About the Author: Gigi
Gigi is “crazy mad in love with Bishop.” Since moving here in 2006 she has made it her mission to participate in as many of the outdoor activities as possible. She learned to snowboard, improved upon her very average climbing skills, took long hikes, has driven up and down innumerable mountain roads and 4x4 tracks, cycled and occasionally tumbled down mountain bike trails, taken to the roads on a bicycle or motorcycle – sometimes for fun and sometimes to commute, and successfully completed her first attempt at a triathlon. She spent 10 months touring the western US and Canada on a bicycle and after 4,000 plus miles returned to Bishop – for the beauty of the place and the spirit of the community. “My soul belongs here,” she says.
Bishop Visitor Blog Posts by Gigi:
Nov 11, 2017 | Winter
Oh yeah, it’s cold out there. Snow has fallen. Ski season has started. You’ve packed your bags and you’re all geared up for a winter experience. But have you considered that you could experience a little summer with your winter? No. Well consider this … you can! Right... Oct 23, 2017 | Winter
“Then it seemed to me that the Sierra should be called, not the Nevada or Snowy Range, but the Range of Light. And after ten years of wandering and wondering in the heart of it, rejoicing in its glorious floods of light, the white beams of the morning streaming... Oct 12, 2017 | Winter
Intro This is the train ride of the year. In fact it’s a magical train ride into yesteryear and it only happens once every year. Do you believe in holiday magic and that wishes really do come true? Well then get your Golden Ticket and receive a happy holiday bell when... Aug 18, 2017 | Fall
Outside on the Eastside Fall is long in the Eastern Sierra. The topography of the region provides a slow shift into winter that starts first at the higher elevations and descends slowly over the open plains of the Owens Valley below. The cooling begins in September as... Jul 29, 2017 | Summer
It’s not unusual for temperatures to climb to and over the 100-degree mark during the summer months in Bishop. And, yes, there’s that wonderful and oft-repeated phrase, “But it’s a dry heat.” Well, that’s true and it does make it a little more bearable, but for those... Jul 11, 2017 | Spring, Summer
Photo: Madi Taylor “Miles weren’t things that blazed dully past. They were long, intimate straggles of weeds and clumps of dirt, blades of grass and flowers that bent in the wind, trees that lumbered and screeched. They were the sound of my breath and my feet... Jun 16, 2017 | Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter, Year Round
Ancient Bristlecone Pine & Milky Way. Photo: Tony Rowell Intro The night sky has captured the human imagination from time immemorial. Here in the Eastern Sierra the clear air and lack of light pollution make way for unimpeded visibility of the stars. On a night... May 25, 2017 | Spring, Summer
Have your kids outgrown camping in your backyard? Bring them for a camping vacation in our big backyard. Here in the Eastern Sierra, Bishop has many wonderful options for camping that offer the gamut from full hookups to dispersed camping. Camping is a great way to... May 14, 2017 | Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter, Year Round
Intro At the base of the White Mountains, 5 miles east of the center of Bishop, is an exceptional off-road motorcycling and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) area. The Poleta Open Area, covering 2,500 acres, consists of about 50 miles of single-track and ATV trails... Apr 3, 2017 | Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter, Year Round
Intro The Alabama Hills, nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada just west of Lone Pine, is one of Hollywood’s favorite filming locations. This monumental landscape provides a multitude of settings for movie backgrounds and evocative scenes. The beautiful rock... Mar 20, 2017 | Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter, Year Round
The old world charm and quiet, country setting of Bishop belies its bold business heart. There are, living here, brave explorers and daring entrepreneurs who are making products and building businesses inspired by the mountains and a lifestyle of clean air, beautiful... Feb 24, 2017 | Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter, Year Round
Intro The Owens Gorge is a deep, steep-sided canyon about 10 miles long located northwest of Bishop. It is a world-class destination for rock climbing and a favorite fishing area. The gorge offers fun and adventure all year long for climbers, anglers and hikers. About...Jan 15, 2017 | Spring, Summer
A world-class equestrian event promoting the legacy, heritage and talents of the mule. Intro For five days, every Memorial Day weekend, more than 30,000 fans from around the country (and the world) converge on Bishop for this colorful and fun festival. It is a... Jan 8, 2017 | Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter, Year Round
Intro Buttermilk Country is a well-known, world-class bouldering destination. The massive boulders provide some of the most accessible and diverse bouldering in the country with routes that offer everything from fun scrambling to highly technical ‘problems’ that... Dec 12, 2016 | Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter, Year Round
Trail running and mountain running are not new to the world of running, but are becoming more popular as a way to enjoy the natural world around us and, at the same time, achieve fitness goals. Running on trails and in areas removed from urban life, where traffic and... Nov 11, 2016 | Winter
Where do crisp, snowy mountain mornings and sunny, warm high desert afternoons add up to the perfect winter experience? In Bishop, of course! Follow freshies at Mammoth Mountain with afternoon fishing on the Lower Owens River. Add a vertical component to your morning... Oct 28, 2016 | Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter, Year Round
During the last century the major urban centers of the world were traditionally hubs for creativity where low-cost urban living and compact communities were places where artists could live inexpensively and create art. The lifestyle was such that artists could gather... Oct 14, 2016 | climbing, Fall, Seasons, Spring, Winter
I could list a thousand reasons why Bishop rocks. It’s stunningly beautiful. The mountains are majestic. The high desert is surreal. The climate is wonderful. There are scores of world-class outdoor activities to be enjoyed. The city is small and attractive. The... Oct 5, 2016 | Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter, Year Round
The Eastern Sierra is a lovely and unique place. Like other lovely and unique places, it has a certain language of its own. There are words and names, phrases and pronunciations that are particular and perhaps even peculiar to our part of the world. Some things have a... Sep 14, 2016 | Fall
The Olympic Games have ended and will happen again in 2020, but here in the Eastern Sierra gold is far more easily attained and is awarded to us every year. When the air cools and summer turns to autumn the leaves begin to change color and an abundance of yellow,... Aug 26, 2016 | Seasons, Summer
The National Park Service is 100 years old this year. President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill 100 years ago directing the Department of the Interior “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of... Aug 12, 2016 | Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter, Year Round
Photo credit: Mike McDermott Trail runners who know … know that Bishop, California is trail-running heaven. Now all of trail running world knows. Bishop was rated one of the 8 great top trail-running mountain towns on the North American continent in the September... Aug 3, 2016 | Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter, Year Round
The Slim Princess The railroad in the Owens Valley was more than just a stretch of the imagination. It was a vision inspired by tales of rich strikes in the mines of California, when a lull in mining activity was settling on the Comstock and in Virginia City, Nevada.... Jul 17, 2016 | Fall, Spring, Summer
“The mountains are calling and I must go.” – John Muir. The annals of history are full of the reminiscences of women and men who have sought and found solitude in the mountains. Many of these individuals also found inspiration there and much of our cultural heritage...