A High Sierra Perspective

Anticipation indeed filled the air as we raced north on Highway 395 into the last twilight of summer. Carly Simon’s evocative voice booming through the speakers scored the moment perfectly as the setting sun framed the edgy peaks of the Sierra Nevada range. Long behind was the evening rush congestion of the LA freeways. Ahead was the promise of the first day of fall 2022 in our happy place, Mono County and Mammoth Lakes. The seasons have begun changing here in this corner of California. Nights are crisp with lows tickling freezing. Highs still push 70, but those marks are fewer as the days grow shorter. Maybe, just maybe the first yellows and oranges of fall color in the canyons and passes will dazzle us as always. What we do know is a thirsty landscape, parched and hardened by three years of drought, is a reality. We read about it down south in our urban neighborhoods and we feel it in our water bills. But here you can hear it with every snap of a branch on the trail. The dust is more pervasive and the gnawing fear of wildfires a daily constant. In the half century we’ve played in these majestic mountains and high altitude meadows, we have witnessed the effects of a shrinking snowpack and warmer temperatures. Still every trip renews our deeply held connection to this place and reminds us why we make the drive. As we finally pulled into Mammoth and then down our street, our efforts were rewarded. The headlights spotlighted a large male buck deer and then three fawns grazing on late-season wildflowers on this moonless night. A good omen that fall will be special this year. Our view the next morning of Mammoth Crest from the shores of Horseshoe Lake did not disappoint.