, and invest in some walkie talkies- they're a blast.

At about 2 pm clouds and thunder began to roll into the valley, so we weren't able to complete a long hike. (If you are able to though, I highly recommend upper or lower Yosemite trail.) We zoomed on out of the valley around 2ish, taking Tioga Pass, which offers you an unbelievable view of the valley. So if Tioga is open (weather dependent), take it!

On our drive up to Mono Lake, we drove through the depths of the Sierran wilderness, and experienced a crazy snowstorm (in the end of May!!!!) and had to pull over until the storm subsided. Fun fact: One of the boys in my car had never experienced snow in his life, so he jumped out of the car and played in the snow for about 15 mins. It was the cutest thing- he reverted to his 5 year old self and made some snow angels and snow balls. Lesson learned here is that snow can really create magic- even to a 20 year old college fella!

View from the car window during the snowstorm.

We arrived in the cute little town of Lee Vining around 5:30 after one of the most beautiful drives I'ver ever experienced and set up camp in the Bodie Mountain Wilderness area. We then proceeded to adventure to Travertine Hot Springs which were just 2 minutes from our campsite.

Hot springs. Also- this book is a MUST BUY.  It's called "How to be a Wildflower" by Katie Daisy.

We basked in the warmth of the natural geothermal hot springs and watched the sun set over the sierras. Truly a magical moment in time.

After watching the sunset we made pasta for dinner and snuggled into our sleeping bags to fall asleep under the stars. 

On day 2 we headed to Bodie Ghost town, which is a historic state park. Highly recommend checking this spot out, to add a little bit of history to your adventures.

Bodie

This reminded me of Grand Canyon or Bust :)

We next traveled to Virginia Lakes and completed the trailhead hike, a 5 mile hike, in the snow, mind you, which made it even more fun, actually. We slid down the hills, and we fell a LOT, but in the end, the view of the frozen lake sparkling in the sun made up for all scratches and bruises. 

Virginia Lakes

Take some time to sketch your surroundings on your hike- always bring a journal and some colored pens :)

After the Virginia Lakes hike, we headed to Wild Willy's Hot Springs in Mammoth Lakes, to experience another geothermal hot spring. This hot spring is a bit larger and has a 360 view of the Sierras.

Never miss a chance to watch a sunset.

Pro tip #2: Invest in a Crazy Creek! These little camp chairs are a wonderful purchase for your adventures and are very compact as well. No better way to watch a sunset than in a Crazy Creek.

Pro tip #3: Cover your Nalgene with stickers and quotes- it adds a little zest and color to your life.

We camped that night in the Buttermilks and witnessed stars that were unbelievable. Don't forget to spend some time star gazing before you climb in your cozy sleeping bag.

Lastly, if you are ever in Bishop, CA, stop at the famous Schadt's Bakery! You won't regret it. 

As my first blog post comes to an end, I want to urge to you readers the importance of being spontaneous and open to adventure in your life. This adventure came at a time that I needed it most. I made some invaluable friendships, experienced the depths of wilderness, and re-centered myself. Don't be afraid to get out and explore- even if you don't think you have time... there is always time for adventure. 

"The very basic core of a (wo)man's living spirit is his/her passion for adventure." Chris McCandless

With GCOB love, 

Sammi 

Woods Canyon Lake

Yep, this hidden little lake is just as cute as its name suggests! Annika and I had absolutely no clue this lake even existed, we were just aimlessly driving down some primitive forest service roads looking for a campsite when we stumbled upon it.

I am constantly blown away by how many hidden gems like Woods Canyon Lake there are in the state of Arizona, and how rarely anyone sets out to find them. While Annika and I got lucky finding this lake, it made us realize just how much Arizona has to offer, and how little people actually take advantage of these places.

While this lake is way to small for any commercial activity, there were a handful of fishermen and a few other groups of people just out for a relaxing day by the water. There was even a small boathouse with paddle board and kayak rentals, and had we been expecting to come across a lake, we totally would've gone kayaking! Instead we set up out hammocks and took a nice long nap.

Sometimes the best adventures are entirely unexpected! Wow I didn't realize how cheesy that sounded until I typed it... Oh well, still true!

With GCOB Love,

Mallory

P.S. If you don't have a hammock, you should 100% invest in one. It will change your life!!

