The Sierra Mountains

The Sierra mountains are beautiful.  The Stanislaus National Forest is scenic.  The Yosemite National Park with its noisy rivers and tributaries is stunning.  These are some of the country's and perhaps the world's most scenic places.  The old growth trees stand in some of the largest tracts in the country.  These places are precious.  See them as soon as you can.  Return to them if you are able.

What I Saw - The Range of Light

Conifers including Sugar Pines - Yosemite NP - Big Oak Flat Road After and  Near Big Oak Flat Station

From the Sacramento Airport one travels south on I-5.  It is a mistake to exit to I-80.  One must pass the I-80 exit ramp and continue south on I-5. Taking I-80 will take the traveler to Reno. I-80 never meets CA-99, the needed highway to proceed to the Sierra Nevadas. The correct exit is Business I-80.  The naming is confusing for a Sacramento traveler but the correct selection must be made.  Business I-80 is also state route 50.

From Business I-80 one travels to CA-99.  CA-99 takes one to the San Joaquin valley.  There is an illness called San Joaquin Valley Fever that is caused by inhalation of airborne dust or dirt. The causative organism is the fungus Coccidioides immitis. C. immitis resides in the soil.  The valley has many groves. Cherries are grown in the area near Stockton.  This a large cherry producing area.

From  CA-99 one travels to SR 4.  SR 4 goes to Copperopolis.  From Copperopolis one begins to climb into the Sierra Nevada range.  From SR 4 one travels SR 49 to go further east.  The SR 49 bridge over the New Melones Reservoir is a beautiful bridge.   The water levels in the New Molones Reservoir are strikingly lower than past years.

 One may take SR 49 to SR 120.  SR 120 winds its way to the Big Oak Flat entrance station to Yosemite National Park.  Fires have burned parts of the conifers along the alignment of SR 120. The Rim Fire in 2013 burned many trees along SR 120.

The Sierra Nevadas though logged in the national forest areas have in their highlands Yosemite National park.  The park is a World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve.  As one enters the park one becomes one with the land.  One feels like one is going home.

 

What I saw - The Range of Light



Yosemite NP - Highway 41- From Tunnel View Overlook



Light...
I know not a singular word fine enough for Light.
Holy beamless, bodiless, inaudible floods of Light.

- John Muir

The radiance of the Sierra

The radiance in some places is so great as to be fairly dazzling, keen lance-rays of every color flashing, sparkling in glorious abundance, joining the plants in their fine, brave beauty-work,-
every flower, every crystal, a window opening into heaven, a mirror reflecting the Creator.

John Muir

This writing is so powerful that it must be repeated.