Sierra Walk

Sierra Walk
Sierra Nevada Range
outside Big Pine, Calif.
July 2009

I took four days off and went for a walk in the Sierras. We brought Tessie. She dug it, me though not so much so. She really likes chasing after bears. How do you train a dog not too do that?

There was snow. And mountains.

There were trees. And flowers.

And more trees.

And more flowers.

And then this big ole ridge line. Just as the trail had successfully lulled you to sleep with its fresh grassy meadows, wild flowers, and all together gentle nature this bad boy pops up-- the infamous hogs back. You have to climb up and over it of course with the sun pounding down on you the whole time mercilessly. Its 37-ish switchbacks take you up a tad under 1500 vertical feet in just a tad over half a mile. It is excruciating.
I do this for fun I ask? To relax? Hogwash!

By the time we hit camp the only thing on my mind was licking my (mental) wounds and chillaxing.

There were even more flowers at camp.

Tess was a big fan of the tent, an even bigger fan of the chillax.

I carried a heavy frikin' tripod all the way up and over the hogs back and decide to hand hold this shot. Brilliant...

On the off day I read a book-- the whole thing cover to cover.