Mt. San Jacinto climb, June 28, 2014

I had a summer Saturday for a hike near home, and so decided to climb Mt. San Jacinto.  It towers over Palm Springs, as is clear in this view from a stop light:

I wouldn't be making the entire climb up to 10,800 feet myself: The Palm Springs Arial Tramway goes from Chino Canyon just northwest of Palm Springs up to Long Valley, at about 8500 feet. 

The Tramway Road goes four miles and change from the city of Palm Springs up to the Valley Station:

Here are a couple of views looking up Chino Canyon along the tram route.  

The tram arrives in Long Valley, through which one can walk to the east and arrive at a great view back down to the Coachella Valley.  I went the other way, to the west, toward the peak.

 

The first part of the hike was a climb to Round Valley.  The climb itself is not all that bad -- but doing it at 1.5 miles of altitude ends up being pretty difficult.  But I huffed and puffed my way onward.  

This first one might be the actual peak of Mt. SJ.  But it might not be - there are a few good sized peaks here, each of which look pretty high from the valleys. 

Round Valley

 

After Round Valley, the next climb is to Wellman's Divide

Some views from Wellman's Divide

 

Then, to the peak.  Much of this was pretty steep climbing, on a hillside that was blanketed with chapparal but with not much in the way of shade.  Grueling. 

A little 1/3 mile spur led to the peak from the main trail.

Mt. San Gorgonio - also, an idea of how many people were up there.  (Lots.)

The hike back, although all downhill, was not easy.  But the Ranger Station bid me farewell on the way out.

Feast of the 2n+1 Fishes, December 24, 2013

We did our third annual Feast of the Fishes with Riccardo on Xmas eve.  Our friend Caterina joined in the fun too.

As per tradition, we sacrificed in honor of the coming of the Christ child by denying ourselves meat.  So, basically, we were fasting. Basically. 

 

Iris was ready.

 

So was Lily.

And Princess Peach.  (Rios was generally absent.)

 Clams in the pot, ready to steam

Antipasti:  Clams oreganato and fried smelts

 Anchovies in the pan...

...to which onions were added, and the whole mess cooked down...

 ...to make one of the primi, bucatini with onions and anchovy.

Extreme close-up.

Bottarga is salt-cured and dried mullet roe.

The other primi was spaghetti with bottarga (and garlic and parsley too)

Extreme close-up

On this day, our chosen implements of destruction were tongs and pans, not guitars and microphones.  Foreground, Riccardo making the soffritto for the shrimp dish; background, me (barely) searing scallops.

Shrimp heads.

Once the soffritto cooked, shrimp heads were smashed into it so that they released their, for want of a better term, goo, then removed.

 Shrimp were sauteed quickly then finished with wine and cream and capers and parsley.

The first two secondi:  Scallops in saffron cream and the shrimp dish.  For me, the shrimp was the winner of the night.

Into the home stretch. This is monkfish fillets sandwiching a paste of rosemary and olives, wrapped in pancetta, pictured after searing the pancetta but before it was popped into the oven to roast.  It has been pointed out to me that perhaps wrapping fish in cured pork offends the meatless aesthetic we were following.  But it was a long night, and I was honestly worried about us starving with this meager repast, so it was clear that fortifying the meal with a little pork was wise. 

 Foreground: fennel and shallots and thyme; background baccala (salt cod) with tomatoes and olives and capers

 Branzino, before.

 Secondi number 3: Branzino, broiled, served with fennel/shallot/thyme.

Secondis nos. 4 and 5: Monkfish and baccala.

Insalata rinfornzo - pickled cauliflower, peppers, olives, with anchovies

 Cut-away of monkfish.

Polished off the branzino.

All in all, nine fishes (clams, smelts, anchovies, bottarga, shrimp, scallops, monkfish, baccala, branzino).  Riccardo and I were justifiably proud of this meal - everything was great, although I think the shrimp and the monkfish were standouts.