The time had arrived for the second portion of our Sunday adventure. The skis were loaded into the car. Following the second of two amazing days exploring the Mammoth resort. The morning had been spent on a couple of ski runs. The first to warm-up on the beginner slope and the second running the length of the mountain. Experiencing the cat track covering the entire resort, from the top peak, all the way back to the lodge, was spectacular. The views of the surrounding mountains were breathtaking, lasting almost the entire journey down the mountain. When arriving back at the base area, the choice was to conserve energy. The clock was ticking away the day, as well. Providing motivation to end the short morning of skiing. A quick change of clothing and onto the highway, the day proceeded. There would be options for food when arriving in Bishop. Down the road, some 3500 feet of elevation, was the mountain town of Bishop. Where a golf course ran through the fields of farmland. The temperature had risen significantly from the morning on the mountain. Short-sleeved shirts and shorts would be comfortable attire for the afternoon. Some food was captured from the full-scale restaurant at the golf course and the first tee beckoned. My decision was made to give the afternoon playing of golf an attempt, with the course looking inviting, as it sprawled along either side of the long entrance. I could feel an excitement for the afternoon.
I got some food before heading toward the first tee box. The sandwich was to help with energy that I hoped would get me going. My decision to play was based on the energy I felt was still in the tank. The course also looked relatively flat, providing encouragement of its playability. Without the prospect of moving up one hill and down another. It felt like the golfing part of the challenging day, could be achieved. I ate a couple bites of my sandwich and looked over the first hole. The fairway ran straight out in front of the teeing ground, toward a green that was slightly raised. A few trees towered on either side of the first fairway. But, the hole appeared to be pretty self-explanatory. Leaving me with a feeling that Bishop Country Club might be a course without many tricks up its sleeve. Kind of along the lines of ‘what you see is what you get’. A type of golf course design I happen to enjoy very much. So, looking down the first hole provided a feeling of calm. I was ready to get started with less fatigue than I thought would be present. My opening shot sprayed slightly off line, ending up in the rough, along the right side. It took a couple attempts to get my ball back into the fairway. Letting me know wondering off the fairway would not be productive, that afternoon. The next few golf holes continued the theme from the first tee box. Bishop CC was pretty inviting in its design. Nothing looked out of place or provided feelings of worry. The front nine was pretty flat, with many of the greens slightly elevated. The main road was close on a couple holes, but didn’t feel like any particular distraction. I thought the course was simple in design, until playing the second nine holes.
Something changed when the second nine holes began. The look of the holes seemed to shift before my eyes. The fairways continued running flat out in front of the teeing ground. However, the character of the holes felt pretty different. The size of many of the greens on the second nine felt much larger in size. They carried more interesting undulations to them. Many with pretty large slopes moving across the green, in varying direction. The unique design quality made approach shots more interesting. I also felt an increase in the bunkering that guarded multiple greens on the second nine. Some, taking away the ability to roll the golf ball up onto the front of the putting surface. At other times, the green might be protected by the stream, found running across many holes, at different locations on the hole. The varying design features made the second nine at Bishop CC feel more interesting. Leaving me with an appetite to experience those holes, again. Playing a course one time, can provide an overall feeling of enjoyment. Or, sometime a course will be played, and experiencing it once was good enough. The second nine of Bishop had an impact on me, with many of the holes providing views of the surrounding farmland. So, close by, it felt like I wanted to take a stroll down one of the rows. There was an enticing quality to the second nine that left me feeling satisfied. It ended one of the coolest days of adventure.
I was proud of my ability to make it through the day. More importantly, the ability to make it through the entire weekend. The anxiety circling around my physical capabilities of taking on the trip felt high. Along, with the challenge of the final day, skiing in the morning, and playing golf in the afternoon. The round of golf came to its conclusion late in the evening on Sunday. With the Bishop CC parking lot almost entirely void of cars. There might have been one or two others. The main building was locked up and most people had made their way home for the evening. My body and mind felt tired from the day of accomplishment. Though, some food would be nice before getting some rest. The drive back up the mountain was relatively uneventful. However, driving within the mountain range of the Sierras, I found to be compelling. The peaks reach higher toward the sky, than any mountains I can remember seeing in my memory. The other day, I was driving through a local mountain range. Heading back home from playing golf and I remember thinking how small our mountains appeared. In comparison to the peaks I saw around Mammoth. The mountains I was traveling through looked more like tall hills. Heading back from Bishop to Mammoth, an interesting cloud pattern, with the setting sun providing a magical glow. The picture felt like a great conclusion to the trip.
The weekend proved to me, there was a way to prepare for exciting adventures. It felt like the test in college, I had diligently prepared to take. Where I felt uncertain of how well my performance would be. But, I had studied to the best of my ability. When going on ski vacation as a kid, there was no preparation. I was a youngster and expected to have the energy for days of activities. In those days, it was the parents, who might become tired. But, even back then, I would get tired quicker. Even becoming more tired than the adults on the trip. Now, being one of the adults. My goal was to find the energy keeping me involved in all activities. I wanted to stay clear of getting anxious due to fatigue. In the end, my goal was achieved, in my estimation. With the preparation of training in the gym more intensely. Within the six weeks leading up to the ski trip, I trained more frequently, and with added difficulty. The goal was in not allowing my cerebral palsy control over the trip. With the amount of skiing done on the first day. Then, the second day involving light skiing in the morning, and golfing in the afternoon. Everything surrounding my physical capacity during the trip, exceeded expectation. If you set the mind to something, you never know what can be accomplished.
A Journey With Cerebral Palsy 