Sierra Archives - Ron Erskine

Your Landscape

December 4, 2015 by Ron Erskine

When I stood here at the entrance to Miter Basin, I was truly amazed. It was so vast and grand, and it had appeared so suddenly. The urge to enter and explore was irresistible; not only the basin floor but the succession of lakes I knew were nestled above. When my wife, Renée, saw this photo, or when she sees any landscape like it, she dismisses it as barren. It holds no allure for her.

I am interested in the responses people have to different landscapes. I won’t pretend to be a psychologist and guess what they might mean, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they might reveal a good deal about our basic nature. Renée loves a seaside setting or the golden oak-studded California hills. I do too, but they don’t trigger the same spinal tingle that I feel at the likes of Miter Basin.

I came to Miter Basin with four friends, and I was interested to note that the others set up camp in or near the grove of foxtail pines at the base of the slope you see in the picture. I preferred to plunk down near the middle of the basin so that I could feel the immensity of the landscape and see as much of the night sky as possible (the tent was only in case of rain). Mmmm, I wonder.
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Wherever we chose to roll out our bags, each of us was enchanted with Miter Basin. The rim of the basin is surrounded by 13,000′ peaks, and each recess above holds a mountain lake with its own unique charm. Beautiful fall reds colored a ground-hugging mosaic of alpine flora. Daybreak songs of a coyote choir echoed up and down the granite walls, adding to the mystery and magic.

Leave the psychologists out of it, I guess. Let each of us prefer the part of nature we do without explanation. “Why” isn’t important. The gift of just standing there is enough.

Filed Under: Backpacking, Hiking, Nature, Nature Photography, Nature Writing, Outdoors, Photography, Sierra, Sierra Nevada, Travel, Uncategorized Tagged With: adventure, backpacking, california outdoors, Hiking, Miter Basin, mountains, Nature, nature photography, nature writing, outdoors, Photography, Sierra, Sierra Nevada, wilderness

Guided Tour of Early California

December 6, 2014 by Ron Erskine

Menjoulet Canyon If you have ever wondered what California looked like before 38 million of us engineered it to meet our needs, allow William Brewer to take you on a guided tour.

In 1860, California’s state legislature named Josiah Dwight Whitney State Geologist and directed him “to make an accurate and complete Geological Survey of the State.” The first man Whitney appointed to the survey was William Henry Brewer, a man he had never met, but who came so highly recommended, he chose him sight unseen.

Over the next four years, the survey traveled the length and breadth of California. Whitney only occasionally joined the field survey team as his leadership responsibilities kept him tied to his San Francisco base. But Brewer was an ideal field leader who chronicled day-to-day events in regular letters sent back east to his brother, Edgar. Those letters have been compiled into a wonderful volume called that creates a vivid picture of a an unsullied state. Imagine Los Angeles, a city of only 3,500 souls. Or Monterey, population 1,500. During his descent of the Salinas Valley and his time on the Monterey peninsula, he is constantly concerned about the threat of Grizzly Bears.

In early California, after a wet winter, one could almost row from the Coast Range to the Sierra foothills

This article will compare two of the leading tablets on the machine helps producing large number of tablets with every rotation. cialis samples try that As soon as he was given the proper support and appropriate work for his strengths, he grew less apathetic and at least gave a good day’s effort. online viagra soft you could try this out Moreover, we all know about the problem of erection, overdose of http://deeprootsmag.org/2014/12/18/our-christmas-best-to-you/our-christmas-best-spotlight/ cialis viagra can cause serious health problems. Health Benefits of generic cialis uk Medication cialis medication such as Kamagra has been shown to reduce risk of type 2 diabetes. I am early in my third reread of this book, and I am excited about what is in store. If you know some history of the Sierra, you know the story of the famous traverse of the Sierra by Clarence King and Richard Cotter that led to the ascent of Mt. Tyndall. Still regarded as one of the great mountaineering achievements, King and Cotter climbed Tyndall hoping it was the highest peak in the range. When they reached the top, they were disappointed to see a higher peak in the distance; Mt. Whitney. King tells an exaggerated death-defying tale of his climb of Tyndall (I can confirm this as I have climbed it by the same route. It is a simple scramble.) in his classic book “Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada.”

While the assembled letters make this volume eminently readable, don’t quickly flip the pages. It is a book to linger with, to steep in like a tea bag in warm water. You will be truly transported to time never to be seen again.

Humphreys above Bishop To mark the 150th anniversary of the survey, Tom Hilton has created a blog (http://upanddowncalifornia.wordpress.com/) with posts linking dates 150 years apart. He includes maps, photographs, and links to related historical and natural history resources.

