High Sierra Topix

A friend of mine had two visitors from Tennessee wanting to see the High Sierras. A plan was set to take them to high places with sweeping panoramas. Unfortunately, Mr. Ferguson, and Mr Donnell had something smokey to say about our plan. The Murfreesboro couzins were not going to cancel their trip. For that matter, since I was heading back to work soon, neither was I. We had to think of something else, and I had an idea. Take them to beautiful places where the beauty is right in your face, minimizing the chance for a smokey distraction. So we did three day hikes. Ediza was the worst, but actually not too bad. We were pleasantly surprised when Glen Aulin, and Steelhead Lake were exceptionally clear. For those not familiar with Steelhead, it's at the far end of the Saddlebag Lake loop. We passed nine cool, clear lakes that day under a gorgeous, smoke free North Peak, and Mt. Conness.

The other highlight of the trip was the solitude. A different friend of mine has sadly stated that she will rarely, if ever, go to Yosemite because it feels like Disneyland. Not so this time. This time it felt like an undiscovered wilderness.

Thanks for the report and pictures! We're all gonna need as much optimism as possible to get more out of the Sierra this summer