This snowshoe trip was more strenuous than I had expected. Uncle Ben Vassantachart and I went up to Angelus Oaks and parked by the restaurant. We followed the trail up to the helipad and spent some time exploring. After getting to that plateau, we decided to come straight down the mountain, cross country style. Some parts were steep, but in the fresh soft snow, we managed to make it down without any problems.
Last Sunday, a group of us took an ambitious trip up San Gorgonio. The group I took consisted of Hasan (4th year orthopaedic surgery resident), Ken (senior medical student), DJ and Rob (juniors), Mark and Seth (sophomores), and Brandon (whom I ran into at the Drayson Center several days before). We left Loma Linda at 4:50 am and arrived in Forest Falls at 5:30. Then, we started our hike. It was Hasan’s first major hiking trip, and by the time we reached halfway up the first set of switchbacks from the Vivian Creek trailhead, we were exhausted.
After reaching the wilderness marker, we were delighted to meet a more level trail which took us to Halfway campground junction, where we had the first part of breakfast. After another long stretch of switchbacks, we arrived at High Creek campground. We froze as we filtered water in preparation for the summit bid. Some puddles were covered with ice, and we quickly realized how cold it was.
Not long after heading up along the trail, we reach a beautiful ridge, where a short spur trail takes the hiker out to a ledge for a panoramic view of San Jacinto and its surroundings. There, we had the rest of breakfast and made mental preparations for the last push to the summit.
This last stretch was strenuous; the hike was made more difficult by the fact that some of us were gasping for oxygen in this thin air. The most mentally exhausting part was the long stretch just below the junctions to Dollar and Dry Lakes. The final part wasn’t too bad, as the trail had leveled off somewhat. On the summit, we stood by the geologic survey marker, snapped pictures, had lunch, and took in the scenery.
The hike back down was long and hard on the knees and ankles. We stopped by the ledge again and sang some hymns. Getting all four parts wasn’t always successful. From there, we descended to the switchbacks between High Creek and Halfway, where we paused to take in the sunset view framed by lacy clouds behind faraway silhouetted trees jutting above Little San Gorgonio range.
Headlamps and flashlights illuminated the rock-strewn trail for the rest of our downhill trek. We did stop briefly to view the clear star-filled night sky. By the time we got to our cars, it was almost 7:00 pm.
The next set of tasks was to shower, eat dinner, and crash.
This plant, given to me by Dr. Wright Zheng, blooms just about once a year, and the bloom happens only at night for several hours. There is sort of a craze in Chinese culture, where the blooming symbolizes how transient everything in life can be—曇花一現, as they say. Anyhow, on this night, it decided to bloom. I’ve never seen this happened, so when it first gave the hint, I had my camera poised. I had fun playing with the lighting. While it slowly opened, its fragrance filled the entire floor of the house. After just a few hours, it was done.
Last Thursday, I spend most of my afternoon packing for the trip to China. Then, I drive out to LA and take the direct flight from LAX to PEK on a very full plane. The plane lands a little ahead of schedule, and Dr. Zheng and Mgr. Sun meet me at the airport. We get lost on our way into the city of Beijing. Nevertheless, we make it in time to meet my parents, clean up, and then head to church in Gangwashi. Afterwards, we spend the afternoon strolling through the gardens of the Summer Palace amidst the throngs of tourists.
On Sunday, we all go to the flea market at Panjiayuan during a chilly rainstorm. Mainly, we window shop without buying much. After lunch, Dr. Zheng suggests that we climb Fragrant Hill just outside of Beijing, about 20 km away. Leaving my parents at a shopping district, we start the climb around 4 pm. We peak just after sunset, spend several minutes taking in the view of city lights, and then descend by groping through the darkness.
The next morning, I see my parents off as they head for more touring of the city before heading to the airport for the return trip. Dr. Zheng, Mgr. Sun and I stop by this little hole-in-the-wall place for a traditional Chinese breakfast before driving to Tangshan. We arrive in Tangshan just before noon, and after a little rest, we meet up with the hospital leaders for lunch. After an afternoon of lectures and an elaborate banquet that followed, we enjoyed an evening show featuring the hospital’s 50th anniversary.
I give the first lecture on Tuesday. In the late morning, we participate in the opening ceremonies and ribbon cutting for the beautiful new building. Then, I attend more lectures in the afternoon.
