Amazing Mountain Biking Conditions in Tahoe…

Rain and snow followed by warm sunny weather has made for amazing mountain biking conditions in Tahoe.  Some snow and mud remain in places, but overall, the dirt is as good it gets.  Both Saturday and Sunday were legitimate “powder days” and I’m sure it is only getting better.  If you have the time, go out and get it before winter really shows up.  The clock is ticking.

The Bright Side…

Current economic news is very negative.  Unemployment is high and moving higher.  Weak consumer finances and confidence have translated to reduced consumer spending.  Each phenomenon reinforces the other, which means things are going to get worse.  So what is the bright side?  Here are a couple thoughts.

The few people that have been living within their means and saving are now in a position to buy assets at reduced prices.  This is true for real estate and stocks.  It is also true for consumer goods because a lot of products will go on sale early this year. 

Also, the government will likely be forced to take a central role in stimulating the economy.  If it does this by sponsoring research and development into new technologies for solving our energy and environmental challenges, new engines of economic growth could be discovered.  The near future looks tough, but hopefully the distant future will be better for it.  

Also, money is not everything.  The mountain biking conditions in Tahoe this weekend should be amazing.  I will be out there focusing on another positive, tacky dirt.

New and Old…

Barack Obama is now the president elect.  This marks a new era for the US.   Whatever your political inclination, it is pretty amazing. 

Now for something old and vastly less important, but still pretty interesting.  Over the weekend, I went with my girlfriend Anya down to Bishop to do some climbing.  On the way back, we made a side trip to the gold rush boom-town turned preserved ghost town of Bodie. 

Gold was first discovered in the area that is now Bodie during the late 1850s.  By 1880, the town was thriving with 10,000 or so residents, despite it’s location at above 8,000 feet in the mountains South East of Bridgeport.  As quickly as Bodie boomed, it faded away.  According to information provided by the Park Service, gold valued at $900 million in today’s dollars was mined in Bodie, but still most claims proved unprofitable.  Also two large fires burned large portions of the town.  By the end of World War II, only a couple people were left.  Now it sits abandoned, but preserved. 

There is still writing on the chalk board in the school house, un-used coffins in the morgue and dust covered furniture in the homes.  Walking through the streets and peering in the windows is like looking back in time.  Definately worth a visit.

Here are some photos

   

  

And a link.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodie_State_Historic_Park