Refining my Bishop beta

After spending over 2 weeks in Bishop, I have learned many things about this town. I'm a huge fan of efficiency in all things. I like taking the straightest path between two points whenever I can. I try to make my movement economical when I rock climb, squeezing only as much as necessary to stay on. As a result, I'm constantly tweaking my experience in a new town.

What I have learnt thus far about Bishop I shall share with you now...

First, for camping, the place to be is the Pit if you enjoy hanging out with a lot of climbers. At $2 a night per car, it is incredibly affordable for extended dirtbaggery. If you prefer solitude or the company of a few friends at most, the place to camp is out at the Buttermilks near the boulders. The latter option is nice if you intend to spend most of your days climbing in the milks, and let's be real, that is where the best bouldering is in Bishop, by far. The former is nice if you like sport climbing up at Owens River Gorge or pulling down big huecos in the Happies and Sads and don't mind the occasional loud climber party.

Once you've gotten some good sleep, you wake up and think, "I would love a good cup of coffee right now." You drive in to town and have two choices, the Looney Bean and Black Sheep. After not so extensive testing, I have determined that Black Sheep is the better option for tasty coffee and snacks. First off, they have IPA on tap, so in the afternoon that is the go-to option. Secondly, they have some delicious breakfast burritos that go half-off in the afternoon. And then the coffee itself is just damn tasty. Good lattes with not over-steamed milk (my greatest pet peeve) and oily americanos. I bought a bag of beans from them just before leaving town, too, as my Fiore supply was running low. I went with the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and so far it has been pretty good. Also, try the Happy Bagel. It is simple and satisfying.

So you just had your breakfast burrito or bagel and morning roast and are thinking, "I need some groceries for lunch and whatnot." Where do you go? The clear choice is Manor Market over Vons, the Safeway with a different name. There are always friendly checkout folks at Manor Market and they have a fantastic beer selection. This combined with the knowledge that your money is staying in Bishop to help grow their economy makes me feel a lot better. I'm all for supporting the towns I go to that support their climbers and Bishop is a fantastic town for that. Check out the smokehouse bacon that they sell at the Market. It is delicious and locally smoked at a butchers in town.

Find me on W. Line Street on the way to the Buttermilks

Ok. Food acquired and ready to go climb some rocks! How to get to said rocks? Well, there are a few paths to take to get to the climbing. If you are going from the Pit to the Buttermilks or vice versa, screw going through town and all that hassle. Just take Ed Powers Road.

Why did I ever drive through town before...

This cuts out the majority of 25 mph BS that you have to deal with on the other roads. It saves about 10 minutes, no joke. If you want to climb at the Happies, tough luck. You're still gonna park where everyone does and walk up that steep-ass hill. The Sads, on the other hand, has a nice little parking lot at the very top that is relatively accessible with a car. I was nervous going over some of the jagged rocks, but haven't popped a tire, yet!

To get to the upper Sads parking, it makes the most sense via town. Take Highway 6 north to 5 Bridges Road. Turn left onto 5 Bridges and stay on it until it turns into Casa Diablo Road just after the concrete plant. Follow Casa Diablo up the hill and take the second main left (there's a little BLM signpost). You know you went the right way if there is a big sandy pit you drive through. Eventually you hit the small upper parking lot for the Sads which spits you out right at the Ice Caves and Strength in Numbers.

Upper Sads Parking (Take left at B)

So you made it to your climbing destination fully caffeinated and stocked up with groceries. You crank hard and are exhausted. Too tired to cook a nice dinner, you bounce into town to try and find some good, cheap eats. Sadly, most of the restaurants in Bishop are over-priced and not very good. You will find a few gems amongst the rough, though. The best mexican food, by far, in Bishop comes from this little taco truck next to the Paiute Palace Casino. Everything is fucking delicious and cheap there. Get a combo plate for $6 bucks with rice and beans and three tacos. Get a horchata for $1. Walk away satisfied and smiling. The family that owns it are super nice and friendly and will toss in some delicious grilled onions and jalapenos. The only downside to the taco truck is that it is open from Thursday to Sunday. The other days you will have to go to...

Make sure it's a nice day when you go to the Burger Barn

Bishop Burger Barn! This place is fantastic! We took a chance one evening on this restaurant with only outdoor seating and were more than happy. Given that all food tastes amazing after a day of hard climbing, these burgers were really tasty. They even make their own buns there! I don't think there was a single thing that was bad on that menu, so hit that place up once, twice or more when you go to Bishop!

Lastly, if you're taking a rest day and want to grab some lunch in town, go to Raymond's Deli and get the Clubber. It is a beast of a club sandwich and may be daunting to eat solo. It has pretty wacky decor inside and the people making your sandwiches yell your name out louder than an opera singer, but the sandies are terrific.

That about sums it up for new Bishop beta. Let me know if you find more awesome food or secret routes if you get out there!