This morning, after breakfast, we go to the earthquake memorial, which has quite a nice display of the historical timeline of Tangshan over the last century. It’s amazing to see the recovery of such a devastating loss. After that, we return to the hotel to have lunch with the hospital leaders. For this meal, they only prepare vegetarian dishes. I then tour the hand surgery floor, which takes up a third of the hospital. We conclude our day by touring the Eastern Qing Tombs—mainly the underground palace of the Empress Dowager Cixi. Mgr. Sun swerves between lanes to get us to the airport on time, and the flight home is uneventful, except for nearly missing my flight due to underestimating the time it takes to get from the checkpoint to the gate.
It feels good to be home.
Today, Brad brought Grant and Max over. I had the day off, of course, and we shot some archery rounds.
A group of us went on this kayaking trip, launching from under the bridge in Newport Beach. We all had a good time. The best part was that the two friends from Hangzhou, China, capsized near the end of the trip, spilling everything, including their digital cameras.
This Musculoskeletal Infection Society met in Squaw Valley for our annual meeting. Sam Chen and Sep Bady came along to present papers. Between meetings, we rented a boat and toured Lake Tahoe. On Sabbath, I took a drive along the lake and stumbled upon the Adventist Campmeeting. I invited myself in, had breakfast, and had a blessed day. Afterwards, I came across the wooden boat show. There were many beautiful watercrafts on display.
This summer involved a lot of traveling. After coming back from Wyoming, it was two weeks of Hand call, straight.
Then, I attended the Western Orthopaedic Association in Hawai’i with Eric, Pete, and Laura. Highlights include driving the Road to Hāna, hiking up the Kīpahulu area, attending the meeting, touring ‘Ulupalakua Ranch, backpacking from Haleakalā summit to Palikū and out via the Halemau’u trail with Eric and Brad, sightseeing in Lahaina, and snorkeling Kapalua Bay.
On Sunday, we flew to O’ahu to meet Eric’s parents, who are very hospitable hosts. The stay was most wonderful. We kayaked out to one of the Mokulua Islands just offshore from Lanikai. Eric took us around the north side of the island along the craggy coastline to a hidden cove. On Tuesday, we rode up Mount Tantalus and Pu’u ‘Ualaka’a State Park for a beautiful view of Waikīkī and Honolulu. Pete and I tried surfing that afternoon, with Eric giving us pointers. After a rushed clean-up, we got to the airport and headed home.
Arriving home Wednesday morning after the red-eye, I went to clinic and had a full day. I’m just catching up with the much-needed rested.
This year’s orthopaedic residency graduation featured Sepehr Bady, Eric Lim, and Jonathan Linthicum. Dr. Ken Mudge received the Teacher of the Year Award.
A few days after getting back from Québec, I headed out to Wyoming for the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons meeting in Jackson Hole. I arrived on Thursday and drove to Yellowstone. It had been snowing for several days, and I snow-camped Thursday night. The scenery and wildlife were spectacular. At the meetings, I made a lot of new friends and met some that I had lost contact with. I enjoyed the cordial meetings and the beautiful setting. During my stay, the sky had cleared. I had been trying to get some sunset shots of the Tetons, but the cloudless sky at dusk made for a colorless sky. Anyhow, on my layover in Salt Lake City, I finally got the colorful sunset I’ve been looking for.
The first trip this June was to Québec City for the American Orthopaedic Association. I arrived late Wednesday night and went to meetings Thursday and Friday. In the evenings, I took time to stroll through the old city, which has a very nice feel to it. I joined a local church on Saturday morning and took part in their picnic and afternoon activities. The people made me feel very welcome. After that, I took the ferry across the St. Lawrence River and did some sightseeing there.
At church two days ago, we were casually discussing hiking San Gorgonio. That random conversation materialized into an actual trip today. We met up at 5:30 and drove together to the South Fork Trailhead. We decided to try a different route, since many of us had already done the Vivian Creek starting point. Just past South Fork Meadow, a ranger stopped us. Apparently, we needed permits even to dayhike. He was nice enough to allow us to go to Dry Lake. There, we had lunch, took a nap, and soaked in the scenery—meadow and lake in the foreground and San Gorgonio in the background. We made it back much earlier than originally expected.
This weekend began with School of Medicine graduation activities. The weather, although over 100 degrees last week, started cooling down several days ago. The climate was actually very pleasant, which turned out to be a nice surprise. Commencement was festive and inspiring. I enjoyed meeting up with friends, family, and former students.
This whole weekend was a blur.
