Day #22 Hitchhiking into Bishop

Hitchhiking from the campground into Lone Pine was super easy – a hiker (who couldn’t get a Mt. Whitney permit and returned) picked me up. At the gas station I drew a sign and after waiting five minutes a huge RV stopped.

Two brothers / fishermen in their 50s called Richard & Stanley offered me a ride to Bishop and even paid for a breakfast in a real american diner. Stanley told me all about the ancient Bristlecone forest close to Bishop and recommended a visit. He was fond of these gnarly, twisted old trees and showed me lots of pictures while we drank coffee and ate big portions of hash browns and jelly toast.

On the way towards Bishop we passed vulcanic hills of different colors and sizes. Both sides of Highway 395 are lined with Sierra mountains and desert stretches. A group of dark brown elks stood there grazing, just minutes after we passed the yellow sign „elks crossing“.

Shortly after our breakfast stop we arrived in Bishop – a cute little town full of charm and climbing shops. I went to the mammoth gear exchange shop – such a cool idea to recycle and resell used outdoor stuff! I bought some shorts and chatted up an employee about climbing and free camping aaaaaand…. drumroll …we have a climbing date on Wednesday – I‘m super psyched and happy!

After browsing through other outdoor stores, visiting the ranger station and a sporting goods store (where I took a glimpse at guns), I bought tickets for the county fair on the weekend – more details about that will be revealed! A very nice lady also handed me a magazine about a mule competition weekend that is held every year in Bishop – I didn‘t know that existed. The mules are crowned and decorated like beauty pageants.

At the motel, I took the longest shower ever. I didn‘t feel like going out to eat so I bought a margerita in a can at the gas station and sat down at the local park, listening to a free concert of the city community band playing jazz, marches and bigband songs. A lonely, drunk couple danced out of tune and I wondered if there‘s any other nightlife in Bishop (edit/spoiler: there isn‘t, but I‘m so tired from climbing and just moving under the heat every day, I mostly fall asleep within minutes at night..,).