A few familiar faces

I joined my parents in Mammoth over this past weekend so that we could attend the memorial service / barbecue for Herb London in Bishop on Saturday. It was an absolutely gorgeous day filled with music, laughter, and great storytelling. I'm sure Herb would have approved. I had the pleasure of catching up with a few old friends, so I thought I'd share the handful of photos I took...

Jim Brumfield & me

Leonard Hunsicker & me

Kib Roby & Ginny Hunsicker

Ginny & Leonard

Robys in Mammoth/Rock Creek

As mentioned in my last post, my parents and I went to Mammoth for a brief visit at the beginning of August. Our first morning we canoed around Lake Mary in the old blue and white canoe from the lodge. Yes, it still gets occasional use, but it's getting heavier and heavier the older we get, so I'm not sure we'll be using it much longer. This is Rusty, keeping a close watch on the paddles; he was determined to catch one of those darn things.

A few years ago my parents switched to kayaking. So much lighter and easier to transport! I got to test-drive my dad's at Twin Lakes while he stayed on shore. As you can see, Mom is an old pro in hers.

Saturday night the Von Rohr family (3 generations) joined us for dinner at Slocums. Naturally, there was nonstop reminiscing about "the good old days." And it sounds as if Eric and Mark are doing a great job introducing Eric's kids to all the things we used to do together, even rebuilding our forts.

We finally got our dose of Rock Creek on Sunday. With two aging and unpredictable dogs in tow, we decided that a quick jaunt to Serene would be enough (I have carried 30-lb. Rusty down the McGee Creek trail—not fun). Serene is still one of the most vivid places in my memories, but none of us had been there in ages. As expected, nothing has changed; it still lives up to its name...

We circled the lake and then simply enjoyed the tranquility for a while.

Afterward we did a brief cruise of Mosquito Flats and around the lake, then headed to the Lake Store for pie. YUM. We also drove through the lodge grounds and stopped briefly to say hello again to the Von Rohrs. We checked out the changes in Cabin 11. Different, but nice. I was pleased to see a painting by Joe Mancuso on the wall.

Every time I go back it does get easier, but it still wrenches emotions. Every square inch of the grounds and beyond holds so many memories and they all suddenly come rushing back. It's amazing how minute details from 30+ years ago can remain burned so clearly in one's mind.

As we were driving out, I remarked how much the meadow has returned to forest. Remember when it was just open grass, filled with shooting stars?

Long time no see...

Any of you who spent a good deal of time at the lodge over the years likely remembers Leonard Hunsicker. He was officially an employee in 1972, 1975, and 1978, but he spent much more time than that helping us out through the years. When he met his bride-to-be, Ginny Bruce, she also worked at the lodge in 1985. Seems to me the wedding occurred (in Mammoth) around 1988.

They lived in Mammoth for many years, but also spent some time in Colorado. Now they're back in the Eastern Sierra, in Independence. My parents discovered that they were working at a restaurant there called Hooligans, so on our caravan to Mammoth last week, we stopped for lunch to say hello. None of us can even remember the last time I'd seen them. Let's just say it's been way too long. Of course, none of us has changed a bit!

So... if you are headed through Independence any time soon, you now know where to stop for an excellent meal. Hooligans is across the street from the court house. With Leonard as chef and Ginny as server, you can't go wrong. Our lunch on the shaded patio was delicious and a nice respite from the road. And it's always fun to see familiar faces from the past...