October

Oh!......here it is...I knew that pesky blog of mine was around here somewhere. And ya...I know I can hear all the predictable mumbling ..."What...the monthly Hop Hunter entry, how quaint". And really I agree, it's been way to long between entries.
I guess I just don't have all that much to say lately or can't find anything to report about. OR...I just haven't had time to write because of all my activities and traveling. I'm sure the answer is somewhere in between lazy and lame .... so hmm lets see...did I do anything interesting this summer to finally report about?

MAMMOTH FESTIVAL of BEERS and BLUESAPALOOZA.
Mammoth Lakes California July 31st-August 1st
For the third year in a row we made my way over the Sierra's to hook up with my old friends Ralph and Penny from So-Cal to attend perhaps the best Beer /Musical event I have ever been to. Friday and Saturday music with an excellent beer fest in between. The setting is tremendous amongst the trees and the 7000+ altitude. This years musical headliner was Kenny Wayne Shepherd and the beer of the event was Sculpin from Ballast Point in San Diego. Seven musical acts over 2 days and 50+ breweries pretty much make this a yearly must go. It isn't officially an IPA event but there sure are a lot of hoppy beers to go around.
CALIFORNIA BREWERS FESTIVAL
Discovery Park, Sacramento California Sept 19th.
66 Breweries listed on the program but it seemed that many didn't show up or cancelled late. Blue Frog Brewing from Fairfield stood out as did Sacramento Brewing and North Coast Brewing from Fort Bragg. All three breweries brought along half a dozen or more entries and made the lack of vendors seem like a trivial matter. Mad River also did well and poured late into the event. The 100 degree heat made for a lighter beer style drinking day for me. Blue Frog Hefeweizen and the North Coast Prankster provided me with memories that still linger. A few of my favorite beers won medals. Sac Brew IPA and Lagunitas Imperial Red both won won Gold in their categories while Blue Frog's excellent Coffee Porter garnered the top spot as well.
Parchers Resort
South Lake, Bishop California
While both our lovely brides remained at home to work.... Zack and I spent the better part of Labor Day weekend hanging out and drinking near South Lake at 9000' in the Easter Sierra. My sister Tina and her husband Darryl rented a cabin, brought their kayaks and fishing poles, invited my parents along and they all made a week of it.
Zack and I packed one of my mid-sized ice chests with Hefeweizens and IPA's from .........
OK...sorry......this report has been interrupted by a bottles of Affligm tripel.....Sierra Nevada Anniversary IPA, Shipyard XXXX, Pliny the Elder, Mad River double IPA, Green Flash West Coast IPA, Green Flash Imperial, Avery HogHead and ...........