Bishop, California

There's a little mountain town about a half day's drive to the north that has become a new annual pilgrimage for me. Bishop has actually always been on a pilgrimage route for me, but in the past it was still just a passing through spot, whereas now it's the destination. I went up there last May and last weekend for a long trail run event. Both times I chose the shortest of the four run options that are offered but still a pretty long way for me to run (fa). The run, or race as it's called, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains are the reasons for the pilgrimage - a yearly test and remembrance, of sorts. But the town of Bishop is quickly drawing more and more of my interest as well. I can't quite figure it out - like, what exactly goes on there for most of the year. But based on the title of this blog I have to say that any town with an annual festival called Mule Day's (every Memorial Day - Mindful and I just missed it, again!) has got to be of value. Of note this visit were all the "Dudes" cruising around on old mountain bikes and beach cruisers - it's a pretty flat town considering the steepness of the mountains that surround it and I guess the bike just makes sense there to a lot of folks in a way that it just doesn't to other people in other places. But these guys just cruise down to some local spot and every body knows them and they don't lock up their bikes because they'll just be a moment. Everyone else seems to be driving an old pickup truck or Subaru - but everyone treats pedestrians like royalty - it's so nice to be able to walk across a street super mellow like…. 

Sierra Nevada Mountains from Bishop, California