Tramonto/ montagna

I've taken better pictures of the eminently photo- graphable Mount San Jacinto, but I include here this rather blurry example because close examination reveals a single point of light on the mountain: the top station of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.

From that point of light, it is a 5.5 mile hike to the summit, which my dad, Bryant and I did yesterday (thankfully, in the daylight). Unfortunately, Bryant's camera ran out of batteries, so we don't have much documentation of the hike itself, or any of the view from the top. You'll have to imagine the 360° view from the top, with vistas of San Gorgonio, the Salton Sea, Lakes Hemet and Perris, and the fields of turbines. We could almost pick out our own roof.

You can also imagine what it was like under said roof when the power went out around 3:00. It was in the 70s at the peak of San Jac, but over 120° in the desert--even at 6 p.m. We stayed in the house after the climb just long enough to grab showers before seeking refuge from the heat in the local (and excellent) Mexican restaurant. We called our neighbors to make sure the power was on before we headed home.

In other news, I have all but secured an apartment in Minneapolis (about which I am thrilled), I have three weeks left of work, and I plan to cut off most of my hair as soon as I can locate a stylist. Woo!