Fritos & Beer

Fritos & Beer - Owens Valley  2025

Toyota - Owens Valley  2025

I found this neat spot last year: the entrance to an unpaved desert road with plenty of space to park and stretch out. Also . . . I had thoughtfully brought a folding chair this time!

Coast Camp 2025 - Camp Site

Tent - Point Reyes  2025

Fritos and Beer - Point Reyes  2025

A Big Agnes two-person tent. I've used it for some years now! (Since 2018.) Very light weight and roomy enough for one person. Two people in there? Would have to be pretty friendly, I'd think. 

Site #2 at Coast Camp. There's an upper section meant for the tent I guess, but it's way too uneven and non-level. I had to put the tent next to the food box.

Tent and Food Storage Box from Camp Chair - Point Reyes  2025

Desert Sightems

Off Road Entry Point - Inyo National Forest  2024

Fritos and Beer - Inyo National Forest  2024

I had lunch at an entry point for off-road adventures. The dirt road curved invitingly around some low hills towards . . . ? 

Had the place to myself, no cars passed by on the main road.

Little Lakes Valley Hike - 4

Foxtail Pine - Sierra Nevada  2024

Fritos and Beer - Sierra Nevada  2024

Around noon I located a pleasant, shady, somewhat level spot and settled in for my lunch. 

Unlike my 2013 hike, I didn't feel the need to go to the end of the trail at Morgan Pass.

Road, Aspens / Fritos & Beer

Road, Aspens - Montana  2024

It was threatening to rain, but it didn't . . . just a few large drops now and then.

I figured it was about time for lunch. Cheese, crackers, and, of course, Fritos and beer! (Korean beer from H-Mart.)

Fritos and Beer - Montana  2024

Fritos & Beer / Hike Out

Fritos & Beer (Bishop Pass Trail) - Sierra Nevada  2023

Granite, Snow (Bishop Pass Trail) - Sierra Nevada  2023

I found a nice lunch spot near the lake and settled down for some Fritos and beer. Then, back to the trail. 

On the hike going down I came across this dynamic granite/snow arrangement.

Coast Camp, Site #2 / Fritos & Beer

Self Portrait, Coast Camp, Eucalyptus - Point Reyes  2023

I took this using an iPhone 12 propped up on the metal food storage box using some rocks. 

Then, of course, the obligatory lunch featuring Fritos and beer!

Fritos & Beer, Nikon, Eucalyptus - Point Reyes  2023

Great Basin National Park - 7 (Bristlecone Pine Hike)

 

Bristlecone Trunk (Great Basin National Park) - Nevada  2022

Fritos and Beer (Great Basin National Park) - Nevada  2022

I didn't linger . . . ominous clouds were starting to gather. I clomped on down to the parking area, picked out a promising fallen tree trunk to sit on, then had my grocery store sandwich with some Fritos and beer.

Petroglyphs

 

Petroglyph - Nevada  2022

Petroglyph Sign - Nevada  2022

I think this site must be new . . . anyways I don't remember seeing it during my last drive through the area in 2016. I drove down the short dirt road to find some nice picnic tables, just right for my sandwich, Fritos and beer.

Fritos and Beer - Nevada  2022

Arrival at Coast Camp / Fritos & Beer

 

Fritos & Beer - Point Reyes  2022

Tent - Point Reyes  2022

I got to the campsite a little after 12:00 PM. Just in time for some Fritos & Beer! That was the first order of business. Then, the putting up of the lightweight Big Agnes tent.

Note: the first Fritos & Beer photo was taken in 1994.

Fritos & Beer / Pine Tree, Snow

 

Fritos & Beer - Sierra Nevada  2022

Pine Tree, Snow - Sierra Nevada  2022

We had a two-night stay in Bishop, and therefore one day to do as we wished. Hali visited with her friend Suzanne, who's relocated from Point Reyes to Bishop (!) I took a short hike on the Bishop Pass trail: the road to the trailhead was clear, but the trail itself got pretty clogged with snow a short way in. I wasn't really ready to push on up through the snow, so I got some photos and then turned back. (I last made it to the top of the pass in 2007.)

I took some photos with a Nikon Z5 and a 24-200mm zoom lens, not exactly a lightweight combination. If I returned I'd probably use some of my Olympus m43 gear.

I found a day use area in one of the campgrounds (they were all open for the season), and proceeded to have a lunch of leftover chicken (from Los Angeles), Fritos, and, yes, beer (Anchor Steam). Wow!

