California

We’ve recently returned from California, where we were celebrating Iain’s 30th birthday.

Arrival in LAX after a 12 hour flight was followed by the usual formalities and a 6 hour drive to Mammoth Lakes, high in the Sierra Nevada. After 4 days of skiing and a couple of nights on the town, the parallel turns were neater and the body was aching for rest. So we drove back to LA, making an overnight stop in Death Valley. A couple of days exploring LA rounded off the trip.

Given that it was a holiday weekend in the US, the slopes were remarkably uncrowded; we very rarely waited longer than a couple of minutes for a lift, usually when it was stopped because someone had a mishap. The snow was excellent and I had my first experience of skiing in very deep powder.

The photo above was taken at the Getty Center, where I spent a pleasant half hour on the morning of our departure. There are literally limitless photo opportunities there. In addition to the distinctive modern architecture there are views of greater Los Angeles and the mountains. Throughout the trip I had ample opportunities to play with my new toy, a Canon EOS 350D. I’ll be putting my favourite pictures on here over the next few weeks, after I’ve edited out the sensor dust marks.

Having driven in deep snow and through mountain passes, the scariest experience of the trip was driving in the rain in the LA area. Californians aren’t exposed to much wet weather and they haven’t quite worked out the things that are second nature to people from wetter climes. So they don’t moderate their speed or leave sufficient room from the car in front. The nerves do get a bit frayed when the visibility is about 20m and there is a freight truck filling your mirror.

We had an excellent time and if I were planning a long skiing trip, I’d definitely consider Mammoth. This isn’t likely to happen, as any long sporting holidays I’ll take are reserved for windsurfing.