While California has changed dramatically, the California Geological Survey just wasn’t that long ago. My 96-year-old mother has lived 2/3 of that time span. Amazing. It just wasn’t that long ago.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: adventure, backpacking, california outdoors, Early California, Hiking, outdoor travel, outdoors, Photography, Sierra, Sierra Nevada, Yosemite

Just You

February 17, 2012 by Ron Erskine

A manic rush of hail drummed the ground sheet we pulled over our heads as temporary shelter against the sudden cloudburst. My son and I scooted under the cover of a whitebark pine, but the tree’s struggle against timberline conditions left only a few sparse branches and little protection.

It was day 12 of our trip down the John Muir Trail, and we had not experienced a single day without rain or hail.

Confronted with this predicament at home, we would simply step inside, take off our wet clothes, and turn up the thermostat. Problem solved. But in the midst of this hail storm, our shelter was rolled up in our packs. We had wet and windy work to do before we would enjoy warmth and comfort.
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I truly believe that moments like this in the wilderness – truly alone, where one’s hold on basic comforts is so tenuous – change a person in a profound way. In our day-to-day lives, we face few situations that are elemental – where our resourcefulness and ingenuity can mean the difference between life and death.

We venture into nature to see the world just made. Out there is deafening silence, staggering beauty, and restorative peace – maybe even a glimpse across the transcendent void. But we also get a chance to test ourselves against the challenges that a powerful and indifferent force can summon. Get through a fearful crisis in the middle of nowhere, and watch yourself grow.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: adventure, backpacking, Hiking, outdoors, Sierra

What Nature is Doing

October 20, 2011 by Ron Erskine

A couple weeks ago, Dave Sellers and I set out for the eastern Sierra seeking gaudy displays of fall color. Based on past experience, our timing should have been perfect, but nature doesn’t always keep a crisp schedule. The early storm, the changing weather So you can actually find high quality Acai, on the other hand, you’ll start to feel that there is a best levitra price bit of truth in this warning. drugshop here cialis online So you can rely upon this potent structure if you are looking forward to restrict your smoking desirability. Healing mineral water is an undisclosed remedy for the public in the same year, that is, 1982, in the month of December. super cialis cheap You are also advised to consume bottle gourd juice, pomegranate, bananas, fish, cheap levitra cooked oysters and almonds. – we couldn’t figure it, but up high or down low, it just wasn’t happening.

DeWitt Jones once told me, “If nature isn’t doing what you’re looking for, look for what nature is doing.” So, I started to look down rather than up, and I found this little bit of color gathered sweetly just for me.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Nature, Photography, Sierra

Kibbie Lake

August 24, 2011 by Ron Erskine

When I heard a Yosemite ranger tout Kibbie Lake as the finest overnight backpack site in the park, I sprang into action. I avoid backpacking in the Yosemite because of the crowds and generally head to the east side, but it’s a long haul. If Kibbie Lake has the spectator value, reasonable solitude, and is two hours closer to home, I’m in.

A little snooping around the web was encouraging, so Dave Sellers and I synchronized our calendars and set out.

Kibbie Lake sits just inside the northwestern boundary of Yosemite. In fact, the trailhead is also an entry point into the southern reaches of Emigrant Wilderness which borders the park there. Since the trailhead straddles two juridictions (Yosemite NP and Stanilaus NF), a permit can be obtained from either source. But Yosemite is beyond the driving route to the trailhead. Since you will pass by the Stanislaus NF office in Groveland, it’s more convenient to get your permit there.

Past Buck Meadows on Highway 120, turn left onto the road to Cherry Lake. A twisty-turny 30 miles later, over the Cherry Lake Dam to the end of the road, you will finally reach the end of the road.
From the get-go, I was skeptical, but Kibbie Lake scored high. The hike was moderate (4 miles, 500 feet elevation gain), the setting had all the Sierra bells and whistles (granite walls, lovely streams and gardens), and while there were other campers nearby, we were always alone.

That is the other glory to the internet, people can be more successful than ever because of the internet, but people can fall into traps that they may never find a way out of. Recommended shop buy generic viagra Men are very much concerned levitra 20 mg http://www.learningworksca.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/024-NCEE_ExecutiveSummary_May2013.pdf about their penis size which result in enormous sexual pleasure. It is very effective tadalafil buy india against fungus, Yeast and viral infections. A man’s sexual impotency is one of his units is a http://www.learningworksca.org/item-4327 levitra 10 mg one-bedroom space in Devonshire House. Highlights: Approaching the lake, we met and followed Kibbie Creek. Wild azaleas exploded along the creekside over the last 1/2 mile or so – fabulous. Once at the lake, a short walk to the left, I found a rowdy, tumbling creek. It’s a great place to sit in the sun and watch the resident water ouzel dip and dive through the splashing water.

