High Sierra Topix

To My Fellow HST Members,

Would like to wish everyone a safe, and joyous holiday season.
At this time I would like to thank all of you have contributed with your knowledge,
ideals, and photo's this past year making HST a very, very special place!
Here's to everyone going on at least 2-3 trips of the 20 you have planned in your head.
Most importantly would like to wish everyone a prosperous, and even more importantly a
very healthy 2012!

Holiday greetings to you and to all the HST folks. I guess we're a bit short of when the cabin fever stuff really gets going and we start posting all of our fantasies for 2012. In the meantime I figure we stoke the cabin fever and take the edge off of it with some good brew (as I am doing right now; combo right now is some Belgian/West Coast hybrid thingie with Miles playin in the background). Hope to bump into some of y'all somewhere off trail in the High Sierra in 2012.

Back at ya GB- we just got back from Fiji. Will be somewhere in the Sierra for sure in 2012, probably in Hermit Valley for a spell, then some kind of backpack romp out of Bishop area. BTW- trying to get a Field Forum going in Argentina for 2013, mostly petrology in an arc crustal section, not much structure.

I recall reading some blurb about the possible field forum as a part of GSA 125th actitivities--I'm a part of this because I'm chairing the 2013 Cordilleran meeting in Fresno--I will try to bring a much more international flavor to this meeting. Among many other highlights, this will feature the first multiday Franciscan/CRO trip I've done with overnight in downtown O-town a few doors down from the Trappist. I recall reading your blurb on the field forum. The Malbecs of Mendoza alone are pretty alluring.

The cabin fever here in Fresno has been a bit muted of late. This is mainly because our air quality the past few weeks has made this place look like I'm back in China--I can't see more than a few blocks, let alone to the high peaks. I escaped it for beautiful Bay Area air and weather during the Ernstfest (well timed field trip to Tiburon Peninsula) and AGU in early December, then again this Wednesday (28th) for a reunion of a basketball team I played on ca. 1976-1982. Before going to the reunion Wed. eve in Palo Alto, I did some mop up field work at El Cerrito quarry (needed some better photos for a paper), and dropped a lot of money at the fabled Ledgers Liquors in Berkeley (one of the greatest, if not the greatest, beer stores in western North America). Judy and I now have some choices as to how to ring in the New Year (will likely be a certain holiday Belgian beer that is stronger than the average sparkling wine). I am (back in Fresno) currently sipping on La Rulles' Cuvee Meilleurs Vouex. This is best described as a Belgian brown IPA--highly accomplished. This is giving me fuel to go through a draft of a master's thesis I've been waiting to receive for a long time.