Stories, Memories and Thoughts
for Bishop

I hate to say it, but my first memory of Bishop was stopping at Erick Schat's Bakkery (back when it was up the road from the Safeway, near E. Line Street). At the time (the mid 1960's), I was still in High School.

While in High School, I was on a YMCA backcountry trip into the Sierra Nevada Mountains (up Rock Creek, past Chickenfoot Lake to Upper Morgan Lake). The drive to a campground for our first night was a long trip: we rode in the back of several Mack stakebed trucks starting in Torrance (which is just south of Los Angeles), past Edward's Air Force Base (in Palmdale), up Owen's Valley, through Bishop and just before Mammoth Lakes, we turned west into the mountains at Tom's Place. The trip from Torrance must have taken a good 9-10 hours.

As we passed through Bishop, we stopped to stretch our legs and buy some last minute goodies at the Safeway. A couple of us went up the block and bought loafs of Sheepherder's bread at Schat's Bakkery.

The first night was spent at a campground called Mosquito Flat. Although we didn't have trouble with mosquitos, the night was rainy and cold. Many of the kids had never spent a night outside or eaten a dinner prepared over a campfire. The best part of that dinner was certainly the bread. Unfortunately, the bread was quickly gone and the remaining meals were definitely forgettable.

Why do they call it Sheepherder's Bread? At one time, sheepherders (largely of Basque nationality) travelled with their sheep through-out the Owen's Valley. While Schat's credits the choice of ingredients and their stone ovens, you can make your own using a cast-iron Dutch Oven.

When you get a chance to visit Bishop, I suggest that you stop at Schat's for a sandwich, visit the pastry counter and then get something to drink. Take it down the street to the park, enjoy your meal, look at the mountains and let your mind wander. It's a great way to spend the afternoon. Forty years later, I still do it every chance I get.