Fritos & Beer

 

Fritos & Beer - Truckee  2022

Toyota, Snow Banks - Truckee  2022

I had thought that my destination was somewhere near South Lake Tahoe. But no, we had reservations at the Hyatt Hotel in Incline Village, Nevada. This meant driving up Highway 80 to Truckee, then heading over to the north edge of Lake Tahoe.

For lunch I bought a sandwich and Fritos at a convenient Subway (influenced by KDramas? - no.) I remembered an open area just north of Truckee on Highway 89 and drove there. Lots of snow! I found a place to park and had a tailgate Fritos & Beer lunch.

Fritos & Beer

 

Fritos & Beer, Olympus Camera - Point Reyes  2021

Tent, Morning Cloud - Point Reyes  2021

Everybody wants campsite number one (good view of the ocean), but I prefer campsite number two (more secluded, but still has easy access to the ocean). 

Thank goodness I got to use my pricey Big Agnes tent at least once during these past two years.

Finally, a Fritos & Beer photo op! It's been way too long. Yes, there's been quite a few of those posts over the years.

Tent, Table, Ocean - Point Reyes  2021

Valley View / Fritos & Beer

Valley View - Yosemite  2020

Fritos & Beer -  El Portal  2020

Last stop in Yosemite for the postcard valley view shot. Then, lunch at my old campsite near El Portal.

Autumn Fritos and Beer

Fritos and Beer - Sierra Nevada  2019

Fritos and Beer Staging - Sierra Nevada  2019

A small nature preserve just north of Truckee on Highway 89, nobody there. So, ideal conditions for me to set up an idealized Fritos and Beer still-life.

Backpack / Camping

Minarets - Sierra Nevada  2019

Fritos & Beer - Yosemite  2019

Photos taken last August. I had scheduled a one week backpacking trip towards the end of the month, but things didn't quite work out the way I had planned. But I had a nice enough time in the end.

Top: Early morning shot of the Minarets as I was driving down to the Devil's Postpile trailhead.

Next: The required Fritos and Beer shot taken during my lunch at a pullout near Tioga Pass.

Merced River - El Portal

Merced River - El Portal  2019

Merced River - El Portal  2015

Two photos of the Merced River from the Foresta Bridge taken at different times of the year. Top one taken in February, 2019, next one taken in May, 2015. No real sign of fire effects.

I drove down to my usual campsite (closed for the winter), walked around, then had my sandwich for lunch, along with some Fritos and beer.

Fritos and Beer - El Portal  2019

Big Pine Creek Hike #7 - Fritos & Beer / Olympus E-PL7

Fritos & Beer (Big Pine Creek) - Sierra Nevada  2018

Olympus E-PL7 (Big Pine Creek) - Sierra Nevada  2018

Mike made his way back to Cienega Mirth, found a nice log to use as a backrest, then had a nice lunch while listening to the creek splashing and bubbling. (OK, Triskets, salami and string cheese as well as Fritos & beer.)

He was also able to use the log as a backdrop for an iPhone photo of his Olympus E-PL7 (Panasonic 12-60 zoom lens attached.)

Coast Camp Backpack

Backpack (Coast Camp) - Point Reyes  2018

Fritos and Beer (Coast Camp) - Point Reyes  2018

Mike's annual Coast Camp backpack in Point Reyes took place last month. The hike in was much the same as last year's. 

The main issue with the camp is the lack of shade. So, maybe one shouldn't get there too early. The wind this year was tolerable at the campsite, but very strong down at the beach.

One goal of the trip was to test out Mike's new Marmot one-person tent (below). Unfortunately, the tent didn't work out due to a mismatch between the tent door and Mike's sleeping bag (ironically, also a Marmot product). (The bag opened to the side of the tent opposite the door.)

Luckily, there was no wind incident this time.

Tent, Hill - Point Reyes  2018

Kings Creek Hike Return

One Way Trail (Steps) - Lassen National Park  2018

Fritos and Beer - Lassen National Park  2018

Hiking back to the trailhead one can either retrace one's steps, or take a one-way, strenuous, vertical stone staircase that parallels the creek. Mike took the staircase, a little bit at a time, stopping frequently for photos (good excuse for rest stops). Some fellow hikers finally appeared.

Up at the top he found a nice spot by the creek for his lunch.