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PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL CLARK
Great Place to Hang
STORY BY STEPHANIE FORTE
In this vast nocturnal landscape, granite boulders suggest creations of sand, water, and a child's imagination, sprawling for miles amid rolling, sandy hills. In the distance, standing nearly two miles above the valley floor, the Sierra Nevada keeps a close eye on the boulder fields of Bishop, California.
A brisk February chill greets us as we wake before dawn and think of our tent poles, four hours away in Las Vegas. Inside my sleeping bag, I'm thankful our oversight forced us to forgo the nylon cocoon that is a tent. I am mesmerized by the thick veil of stars overhead, like gift wrap on the treasure the morning sun will expose. Here is one of America's most pristine bouldering areas, called the Buttermilks.
First light casts shimmering hues of gold over the boulders, hinting why this county was given the Indian name Inyo, said to mean the dwelling place of the Great Spirit. On its trails and peaks, beside its rivers and streams, and in its therapeutic hot springs, the surreal beauty of Bishop has captivated many.
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The March/April 2003 Issue is out. Find it at Las Vegas bookstores today.
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