Relaxing, Sierra Mountain style

Sherry and I really do enjoy heading into the Sierra Mountains.  There is just something about them that makes us appreciate life.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a romantic get-away for two or trip with friends, we always return from the mountains relaxed and ready to face whatever challenges come our way.

Last weekend we were lucky enough to spend some time with friends at a cabin near Pinecrest Lake.  This is a small resort area on Highway 108 about 30 miles west of Sonora in the Stanislaus National Forest.  It is a trip that a group of us try to make every year and it never ceases to be a good time.  The main objective of these trips is quite simple – to relax and spend time with friends.

That doesn’t mean we aren’t active.  I always take this opportunity to do some serious riding in the mountains.  However, this year was a little different and while I still took the road bike, Sherry’s bike and the kayaks stayed home.

Our daily pattern is fairly routine.  We awake around the same time and have a little coffee and breakfast.  Then I hit the road for a 3-4 hour ride while the ladies tend to go shopping in the quaint mountain towns in the surrounding area.  Then it’s a relaxing lunch to prepare us for the rest of the day.

After lunch, we all sit on the deck, or as was the case last Saturday, around the fire inside (it was very cold this trip).  We pass the time reading, chatting, collectively trying to finish the NY Time crossword puzzle, and occasionally napping.

After that exhausting ordeal we always make sure to break out beer, wine, or cocktails at 5:00 pm on the dot.  There’s more chatting and laughing as we prepare, and then enjoy, dinner.  After dinner is always dedicated to game night with more wine and laughter.  Finally, we all drift off to our rooms to sleep off the “stress” of the day and get ready to repeat the whole process the next day.

Let’s see.  Relaxing, drinking, laughing, and hanging out with friends all day.  Now that is a daily routine we could get used to.

Au revoir!