South

Old Man Winter is a mixed bag of emotions for many Canadian climbers. We wait all summer for fall to come, and try to maximize the perfect conditions it br ings. The temperatures keep dropping, week after week, and eventually the skies darken and the snow falls. It’s quite enchanting and magical at first. Most climbers move indoors by this point, some diehards squeeze in a few extra days, but denying the inevitable is futile. Winter is amongst us. There is a place where winter is much more like our fall. It’s called, Bishop, Calif. Sure, it gets cold at night, and yes, it’s been known to snow from time to time, but Bishop is located on the east side of the Sierra Mountains which means, it’s in a rain shadow. Hundreds of pilgr ims migrate each winter, and not just for the diverse and high quality stone, but also for the sheer beauty of the surrounding environment. Ringed by pearly white 14,000 foot peaks, orange granite monoliths, black volcanic canyons, and a sky that consistently pumps out purple and pink sunr ises and sunsets, Bishop is one of the most stunning locations imaginable. Suddenly, winter isn’t so bad after all.