The next day, I packed, and Pete and I drank some whiskey and stuffed my Specialized mountain bike into a box, to ship it to PA. The sendoff I received from the coaches, the kids, and the parents of the kids was truly heart-warming. My friends and I rode together as much as we could, partied together, and BBQ'd, and the support I'm getting from them is humbling. The most I can do is represent well in Kyrgyzstan.
Filled with encouragement and good feelings, I drove out of Mammoth after lunch and coffee at the Stellar Brew, and pointed it East across the Long Valley caldera, towards Nevada. I knew I'd be passing by some of my favorite landmarks, so I took extra care in appreciating them.
McGee Mountain, the Nevahbe Ridge, he headwall of Mt. Esha, and the airport on the left. Then, the infamous Green Church, which was saved from destruction during the airport expansion by a grassroots effort; and the Green Church Road, a corridor through the thermal hot springs which are really nice, but not as nice as the pools in Hot Creek used to be, just to the North, before the Forest Service closed them to soakers (Crew 2).
The last views of Mammoth Mountain, Ritter, and Banner, out the driver's side window, Mt. Morrison looming in the rear-view mirror, and then the right turn at the third cattle guard for Wild Willie's. I've spent a lot of time in those tubs, with a lot of interesting people, soaking in the light of the stars and admiring the scenery. I swear my entire world view has been molded by my conversations, thoughts, and experiences in the outdoors, in the wilderness, and in the tubs along Whitmore Road. As I drove by, it was hard not to feel a little nostalgic about leaving the place that has shaped who I am. No doubt, I am an East-Sider. But I've been telling myself, like that famous quote, that it's time to leave the person that I have been, to make room for the one I will become.
So, the hot springs that I've spent so many evenings soaking in over the past nine years, tucked away in gentle undulations in the creek bed, just out of site from the road, already felt like visions of the past as I sped by.
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