DC in a Day

One of the perks of having five best friends scattered across the nation is having five new cities to visit. Luckily, my Dad is a Southwest Airlines pilot, so flights are free. During Cal Poly's spring break, I hopped a couple planes all the way to Washington DC to visit Mallory for three days, two of those being traveling days. First off: Cal Poly and Georgetown could not be more different schools and San Luis Obispo and DC could not be more different cities. While I love sleepy SLO town, Ubering through DC after getting off the plane was magical: I felt like I was in London (turns out, DC was modeled after London). Georgetown itself is actually Hogwarts (turns out, Mallory is actually a wizard).

Over pizza, I asked Mallory what the game plan for the next day was - after all, I only had one day in DC to see as much as possible. She already had an entire plan that she informed me was a surprise. 

First surprise: 5am wake up call! Second surprise: bikes! Third surprise: 32 DEGREES OUTSIDE! 

Best surprise: amazing sunrise over the Washington monument. We even witnessed a marriage proposal. Totally worth my frostbitten fingers. 

We got in line at 7am to get tickets up to the top of the Washington Monument . While the hour long wait was very cold, going to the top was surreal and I would strongly recommend for any history buffs out there. The interior of the monument is built with engraved ancient stones donated from each state, and the birds eye view from the top is unsurpassed. 

Biking around the city using Capital Bike Share made it possible move through traffic quickly so as to make the most of our time. We biked through the mall towards the Renwick Gallery after a delicious brunch stop at Founding Farmer's. 

The Renwick Gallery is part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and it featured intricate and interactive exhibits. It's small enough to cover in thirty minutes, which was perfect for our day in the city.

After getting our art fix for the day, it was time to work those thigh muscles. We biked up the mall, down the mall, across the mall, beside the mall... up the mall, down the mall... feel the burn.

Pit stop for pictures outside Capital Hill. Pro tip: do not wear your pearl earrings on a biking adventure extravaganza. You will lose one. (Guess I have to go back someday!) 

Finding my zen at the US Botanical Gardens. First time shedding my Northface in seven hours. Pro tip: LAYER. After the Botanical Gardens, we went to the National Museum of American History. The line looked super long, but we were in the museum within 15 minutes. Our favorite exhibit was the First Ladies collection (we both teared up watching a speech from Michelle Obama, super empowering). 

We finished the day posing outside of the White House. Can't wait to be back someday in my new favorite city! 

With GCOB love, 

Annika 

P.S. If you want a cupcake, go to Baked and Wired, because it's way better than Sprinkle's. We know, because we went to both (hey, we biked all day). 

Fossil Springs

Fossil Springs is truly (in my humble opinion) one of the best kept secrets in all of Arizona. While everyone and their mother goes to Fossil Creek to cool off in the summer, Fossil Springs is oftentimes overlooked. It probably has something to do with the fact that getting to the water requires a rigorous 4 mile hike each way, but that's a minor detail.

We left Phoenix around 8 in the morning on a random Wednesday to avoid any potential crowds, and headed north to Strawberry, Arizona, arriving at the trailhead around 10:15. Shortly into the hike, we realized that not only was it loads hotter than we expected, but the hike down was actually really steep. I think we were all thinking about how miserable the hike back uphill would be, but no one ever actually voiced that concern. Maybe I was the only one thinking that. Who knows.

After 4 hot and sweaty miles, lots of water breaks, tons of word games, and one near-death rattlesnake experience, the desert landscape opened up and we were greeted with a huge waterfall and  clear blue swimming pools.

Pro-tip: Do not even start the hike if you don't have goggles. Not only do they ensure that you will be the most stylish one there, but without them you won't be able to see all the underwater beauty!! We stopped at a Walmart right outside Strawberry, AZ and picked up these beauties.

Not pictured: a cave right below Areta leading to the "toilet bowl," which is quite literally a small whirlpool that sucks you under. And yes, it was just as scary as it sounds.

My Instagram caption for this picture was "my friends jumped so I did too," and that sums up exactly how this went down. I swear it's higher than it looks!! But so worth it.

You have to have a permit to hike Fossil Springs, so if you want to do this hike (which you should), you need to plan the trip ahead of time and make sure you can snag a permit!! The trail and the swimming holes are WAY less crowded than Fossil Creek, and the hike gives you an amazing sense of accomplishment. 10/10 would recommend!!

With GCOB love,

Mallory

P.S... For the sake of full disclosure, the hike back up was indeed very steep and slightly miserable at times, but it made us appreciate the water even more!