On Friday afternoon, after the Resident Research Seminar, after a relaxing swim, and less than a half hour after leaving the Barton Road house, I get a call from my brother. He tells me that our house is on fire. I rush back after dinner, park at Stater Brothers, and walk over to the cul-de-sac near the church. The entire studio building is burned to the ground.
The next morning, I drive back to the house and take pictures of all that remains. It ended up being a busy day of moving and cleaning. Despite the hectic weekend, I spend today with along the Rim of the World Drive, escaping the valley heat.
The group of young people at church volunteered to cook for Mothers’ Day, so that all the moms would have a break. Apparently, I got put in charge of the cooking. Everything went smoothly, and I think all the moms enjoyed the treat. Afterwards, I achieved a personal milestone—making a latte art heart.
It was fun to have all the relatives over for a springtime reunion. We harvested some artichokes from the yard, steamed and marinated them, and then grilled them. Also, we took an excursion to Prospect Park to harvest some bamboo shoots. We had so much food for dinner, and everyone had a great time.
On Thursday, April 3, I fly to Phoenix for a wonderful stay with the Wilsons. It’s my birthday, and Sarah makes a wonderful melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate soufflé.
We leave for the trailhead on Friday morning and start hiking around 10:40. The main part of the trip takes us through the Tonto National Forest, Supersition Wilderness area. The trail climbs to about 5,000 feet and plateaues below Windy Pass. After a short descent to Plow Saddle, the trail levels off until Reavis Ranch, which is situated in a broad sweeping valley complete with a running spring dotted with oaks, pines, and sycamores.
The next day’s itinerary brings us down past Reavis’s grave and into a dense canyon. High altitude scrub and manzanita gives way to a lush riparian zone, where boulders and talus fields threaten ones ankles with every step. Several pools invites us for lunch breaks. I soak my sore feet. Near Angels Basin, we visit cliff dwelling ruins. Our day ends with a stay along the banks of Fish Creek junction trail.
Hot hearty oatmeal warms us the next morning before we set out. Prickly pear and cholla overhang into our trail at ankle level, and mesquite (or maybe mescal) thorns scratch our sun-scorched arms and shoulders. After a short rest at Plow Saddle Spring, we continue to Windy Pass—the highest point of this day’s hike. We death-march the last part down to our cars. Finally, we come home to a fabulous feast that Sarah put together, which ended with vanilla ice cream drizzled with rich melted chocolate, topped with a fresh strawberry half smothered in whipped cream. Hence, Lactaid.
Today, I arrive home, all ready for a full clinic in the afternoon.
We left Friday afternoon and arrived at the Lake Mead campground. The next morning, we rented kayaks from Willow Beach and paddled upstream. Near our destination at Arizona Hot Springs, the flow was so fast that we were staying still even when paddling frantically. Anyways, we made it. I had first set up my tent down in the slot canyon, and the wind was so strong that one of my poles snapped in half. I temporarily fixed it using dental floss. Then, everyone wanted to camp on top of the bluff, so I moved the tent. The bluff was actually a very nice location. We all enjoyed the slot canyon with its hot springs that afternoon. After camping for one night, we paddled out and headed home.
Last week, I drove up to San Francisco to drop off the Living Orthopaedic Tree at the Moscone West Convention Center. I spent the rest of Monday visiting Golden Gate Park and some of the surrounding neighborhoods.
The AAOS was a busy place. Tuesday was spent in the Practice Management Course, while the rest of the week was filled with meetings, lectures, and exhibition activities. I was surprised to get the recognition for the bonsai, and I called Joe Bowen (PGY-4 resident) to tell him that it was because he was the one who urged me to submit the piece in the first place. Also, I got to meet some amazing artists at the show.
I was able to fit in some outdoor activities. On Friday morning, I visited Muir Woods. Then on Saturday, I drove up to Point Reyes National Seashore. I hiked Tomales Point trail and saw some Tule Elk. I also visited several remote beaches, the lighthouse, and hiked the Chimney Rock Trail, which wound its way at cliff’s edge. The view was spectacular. On Sunday, I took the scenic route back to San Francisco with a detour to the Marin Headlands.
Today is Chinese New Year! The 12-year cycle starts today, beginning with the year of the Rat—year number 4706, according to the traditional reckoning.
The main celebratory act today was the installation of the two stone lions. The whole process was quite complicated. It was only accomplished through much maneuvering with a fork lift and a tractor. After the whole process, the lions were christened with the eye-dotting ceremony.
