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April 2005:
Spring is here! A whole lot of rain, together with some very warm and sunny days have led to an explosion of wildflowers and an incredible aroma in the air. It is the best time of the year! A great place to see the wildflowers, like this California poppy, and to do some interesting hiking, including a little bit of cave exploration, is the Pinnacles National Monument. The Pinnacles are the uneroded parts of an ancient volcano, and in addition to great hiking trails provide a playground for rock climbers.

Before I go back to Germany at the end of April, I am trying to get in as many outdoor activities as possible. While most of the time is dedicated to ocean kayaking and other coastal trips, I made it to the mountains for skiing and hiking twice. In December, Dave and I went to the Long Valley area. It was very wintery and cold, but snow was scarce, and not really good for cross country skiing. We did some hiking across the Bishop Tuff instead, and enjoyed ourselves in the bakery and in several of the many natural hot springs of the area. The big snow hit the day we left. We braved the worsening road conditions, and were treated to the wonderful sight of snow covered joshua trees along the way.

At the end of February I went with my uncles to the Carson Pass area in the Sierra Nevada south of Lake Tahoe, and we spent a glorious weekend cross country skiing to Lake Winnemucca, soaking in hot springs, and camping "Alpine style". I hadn't skied much since I left Alaska 2.5 years ago, and I was really missing it. And, after all that time I spend sitting in boats, it's nice to do something else for a change!

From California - Doerte

Older newsletters: November 2004, September 2004