Mixed double were most lively, most interesting, and most entertaining discipline.

Lisa and Vidhi on the song Fearless.

Right after our mini-vacation, Lisa faced two more vaulting practices, last ones before the greatest competition of the season — the regionals. I don't have to stress that nervousness kept increasing, both with people and with the newbie horse Cody. He lost his nerve during the last practice and started to run with two small and somewhat clumsy girls. He threw them off across the arena in a rather scary fashion. Surprisingly, vaulting footing (very soft surface) and physics took over: a horse running around tosses riders to the side, not under own hooves; there were no injuries. It had an effect, thought, in that this ride got scratched out of the competition. They eventually canceled Lisa's double too, for her partner did not show up for several practices, and it made no sense to try to show off something that was not rehearsed with a horse.

Left to right: Cody, coach Makayla and a mare named Jacy.

Free style — Daenerys Targaryen.

Meanwhile, both children continued working at the summer camps, so our week was rather full. Looking at the competition schedule, we saw that Lisa was show up on both weekend days. Barrel competitions, in which mixed couples from the club were enrolled, took place on Saturday. That was, in the end, perhaps the best part of the event, as the whole club got together, all of the parents and coaches — end because everybody considered this category to be for fun. At the same time, it seemed incredible what these couples managed to put together in a space of a month, coming up with a theme, devise costumes, music and all the moves, all without coaches' input. When a whole array of them ran out into the arena, they were welcomed by applause, cheering, laughter and merriment. Good fun all around. For us it was interesting in Lisa and Vidhi ending up second — defeated only by a couple from another club, who had performed with the same the year before, thus had it truly well-practiced.

Girls showed their team set only on barrels.

On a barrel, Lisa can dare more adventurous moves.

After the competitions, there was a party in celebration of the season's end. Fortunately it took place near a swimming poolm, and vaulters could do crazy things — it was a bit challenging for Lisa's category, who still has their most important part of the competition ahead of them on Sunday. We had to resort to band up all mothers and order them all out of the pool — we had to get up early next day. Lisa "only" needed to be in Woodside by half past eight, but some were starting by seven.

Jacy, a mare belonging to one of the coaches, stood ready to substitute for Cody at Woodside, just in case Code could not cope with the competition. It was his first, and one never knows with a horse. Yet Cody turned out to be a professional, rode all the rides at a decent level, and it would seem that he likes vaulting and public presentations in general. Lisa dealt with her disciplines without a hitch, only her score was not as good with Cody as it would be with Perch. It mattered that they only had a few days to get in sync with Cody, and Lisa had to stick to the most basic figures, just to not complicate the situation for a newbie horse. She looked satisfied with her results as they were, but perhaps her greatest joy was in realizing that the season was over and her summer break truly started. Despite much effort, the year was not a great success. Injuries, lame Perch, switching a horse at the end of the season, shenanigans within the club, a very inexperienced team — it had simply added all up.

Season's end...

Oliver and Tom on San Lorenzo River.

On the following week the vaulting team had declared a break. Lisa did not even go help with the camps, saying that she finally wanted to have a BREAK of her own. The rest of us wanted to take a family road trip to Oregon, but Lisa refused even that. A break for her means splashing in the pool and hanging around the house. On the other hand, I'm not too surprised — after pulling at school (she got all A's at the end of her eighth grade) she moved right into the summer camps, while simultaneously rehearsing two new vaulting sets on a new horse — and had no way out to "slack off". Thus we postponed Oregon and proceeded with out traditional summer activities.

Mother of Lisa's friend Lucy had made a sacrifice, taking all kids along to amusement park Great America. Tom called me on the phone by three o'clock, asking me to pick him up; Lisa lasted there till eight thirty in the evening. I hope it was enough, for I heartily hate all amusement parks — the older I am, the more I detest racket and long lines and mass merriment over a greasy hot dot and sticky cotton candy — whenever I can avoid such amusement, I take the advantage of it.

Snowkirk ski lift at Kirkwood.

A view of Thimble Peak over Devil's Corral, through which we hiked.

A summer break activity to my liking took place thanks to Lubka nad Oliver visiting with us. Two years ago the Švajda's had moved to Czechia; now they were returning, and Lubka came to organize some administrative affairs — and found along some time to go out with us to San Lorenzo River, where all our kids could splash and ride on a big inner tube. Lubka and Oliver also came to swim in our pool, we barbecued some meats, and held a classic backyard party, for it was a weekend.

Yet with the weekend, our road tripping withdrawal syndrome kit us (all except Lisa); we arranged with Tom's friend Ari and her family a hike at Kirkwood. We left Lisa on her own at home for the whole day. We had chosen Kirkwood originally, because they used to operate their ski lifts on weekends during previous years, which would save you a strenuous up-hike, and you could start your route on the edge of the volcanic crater that forms the ski resort. This year, of course, Vail "improved" their services and nixed the idea (just like they earlier made all parking more complicated and less convenient, raised prices of food and drinks in the resort beyond affordable, etc.). Still Kirkwood remained a good choice, for Ari's family does not get out much and her siblings are substantially younger than our kids. There's a general store with ice cream, sandwiches and drinks, and an air conditioned lodge with comfy seating. Having good cell phone coverage over trails spanning the surrounding slopes, you can choose various loops as you go.

Ari and Tom.

Whisky Slide ski run.

We had agreed to meet at noon — Elene with children would take about two hours from Sacramento, while it took us three and half — sadly, our routes do not intersect or overlap reasonably, and each of the families had to take a completely different road. When we were parking at eleven thirty, we thought we had made it early (summer traffic on the road is quite simpler than at the height of the ski season), but they had gained extra thirty minutes as well. That was great, as no one got to wait long, and we could march uphill.

Perhaps the greatest surprise was how little wheezy we go. Apparently we still felt our three-day acclimatization from camping at Leavitt — for this time we did not get punished for leaving our sixty feet above sea level, and reaching eight thousand. We caught beautiful weather — sunny, so it was not cold, but breezy, so it was not hot, and there were no mosquitos. When we ascended, with several stops for snowball fights, to our interim waypoint, i.e. the upper end of a beginner's ski lift approximately half the way to the crest, we stopped for a snack — and Elena with her youngest, seven year old member of the expedition, turned back into the valley. The rest of us voted for another level, through Devil's Corral, which is a small bowl under our favorite Thunder Saddle. Right at the beginning we were welcomed by a blooming mountain meadow and later waterfall full of spring melt. Devil's Corral demonstrated great contrasts — southern slopes were in full blossom, while the northern ones held snow and the season there still pointed to at most early spring.

Caples Lake.

Southern slopes of Whisky Slide.

And since we all enjoyed our hike so much, and the day was beautify, we decided to extend it by another level and hike up to Caples Crest, from which you can see into the next valley with Caples Lake. Descending through the southern slope under Red Cliffs was possibly the prettiest part of the whole hike; crazy colorful flowers up to waist, sometimes up to shoulders, framed by snow-capped mountain ranges, alternating with a view to a vivid green mountain meadow with a creek meandering at the resort. A romantic view — and a promise of a cold beer down at the general store...

I was surprised how relaxed this trip was — including the fact we just drove out and came back home again, which we did not mind at all. To the contrary — we did not need to pack, reserve hotels or build a tent, figure what to have for dinner and breakfast, arrange sleeping and not forget the toot-brush — we were in no hurry. All that led to the relaxing feeling.
We got back home some time past nine — and Lisa admitted that being home alone was actually boring. But still I'm sure had she come with us, she'd be upset and unpleasant company. Next time she may join a family trip with more interest, despite puberty.