Saturday, April 5, 2014

Millerton Lake State Recreation Area, CA

The Concrete Canoe Races
Saturday, April 5, 2014, Millerton Lake State Recreation Area, CA - 145.9 miles , 6698.0 For the Trip

While traveling around the US & Canada, I try to find interesting things to photograph, as well as interesting things in general. Today, with the help of the campground host I found the Concrete Canoe Race. I didn't make it in time for the men's divisions, but caught the women's.

Students from California, Nevada, and Tongji University, whose web page lists its home as China - don't know if they actually came from there. In any case, lots of tables set up describing the process used to make the concrete, lots of different canoes, and all kinds of fun & games to go along with the races. While everyone was having fun playing concrete bowling, volleyball (standard, not concrete ball), and Frisbee, the competition was serious.

On the way to the concrete Boat Races (on the other side of the lake) I stopped at the Buzzard's Roost Trail & sure enough, a couple of Turkey Vultures were circling. The lake is very low - I took a photo of a group of boat ramps that are 100's of yards from the water.

I also took some photos of one of my favorite subjects - trees. This part of California is filled with rolling hills that remind me of upstate NY, once you get south of the Great Lakes Plains.   More photos at toady's LakeshoreImages page.

The campground is typical of the California park system - expensive. $40.00, although I got a $2.00 senior discount, for a full hookup site. Since a dry site is $30.00, I went for a full hookup site. I'm in site 130, basically a back in to the utilities at the edge of the parking lot. There are many nicer dry sites, however they are mostly marked "Closed for the Season".

The campground is about 3 1/2 hours from the Yosemite Valley floor, and I thought about staying another day and making the run, however the campground host mentioned that much of the park is still closed, and the last people that went from the campground were required to put chains on their 4 wheel drive vehicle. So, I'll pass that one up.

Dinner will be the rest of the fried chicken, snap peas and asparagus.

Until tomorrow -

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