Wash your spirit clean: Eastern Sierra Anniversary Trip Day 1

As you've glimpsed, for our anniversary we headed down to a tiny fisherman cabin at June Lake in the mountain range that John Muir called the "Range of Light." John Muir spent ten years living the wild life in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. "Keep close to nature's heart," he wrote..."And break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean." I feel blessed to call this area home, to live in the foothills of these glorious majestic peaks and ridges and valleys and to be able to come here and wash my spirit clean and feel that sensation vividly.

On the day we started out, it was cloudy and rainy in Placerville. I was prepared with layers, a wool coat, and a plan to hit up some hot springs. But guess what? The day turned out glorious. Driving up Luther Pass near South Lake Tahoe, heading across to the 395 that travels the east side of the Sierras, these are the kinds of views we were seeing regularly:

All the rivers and waterfalls are overflowing this year. Where usually there are tiny fresh creeks, there are now raging waters. This rushing waterway was flowing merrily through Markleeville...

Where I couldn't resist the allure of this sign, and indeed found a remarkable tie dye collection, old books and the teensiest Gunne skirt ever inside:

Heading over Monitor Pass, we always stop at the top and take pictures of the magical valley spread below us.

Stretch our legs, jump for joy, check out the big wild sunflowers, and onward toward Bridgeport...

In Bridgeport it's become customary to stop at the festive little roadside diner called Jolly Cone for some greasy road trip food.

We went all out, ordering both fries and onion rings, yummmm but gross-feeling later.

I love Bridgeport. I have an undying love for its rough edged cowboy fisherman culture. For Rhino's the bar there where I used to spend some wild July nights for the Harley Run. I love the old hotel that seems haunted and serves up manly foods like steak and potatoes; I love the courthouse and the little church and the huge old fashioned parades and big rusty trucks.

I love the hot springs too, but unfortunately they were overrun by a big rowdy group of San Diego kids on their way up to the Mountain Music Festival. Very friendly, the girls had swirly tattoos and loved my outfit which made me smile, but still it was a bit crowded for our tastes. We met a friendly local dog and headed down in search of a more secluded spring.

And here's what my innovative hub decided to try!

It was deep! A weird, tiny, round little hot spring all by its lonesome. He didn't touch the bottom til he was up to his shoulders. He invited me in, I politely declined...but loved the view and the walk and the pup.

A little while later and we arrived at our cabin!

We had the cutest little rustic kitchen...

And even got to pick our own beds, haha! Twin beds on an annivesary trip! Here is Darin saying, I get this one, you sleep over there...

haha! it's actually really hard to sleep separately when you're not used to it, something i never think about, so on the second night we pushed the beds together.

What a sweet cheery place this was, unpretentious and homey. Just the way we like them!

this was right across from our cabin, a lovely little grove of aspens. "We all travel the Milky Way together, trees and men." JM

and here is the cutest friend who greeted us at dusk! a young black bear, roaming and loping mildly around the premises seeking foodstuffs. Handsome devil huh?! And very shy. Sorry for the poor quality, Darin didn't have time to focus but he did get some great video footage!

Darin loves nature footage. I think that's probably obvious. Here he filming Grant Lake on a little sunset drive.

I had shed layers by the day's end. It was a warm evening and I gathered sage. The smell fills my heart and skin with gratitude and joy.

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe." John Muir.

Lake swimming, alpine hiking and tufa towers coming up...

Thanks for coming along!