[pct-l] Birthday After Action Report and Sierra Weather

[Hiker97 at aol.com]

BIRTHDAY: As you know I invited  everyone in the community to meet me at 
Jack's for breakfast in Bishop yesterday  (Saturday) at 8 AM to celebrate my 60th 
birthday.  Well, no one showed  up.  I was hurt, embarrassed, and humiliated 
in front of my wife and  sister/brother-in-law.
 
My depression lasted about 10  seconds and then I continued on have copious 
amounts of fun.  On Friday  night in Lone Pine at the MerryGoRound we sat in 
the John Wayne booth and had a  blast.  Everyone sang Happy Birthday to me and 
we got free deserts.   At Jack's the next morning in Bishop the same thing 
happened.  Everyone in  the place sang Happy Birthday to me and I got a free GIANT 
blueberry muffin with  my breakfast.  Super fun along with the gift cards to 
REI and  HomeDepot.
 
I told my wife of 36 years that this trip was so much  fun and being a cool 
and considerate husband, we could come over again  in August and do the same 
thing for her birthday.  She did not say  anything, but gave me the look, "Look 
you old fool, I am not one of your hiking  friends/victims for your scams."  I 
did not pursue the subject.
 
WEATHER:  When we first saw  the Sierras coming into Lone Pine from Death 
Valley, I was shocked by the  lack of snow.  Amazing.  There was snow higher up, 
but it was not like  you would expect.
 
I heard comments like, "We are  hoping for miracle March with lots of snow." 
"Mammoth has mostly 32 inches of  man-made snow."  "It has not snowed down 
here in the valley all  winter."  "There has only been one or two days that you 
could not see the  Sierras.  No storms at all."
 
On Saturday we drove out of Bishop  within 2 miles of the South Lake parking 
lot, before the snow covered all of the  road.  But lots of tire tracks showed 
people were going on up.  The  road should have been plowed miles prior to 
this point, but there had been no  need.
 
Then I get up early Sunday morning  (today) to do my morning walk with my 
pedometer and there is a blizzard outside  our motel in Bishop.  The snow is 
turning to slush on the ground, but there  is lots of it.  So, the Sierras were 
getting pounded.
 
I think it is going to take a lot of storms from what I saw before thru  
hikers are going to have to worry about big trouble with snow melt in  June.  This 
might be an outstanding year to go NoBo.
 
Thank you for your attention,  Switchback the Trail Pirate
PS. The whole meet me in Bishop for  breakfast was a scam.  I did not expect 
anyone to show up, but would have  been honored it someone did.