Hello All--
Here's hoping all is well in your neck of the woods, where ever that may be.
As many of you know, Monday, August 14, was Alaina's 8th birthday, and the fourth she's spent in Heaven. It's hard for me to imagine that next year, she'll have been gone from us longer than she was here. Guess I'll cross that bridge when it comes.
Speaking of bridges, I decided to spend yesterday down at Mammoth, CA, and ride in Alaina's memory. Since she loved to visit Mammoth, what better place to spend the day. First off, I'd like to send a huge THANK YOU to Tara Cox at Mammoth. I called her a couple of weeks before my arrival, since my goal was to be at the park before it opened, and ride to the top by 8:35 a.m., the time Alaina was born. I explained my concern to Tara, and without hesitation, she offered me the park ticket. I just wish you would've been there, Tara, so I could've given you a thank-you hug.
I arrived in Mammoth at about 6:30-ish, and my first stop was Schatz's Bakery for a blueberry bagel. Alaina loved sharing them, and I was going to bring it back with me and share it when I visited her. I get to the main lodge, ready the bike with Alaina's seat, check out the map once more, and off I go. As easy as the trail map is, I started on Beachcruiser, and I still managed to go the wrong way, miss a turn or 2, and end up turning back to take the gondola. Oh well, it's all for the experience, right? Since the gondola didn't start until 9, I rode Downtown and Uptown a bit to stay loose.
Up the gondola to the top, and I pay a quick visit to the "top of the mountain" sign. I wanted to leave a little time capsule of Alaina there, however, the ground was too hard, so I had to find another location. Started down the Kamikazee (I didn't remember it being that steep), stopped at the first left-hander, and there was the spot-- Chair 14, Alaina's birthdate. Found a spot by some trees that had a view of the Minarets, dug the hole, kissed her capsule, and placed her there. I hope she likes it.
Finished that run, then back up to Mid-Chalet for a trip down Brake Through to Seven Bridges, on Downtown to town, and shuttled back up. To the top again, down Off the Back to Beach Cruiser, and I'm back to the van. I'm feeling pretty beat up, both physically and emotionally, so I call it a day and get started back home. I stop to visit Alaina, and her pinwheel is spinning madly when I arrive, so I think she was telling me she had a great day riding with me.
Thank you all for letting me share this very special day with you. If you have children, give them a hug from me. If you don't, well, hug someone. Being a solo rider, I did manage to take a couple of pics (a couple of the bike by the mammoth statue and one with the bike by the mountaintop sign), however, I have many more to finish the roll (haven't invested in a digi-cam yet), so it'll be a while before I can post them. Sorry.......
Shawn, Alaina's daddy
Here's hoping all is well in your neck of the woods, where ever that may be.
As many of you know, Monday, August 14, was Alaina's 8th birthday, and the fourth she's spent in Heaven. It's hard for me to imagine that next year, she'll have been gone from us longer than she was here. Guess I'll cross that bridge when it comes.
Speaking of bridges, I decided to spend yesterday down at Mammoth, CA, and ride in Alaina's memory. Since she loved to visit Mammoth, what better place to spend the day. First off, I'd like to send a huge THANK YOU to Tara Cox at Mammoth. I called her a couple of weeks before my arrival, since my goal was to be at the park before it opened, and ride to the top by 8:35 a.m., the time Alaina was born. I explained my concern to Tara, and without hesitation, she offered me the park ticket. I just wish you would've been there, Tara, so I could've given you a thank-you hug.
I arrived in Mammoth at about 6:30-ish, and my first stop was Schatz's Bakery for a blueberry bagel. Alaina loved sharing them, and I was going to bring it back with me and share it when I visited her. I get to the main lodge, ready the bike with Alaina's seat, check out the map once more, and off I go. As easy as the trail map is, I started on Beachcruiser, and I still managed to go the wrong way, miss a turn or 2, and end up turning back to take the gondola. Oh well, it's all for the experience, right? Since the gondola didn't start until 9, I rode Downtown and Uptown a bit to stay loose.
Up the gondola to the top, and I pay a quick visit to the "top of the mountain" sign. I wanted to leave a little time capsule of Alaina there, however, the ground was too hard, so I had to find another location. Started down the Kamikazee (I didn't remember it being that steep), stopped at the first left-hander, and there was the spot-- Chair 14, Alaina's birthdate. Found a spot by some trees that had a view of the Minarets, dug the hole, kissed her capsule, and placed her there. I hope she likes it.
Finished that run, then back up to Mid-Chalet for a trip down Brake Through to Seven Bridges, on Downtown to town, and shuttled back up. To the top again, down Off the Back to Beach Cruiser, and I'm back to the van. I'm feeling pretty beat up, both physically and emotionally, so I call it a day and get started back home. I stop to visit Alaina, and her pinwheel is spinning madly when I arrive, so I think she was telling me she had a great day riding with me.
Thank you all for letting me share this very special day with you. If you have children, give them a hug from me. If you don't, well, hug someone. Being a solo rider, I did manage to take a couple of pics (a couple of the bike by the mammoth statue and one with the bike by the mountaintop sign), however, I have many more to finish the roll (haven't invested in a digi-cam yet), so it'll be a while before I can post them. Sorry.......
Shawn, Alaina's daddy
