The Sierra Trip, Spring 2008
My husband's sister and her family have a summer cabin in the southern Sierra. It nests in a small scattering of rustic cabins that have occupied a little niche in the national forest between Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks for perhaps 60-70 years. She invited us to use it for a week in mid May. We happily accepted.
It was perfect spring weather; daytime temperatures were in the mid 80s. The Dogwood was blooming, wildflowers were bursting forth in sunny meadows, yet there was still snow on the ground in shaded nooks and crannies.
The two parks were practically void of people a week before Memorial Day. On a four-hour hike we might encounter five or six other park visitors. There were no tour buses, no gaggles of tourists at all. Parking areas designed to accomodate 150 were nearly empty.
We took leisurely strolls through stunning redwood forests We clambered up mountainsides to admire spectacular 360-degree views from atop rocky plateaus. We swam in mountain lakes, picnicked beside creeks swollen with snowmelt, and gawped at spectacular waterfalls cascading down sheer granite cliffs.
At the end of the day, we'd retire to our little cabin and relax on the deck with a glass of wine, listening to the gurgle of the small creek below us meandering by, and swatting at the mosquitos that came out at dusk. As darkness descended, we'd go inside, have dinner, watch a DVD (yes, there's a TV and a DVD player in the cabin!), and turn in early, eager to see what the next day would bring us.