Weekend Roundup

This was my last weekend of freedom for a while, so I tried hard to make the most of it. Steven couldn't make our snowshoe trek, but I decided to do it anyway even if I had to go by myself. Which is usually what ends up happening. Which is exactly what happened. And I had a fine time, even though it would have been cool to share the awesome with someone too.

I got a late start, made even later by trying to call the rangers up at Angeles and find out what the deal was. The recording said the road was closed east of Islip Saddle, though--that seemed like a good sign. So I headed over to A16 to replace my frontcountry map and because I owed my classmate an Adventure Pass and book. I expected mass quantities of traffic up Angeles Crest, since it was a balmy and clear 70º and the roads were completely dry. I realized the reason why when I got up to about Charleton Flat--the traffic was already arrived and parked, people everywhere playing in the snow with saucers and sleds and tobogans. I drove up the road as far as they would let me to Glenwood Dad's Camp about 3 miles east of Newcomb's Ranch.

Once I got on the PCT and started heading north I didn't see another human the entire time I was out. I saw ski tracks that looked fresh, especially on my way back, and occasionally I could hear people from way across the drainage, but I saw no one. The bright sun burned warm on my bare arms and shoulders and I almost wished I had brought shorts instead of tights. No wind either--it was perfect. The snow was a little old, a little slushy in spots; sometimes in shady sections I punched through the thin hard crust to the soft slush underneath like it was crème brûlee. When I came to the first road crossing I got to break trail all the way up to Cloudburst--I even lost it for a short time in the same spot G and I did when we came up here a few years ago. Once at the top, I never realized how close I was to Waterman--if I had started earlier I could have hiked up the road 1/4 mile and done some of those trails too. I thought about continuing on PCT too, but it was 4PM and I opted to turn around. Maybe there will still be something left in March, and maybe the road will be closed higher up...

Sunday's feature was Episode V of The Sunset Chronicles, a sort of serial marionette rock opera starring Jen's coworker Monica as the principal singer. It was an impressive and creative show, with all hand-made puppets and sets, performed at the tiny Union theater near USC. One of LACBC's board members played violin with her cellist husband after the show in the gazebo behind the theater amidst what will someday be a stunning garden. As it was, we were impressed by the carnivorous plant collection in the gazebo. On our way out of the theater, Jen and I spied a narrow, dimly lit hallway with stairs at the end--ooh! Of course we couldn't resist, so we didn't! We climbed up the narrow tight spiral and came up into a small, circular room that was painted all around with ice floe scenes behind a 360º diorama of more iceburgs and formations. There was a subtle soundtrack too--when we went back down we discovered the exhibition was called Effulgence of the North, and that the Velaslavasay Panorama Enthusiast Society put it up for all to enjoy--I wonder what the next one will be like?