Spring view:
This is what the site looked like on an early spring day, several years back. You can see a few patches of Sierra Nevada snow lingering in
the background. The pitchers are all beaten down by the rigors of the winter snowfall.
Beth and I began the day driving as far to the site as we could. We followed Interstate 80 high into the mountains, and
then a
few winding mountain highways, and finally a narrow mountain road that led into alpine life zones.
We were several km along the mountain roads when we reached the point where snow
blocked the road. Conveniently, a large pullout gave us room to park. Indeed several other trucks were
parked there too--all with strange custom-built trailers that were obviously used to haul weird
recreational snow vehicles that defy simple description.
The sky was heavy with clouds, and I was a little nervous about the day's weather--a massive blizzard was predicted for
early evening. If the snow started accumulating early, turning the car around might result in our getting stuck--far from
any easy help. I parked the car facing downhill so at least we were pointing in the direction of our escape.
Beth and I strapped on our show shoes and started the long trudge along the drift-covered road.