A Reunion in the High Sierras
The Sierra Nevada mountains of central California are famous for their massive granite peaks, like the iconic landscapes found in Yosemite and Kings Canyon National Parks. I first fell in love with this stunning area four years ago while hiking sections of the Pacific Crest and John Muir Trails. Captivated by the majesty of the mountains, the ancient forests, and rivers, I vowed to return.
Earlier this month, I finally made it back.
I returned to Thomas Edison Lake—the exact spot where my 2022 trip ended at Vermillion Valley Resort, which sits on the edge of this reservoir. It is a popular resupply point for thru-hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail, and it served as the perfect meeting spot for my hiking partners: eight friends hailing from Washington, California, and Colorado.
We spent our first day at a campground at 7,600 feet of elevation. This gave the lowlanders in our group a chance to acclimate to the thin mountain air before donning backpacks and hiking higher still.
The montane forest where our hike began is a towering, beautiful mix of Ponderosa, Jeffrey, White, and Lodgepole pine. On the forest floor, a thick carpet of pine needles is dotted with wildflowers, western columbine, evening primrose, and mariposa lily add a magical touch to the understory. I also spotted numerous snow plants (Sarcodes sanguinea). This bright red wildflower is unique because it has no chlorophyll and relies on the network of underground mycelium to derive its nutrients.
As our route gained elevation, the species mix of the forest began to change; Ponderosa pines becoming less frequent, replaced by a subalpine mix of Foxtail pines, aspens, and massive Sierra Junipers rooted in what seems to be solid granite. These resilient species are specially adapted to endure long winters with deep snowpack, followed by dry summers.
In this high zone just below the treeline, evidence of fire pervades the landscape. We stood in awe before ancient junipers with spiral scars running down their trunks. Many carried blackened heartwood wounds, and some were completely hollowed out by fires that must have smoldered for days or weeks. Because these majestic trees can live for more than 2,500 years, they surely have survived many wildfires and lightning strikes.
My birthday is in mid-August, which makes my astrological sign Leo—a sign dominated by the element of fire. I have been fascinated by fire since I was a young boy. It has inspired and influenced my life in many ways, even prompting my move to the Pacific Northwest years ago to work on a fire crew in the Olympic National Forest.
As a deeply grateful Leo, I could not imagine a more perfect place to spend my birthday than high in the Sierras—an environment beautifully sculpted by the transformative power of fire for millennia.
After backpacking for a week in these rugged, beautiful mountains, sleeping on the ground and swimming in the rivers, I feel calm, and my nervous system is reset. I'm brought back to the deeper meaning of this trip - remembering my connection to the natural world.