High Sierra Topix

Man, I love this site! What a great question. Somebody through another log on the campfire. . . . Here's my

Having "sampled" the Sierra by living briefly in several locations on the western slope, and having spent even more of my time accessing the backcountry from east side trailheads, I tried for a long time to wrap my senses around the idea of the "whole" Sierra as a point of view. So when a question like this arose, I found that I couldn't zero in on any one place or region. The experience also taught me that my holistic assumption was too grandiose to serve much purpose in describing how I really felt about these mountains. Of course, my most cherished memories are always of specific locales, and that's how I have to approach the question. Each region tugs at me equally and constantly!

After several summers at Scout Camp on the Stanislaus, then frequent fishing and backpacking trips to the upper Mokelumne/Carson drainages with high school chums who were similarly afflicted, like me, with a constant Sierra hankering, and a few visits to Yosemite Valey and Tuolumne Meadows, I had the good fortune to work one summer for Sierra NF. I was based at Shaver Lake, but spent most of the time in Arne Snyder's High Sierra Ranger District, backpacking, horsepacking and driving remote roads in a 4WD. It was my first visit to heaven.

A second summer based in Porterville working for Sequoia NF gave me access to southern Sierra backcountry with multiple 10-day excursions into the Kern Plateau and the Little Kern as well as the Greenhorn Mts and the slopes of the Kaweah drainage. I loved that country, too.

Over the years, I filled in the "gaps" with hiking and xc backpack excursions piecing together segments of the Muir Trail and its laterals. I wouldn't turn down an offer to live in any part of this range.

Today, looking out any window of my house, I'm surrounded by mature second-growth mixed conifer forest. The 3 stately ponderosas that shade the back deck, each about 4 feet d.b.h. and over 100 feet tall, were probably the left overs - - too small to cut when Blair's mill was supplying lumber to the mines, railroads, and gold rush towns around here. There's a huge black oak, too, as well as firs, cedars, madrones, dogwoods, and even a sugar pine within view. The teamsters driving freight wagons to the Comstock were known to camp overnight in what is now by back yard. The American River is just a few minutes away, and the high country just a few more minutes beyond. I can easily get to my favorite east side trailheads, and there's just enough winter snow to keep life interesting. That's where I've ended up, and its just fine by me.

Thanks, Giantbrookie, for the thorough information about Quincy. I know I liked the feel of it when I stopped there awhile on the way to see friends in the Donner Pass area this past fall. Have to check it out more, I think. The Blairsden area is great but, as you say, expensive, relatively. I've been up in the Cascades (Oregon) the past few years, and the snow is wonderful and it's more affordable, but it is definitely not the Sierras. I am of those who literally hug the beautiful granite of the range, cannot leave it. Thanks again for your information.

Interesting that this thread just revived. This is somewhat bizarre but as a kid growing up in Fresno. I dreamed that I owned YNP and only I and my friends and a select few (clearly I had in mind people using HST boards!). As I got older I thought that Oakhurst would be Ideal but it has turned into a strip mall! Yesterday I got online and looked up real estate in the area. And found a 10 acre parcel, off the grid, with a nice small house for less than $160,000 a little N. of Oakhurst. Probably at a little over 3,000 ft. elevation. Got me to thinking--above the valley fog, a little cooler in the summer, close to Yosemite and Sierra National Forest. But the point is moot. We are firmly intrenched in Central Oregon. Where the x-country skiing is 20 minutes away, downhill skiing 30 minutes away, and a trailhead into the three sisters wilderness 40 minutes away. Not much snow in the winter and seldom above 90 in the summer. But 8 hours from Reno and 12 to 13 hours to westside trailheads in the Sierra. The key to me is to avoid the endless depressing gray of areas with winter inversions. Also in my 7th decade the importance of good medical facilities is significant. We are less than 5 minutes from our doctors and a fine hospital. This may seem a little morbid to you younger folks but I went 50 years without a visit to the hospital. Since then a hernia, fused vertebrae, and one other major surgery has made me aware that sometimes parts wear out! But the will and desire to backpack in the Sierra hopefully never dies!

Cheers

Mike (looking forward to a month or so of backpacking in the Sierra this Summer)

[quote="oldranger"]Interesting that this thread just revived. This is somewhat bizarre but as a kid growing up in Fresno. I dreamed that I owned YNP and only I and my friends and a select few (clearly I had in mind people using HST boards!).

Hey, oldranger, thanks (on behalf of everyone here) for the great compliment! I confess to a lifelong possessive feeling about these mountains, too. Your remarks trigger many pleasant thoughts. My high school backpacking buddies and I sort of felt the same way about the country we roamed and first explored back in the late '50's. In those days we met few other folks off the main highways, and almost never further down the trail, so the sense of being the first ones to visit an area was an easily sustainable fantasy. Also, I wonder if you ever worked on Sierra NF, or possibly might have known Arne Snyder when he was High Sierra District Ranger there?

oldranger: We are firmly intrenched in Central Oregon. Where the x-country skiing is 20 minutes away, downhill skiing 30 minutes away, and a trailhead into the three sisters wilderness 40 minutes away.

Marvelous country! I share an enthusiasm for the High Cascades, and recall some memorable Cascade hikes with close pals into timberline country between the Sisters and Mt. Jefferson. As a Sierra wanderer, tho, I much preferred the drier, eastern side. Bend is still one of my favorite western mountain towns (we lived in both western and eastern Oregon over a span of 18 years)

oldranger: But the will and desire to backpack in the Sierra hopefully never dies!

. . .and that says it all for me, too. Thanks for sharing your comments, and many happy returns to the Sierra (hope to greet you on the trail)!

Timberline asked,

Also, I wonder if you ever worked on Sierra NF, or possibly might have known Arne Snyder when he was High Sierra District Ranger there?

No my rangering focused on the Roaring River/Sugarloaf creek drainage in SEKI but I managed while working to "range" as far as the Middle fork of the Kings/Palisade Creek, S. on PCT, some e. of Greatwestern Divide, Upper Kern, and Upper Kaweah.

The name seems familiar but to my knowledge never met Arne.

Happy Trails

mike

Well, I threw out the news a couple years ago about the Rainbow Lodge, just off Interstate 80 was for sale and we all should have chipped in to buy it and the land and cabins included in the deal. That could have been a retreat for all of us.

Old Ranger, I am with you on this! The Cascades are great mountains but only the Sierras feel like home. And, Hiker Duane, you bring such poignant longing to my eyes with your reminder that yes if only we had all purchased Rainbow Lodge.
Or am a being presumptious? But I should like to include myself in this "we" though only a "newbie" to this board (but hardly a newbie to the Sierras).