Local Sports

Off the trail: Three bear night

November 16, 2012

In the dark November night, the snow-struck silence is broken by a cacophony of noise and the floor of the bedroom erupts.

My border collie Skye slams up on top of the bed from the floor, bouncing on her toes, barking at the closed window.

We pull the curtain back, and shine the big flashlight, hastily retrieved from its home under the bed, toward the cars and parking lot just 30 feet from the window.

A tribute to my friend, Emile Allais (1912-2012)

November 2, 2012

A few months more than a hundred years ago, in the small French village of Megeve, a baker’s wife had a son named Emile.

In the last week, a lot of newspapers and some television news have chronicled the death of 100-year-old Emile Allais. They write about him winning two world championships in the downhill and slalom ski races in 1936 and 1937, as well as an Olympic gold medal in 1936. He would have won a third year in a row if he had not broken his ankle.

Meads is Athlete of the Week

October 26, 2012

Mammoth High School runner Jody Meads has been selected as athlete of the week for her performance at the Mount Sac Invitational earlier this month.

Jody finished second, behind last year’s California state champion. She was the first runner to finish from the Southern Section.

Jody’s coaches say she looks impressive as she and the Mammoth High School cross country team near the end of the regular season and focus on the CIF prelims and finals.

Chasing the moon

October 19, 2012

It was 1 a.m. when we woke up from a rough and restless nap on the hard ground and stumbled to our feet.

The moon had just come up over the sharp and spired ridges of Mt. Tom to the south and it shone through the elegant, black lodgepole pines like silver water.

But we were in no mood for its beauty, even though we had been waiting for it to rise over the ridge since a 10 p.m. break, when black night had descended into the deep gorge of Pine Creek Canyon.