WALKING TROUT FOUNDATION 2013: Rock Creek Lake
Palisades Group Camp
With trips to the Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery, Rock Creek Lake, Mono Lake, Lee Vining and Mammoth
September 15-18, 2013
The Campers:
Mirella, Trung, Monika, Werner, Janice,
John, Cheryl, Armando, Giovanni, Raymond, Cathy, Reyna and Raya
The Walking Trout:
Eric, Charles and Steve
Prologue
Before jumping right into the tale of the trip, a bit of background would probably help set the stage. In fact, I think that’s the whole idea behind prologues. This trip was organized by the Walking Trout Foundation, which isn’t really a foundation or non-profit corporation or anything even remotely organized; it is just a group of guys who like to go backpacking, who don’t take for granted the beauty of the Sierras, and who thought it would be fun to share the Sierras with a group of people with mobility limitations who might not otherwise have considered taking themselves on a trip like this. (As it turns out, we were right about that: none of the 13 Campers who went on the trip had ever camped in the Sierras before.) We met our cast of characters, and they were definitely characters, through referrals from a number of San Diego-based rehab centers and resource organizations, all of whom we would like to thank for helping us promote the trip: the Alvarado Hospital Rehabilitation Center, the Challenge Center, San Diego Therapeutic Recreation Services and the San Diego Adaptive Sports Foundation. A couple of the campers had met each other previously via these organizations, but for the most part we were all meeting each other for the first time. The trip was free for the Campers and was paid for via fundraising on Indiegogo, donations by Kinderhouse Montessori School, Dynamic Interventions, Lightning Brewery and other companies who insisted on remaining anonymous, the generosity of many friends, family, and business acquaintances, and the unyielding effort of Charles and Eric both before, during and after the trip. But what made the trip possible was the intrepid spriit of 13 Campers who resolved to take themselves out of their comfort zones, to leave behind the relative ease of life in the cityscape, and to discard their customary support systems and instead trust in a group of strangers who refer to themselves as fish. Without their drive and motivation, this trip could not and would not have happened.
Day 1: We Head for the Hills
After months of planning, fundraising, promoting, coordinating, and a lot of other verbs, it was time to hit the road. Our group of 13 Campers and 3 Walking Trout met early on a fine Sunday morning and set off for the Sierras. We loaded into two passenger vans, one of which was equipped with a lift, and a pick-up truck pulling a trailer.
We stopped for a picnic lunch at the Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery, just north of Independence. Technically we were still in the Owens Valley at that point, but the Sierras were not far. A warm breeze blew through the valley, as it usually does in the summer, and we had to chase a more than a few paper plates. For those who haven’t been to the hatchery, it is a picturesque spot to take a break from the long drive along the 395.
A few notes about the Palisades camp. We chose it because it was relatively level, had ADA-compliant restrooms, and was in a secluded spot that we would have all to ourselves. The stream running by the camp ground was a nice touch, too. Unfortunately, we didn’t count on the soft sand of the campground being such an impediment to the very sleek and high-tech wheels that were on the chairs used by some of the Campers. The thin wheels are great for the cityscape, but they just got mired in the soft sand. You live and learn on trips like this, and this was something the Walking Trout hadn’t counted on. Although it was difficult for some of the Campers to navigate the camp site because of the soft sand, we did find ways to make it all work. For future trips, we’ll have to consider a different site and/or recommending wider tires for the chairs.
We arrived at Palisades in the late afternoon and immediately began setting up camp and preparing dinner, which if I’m not mistaken was spaghetti with sausage and meatballs, a salad, and bread (we of the Walking Trout are somewhat food-centric when it comes to camping, and as a result there was plenty of good eats on this trip). We had rented tents, sleeping mats, and sleeping bags for everyone, and bought cots for those Campers who did not want to transfer all the way to the floor – and all of this gear needed to be set up. It was some work, but we were able to get dinner made and the camp set up, and still had time for the nightly campfire.
I’m not going to sugar coat this… it got COLD during the night. That happens in the Sierras in September. Mirella was most affected by the cold, but we made some adjustments and she slept very well for the second and third nights.
A MID-MORNING CAMPFIRE TO HELP DISPEL THE CHILL. MONIKA MAKES HER FIRST APPEARANCE IN A PHOTO. WELCOME TO THE WEBSITE, MONIKA!
Also while at the lake, we brought fixin’s to make some righteous sandwiches, and we bought a few pies from the Pie in the Sky Cafe at the Rock Creek Lake store. If you have never had pie from Pie in the Sky, you need to close this web page, log off the internet, shut off your computer, drive to Rock Creek Lake, go to the Pie in the Sky Cafe, and get some pie. Right now. While you are there, you can say hello to Sue King, who runs the Cafe, and Jim King, who runs the store and rents the cabins at the Rock Creek Lake Resort. Both Jim and Sue provided some help in planning the trip, and a couple of the Campers who were not comfortable sleeping in tents rented a cabin at the Rock Creek Lake Resort. A special thanks to Jim and Sue for their help.
Day 3: Mono Lake tour, lunch at the Whoa Nelli Deli, and a driving tour of Mammoth
After breakfast, we headed over to Mono Lake for a private guided tour which Charles had arranged. Another beautiful day in the Sierras, and our tour guide, Julia, did a fantastic job. We learned a lot about the lake, its unusual rock structures (called Tufas), its history with the local Indian tribes, and its importance to all of California’s seagulls. If you have a chance to visit the lake, set up a tour with the Mono Lake Committee.
After we finished the Mono Lake tour, we went to Lee Vining to visit the world-famous Whoa Nellie Deli. Or at least regionally-famous. Hard to describe the Whoa Nellie – you just have to experience it. It is a restaurant built inside a Mobil gas station, and while that may make it sound like it would’t be very good, it is actually fantastic. Artisan food including fish tacos with fresh mango salsa, buffalo meatloaf, herb encrusted pork tenderloin… all with views of Mono Lake from a pleasant grassy outdoor dining area. It has its own vibe that could be considered surreal… although that could be the influence of the mango margaritas.
Day 4: Heading Home
