Deep Springs College

There's a small, all-boys college in the middle of California near Bishop that is a trip. The program lasts for two years, and each year they admit a class of 13 students, from an applicant pool of about 150, which they pick after a gruelling process of 4-day interviews. Classes include horseback riding, crocheting, and making sourdough. Like many all-boys institutions, the environment is slightly homoerotic - in an aggressive, hierarchical kind of way.

Making sourdough is a fascinating progress. Quality varies according to the kind of bacteria you catch in those first few days. What happens, apparently, is that you catch bacteria with something like beer or crushed grapes, and then other strains try to move in, and they fight for dominance until the culture stabilizes. Some strains have been kept alive for 500 years, brought over from Europe and cultivated through the generations; these cultures are high-quality and very stable. It is possible to breed different lines of high-quality sourdough cultures in order to arrive at an even prouder genealogy.

That's all for now. I'll try to find out more, as I'm sure you're itching to start your own. I hear it's like getting attached to a pet.