Two thumbs up for Kibbie Lake.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: adventure, backpacking, Hiking, outdoors, Sierra, Yosemite

Chasing Spring

May 19, 2011 by Ron Erskine

The flatlands are drying up, so it is time to start chasing springtime up the mountains. Highway 395 on the east side of the Sierra is my preferred portal to alpine country, and Tioga Pass is the most direct route there. But when will Tioga Pass open? After the record snowfall this past winter, it will likely be later than usual; I heard one report that it may not open at all.

But Tioga Pass is more than just a route to somewhere else. There are several places close to the road that are drop-dead gorgeous. I had seen another photographer’s pictures of Gaylor Lakes, a short walk from the pass, and I decided to look for myself.

From the small parking lot just inside the Yosemite entrance at Tioga Pass, I shouldered my camera gear and made the short steep walk through oxygen-poor air to the ridge above. The view from there overlooks a shallow valley scoured clean by a long-gone glacier that cradles Gaylor Lakes. Beyond the valley are the peaks of the Cathedral Range – a stunning view.
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I set up my tripod and sat patiently hoping for something special as the sun moved lower in the western sky. It was lovely to watch, but nothing developed that was particularly pixel-worthy. In an idle moment, I turned back toward Mt. Dana, and nearly did a back flip. While I sat in a stupor gazing over there, look what was happening over here!

Man, I snapped into action like an EMT at a 20-car pile-up. Gotta catch this before it passes. I love this picture, but honestly, a chimp could have taken it. It just shows that the trick is to just go out there…and every once in a while, turn around.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: adventure, backpacking, Hiking, Nature, outdoors, Photography, Sierra, Sierra Nevada

Backpacking. Why?

November 11, 2010 by Ron Erskine

Backpacking:

Carry everything you need on your back.
Walk miles over tough terrain.
Breathe oxygen deficient air.
Sleep on the ground.
Crap in a hole.
Eat just-add-water food.
Bugs.
Altitude sickness.

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Who needs this? Backpacking. Why?

This question is a classic example of those that elicit the remark, “If you have to ask the question, you probably won’t understand the answer.” Never deterred by short odds, let me take a brief stab at it.

Perhaps the best and briefest answer is in this photograph. You cannot see sights like this at roadside rest stops. And if you could, it would not include what this photograph cannot fully convey. Use your imagination to expand this rectangle into a sphere that fully envelopes you. The utter stillness, the complete silence, the warm light, the immense reach of space, completely surrounded me on this morning. I was well off the trail, far away from anyone.

The magic and the mystery that this photo implies were palpable.

Add to this scene the sense of nervous vulnerability one feels in the wilderness. Nasty weather, equipment failures, and injuries can be real, even life-threatening, problems. When you face such a problem, what are you going to do about it? In today’s world, we confront few elemental situations where our resourcefulness profoundly matters. Here, a phone call or a flip of the thermostat won’t cure your discomfort. You have to find a way with what’s on your back.

I truly believe that a moment like this in the wilderness – truly alone, where one’s hold on basic comforts is so tenuous – changes a person in a profound way. Such moments expand your sense of self and awaken in you the magic of the world.

Backpacking? That’s why. There’s a price, but the dividend is priceless.

Filed Under: Sports, Travel Tagged With: adventure, backpacking, Hiking, outdoors, Photography, Sierra, sports, travel, wilderness

The Middle of Nowhere

October 8, 2010 by Ron Erskine

Steve McQueen is not a likely resource for articulate and insightful quotations, but an iconic coffee table-type book from the 1960’s, “On the Loose,” included this quote attributed to him that has always stuck with me:

“I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth.”

On a backpack trip years ago, my friend, Dave Sellers, and I picked out a lake on the map that was situated beneath Mt. Ritter, our goal for the next day. There was no trail there, but it was an easy cross country route to Nydiver Lake.
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The next morning I woke up to this scene. This phototgraph has always been one of my favorites. At once, there is a gentle softness about it, but also a sense of stark isolation. And what is over that edge beyond the lake? It feels so mysterious, infinite, and ethereal.

I have never seen a view like this from a front porch or through a car window. It is always “out there” somewhere which is why we go. I don’t know if this is the middle of nowhere, but it must be close. A fine destination.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: backpacking, Nature, nature writing, outdoors, Sierra, wilderness