Sierra Valley High

by Jim & Shirley White

Sierra Valley California can be a place of wonder. It has wildlife, rivers and ponds, farms and live stock. Add some clouds and it can be an outdoor photographers dream come true.

We have had some wonderful experiences in Sierra Valley. We go there in the middle of winter, spring and summer. We could tell stories. We prefer to just take pictures and remember. Just a few days ago this is what we saw.

A true California wonderland.

THE TIGERS ARE BACK!!

THE TIGERS ARE BACK

by Jim and Shirley White

Last year was dry. There were no Tiger Lilies in our Secret Meadow. Well there were actually three, all droopy, dried up and sick looking. This year it is really dry. Really very dry. But not in our Secret Meadow. There are hundreds of our Tigers, all bloomed out and of a beautiful orange-yellow with black spots everywhere. The bees and butterflies are there too. And the meadow is all squishy to walk on. We feel terrible to walk out into this Garden of the Gods. It is impossible not to trample something. We try to be careful, but to no avail. Something must get injured for us to photograph our loved ones. The meadow is circled with the beautiful Death Camas flowering plants. They are white and shaped like a Roman Candle. And deadly if you eat them. Lewis and Clark ate them and survived. I would not try them ever. But we thought our meadow would not be a bad place to die.

We of course are not ready yet for that. Our heart's raced fast when we saw our meadow this year. How can our meadow be so wet, moist and beautiful, in this dry, crisp and brown year. Ah! it is green and beautiful now for a while. But we fear it will dry out this year. But the beautiful Tiger Lilies of our Sierra Nevada mountains will only go to sleep and wait. For the rains and snow will come and new life will happen again  in our little Secret Meadow. We can't wait to go again!

MOUNTAINS AND FLOWERS

BY JIM AND SHIRLEY WHITE

We were not going to tell you about this. You know about our mountains but you don't know about the flowers this year. You know it is a year of drought, hot, dry, miserably dry. But somehow our joy of seeing so many flowers, so soon this year, is not so great if we don't tell you about it. I wanted to wait until the bloom was over, you would have never known. Shirley thought we should share. Maybe I will feel better once you know. I don't know.

Snow plants are everywhere. More than we have ever seen. I should have not even stopped to take this picture. They are so common this year. But yet I did.

Indian Pinks? It is too early I think. Are they crazy? It is too early, but there they were! I must take their picture too. I don't need any Indian Pinks mad at me.

Yellow Monkey flowers are everywhere on every canyon wall. What can one do? Drive right by? After all, we came to see the lakes and mountains too.

Hell Hole lake is a little low. But what the heck! It is wet and cold, and fishermen are catching lots of fish. Should we be sad? Remember? It is a drought year too.

Now French Meadows lake, it is really low this year. There will be no canoeing up the Middle Fork to photograph Osprey catching fish for us this year. I wonder if the old Forest Service cabin Shirley and I and our three kids used to stay in when it was snowing hard during deer season will show itself in the lowering lake? Sad thoughts of happy bygone days I guess.

Dogwood were in bloom from French Meadows up to Chipmunk Ridge like they always are in July. But hay! This is still May! Maybe a summer thunder storm will brighten up our sky. The Dogwood will need some rain in July this year for sure. 

This was Mt.Mildred last Sat.and I used to ski down that ridge coming down Chipmunk Ridge every June first ! Coming over from Alpine Meadows to French Meadows each late May to early June was always a blast.Guess Shirley and I will just have to hike up to the summit and see what it looks like in the summer for a change. Now that you know about our flowers and our secret Mt. Mildred ski trip, please....don't tell anybody. You see....even on the Memorial holiday, there was no one looking at the flowers and the mountains were all ours. 

Our Loneliest Friend

By Jim and Shirley White

We have had a visitor to our home the past few weeks. It is a Canada goose, one of the species of wild Canada Geese that have made this part of the Sierra foothills their yearlong home. He has flown into our small backyard livestock pasture to rest and feed on our abundant green grass. A few weeks ago we had a pair of geese that would come and feed for a while and then leave. They never spent the night here. The goose that is here now, has spent two days and nights here 24 hours each day, this past week. He leaves for an hour or two to go where we do not know? I saw him land about 6:30 A.M. this Sun. morning so he went somewhere either last night or real early this morning. We are on a sort of a flyway here with geese flying over headed out to the Country Club golf course, or perhaps another pasture in between. They call to our goose as they pass over but he just looks up and says nothing. About 10 days ago we had a pair land to visit him, cackling loudly as they landed but he lowered his head and charged them and ran them off. He seems very content to feed by himself, preens by the hour, or just stares at the pairs of Mocking birds that are nesting just below our pasture. I had to mow the pasture last week and hated to bother him but he just stood and watched as I rode the mower back and forth for at least an hour. He moved from place to place to get out of the way of the mower but acted like he could care less about me.

I think our goose likes us because when Shirley and I sit on our deck overlooking the pasture and the goose, he often looks up at us. Shirley talks to him all the time. She wants to name him but I don’t believe in giving wildlife human names. After all, they are not human and deserve better than that. The bird biologist have named the Canada Goose, “Branta Canadensis” but who in the world calls them that. I just call him “Our Loneliest Friend”.

IT'S WINTER AGAIN

by Jim & Shirley White

A friend was going to call but he did not. You see he knew it had snowed almost 2 feet in the Sierra and so the next day he knew very well where we would be. It used to be on skis heading up high. Now of course it is with the cameras, trying to capture that love we have for the Sierra when covered with snow. It was a Saturday and would have been crowded along I 80 in Placer Co. But it was not since the ski areas were closed, most of the ski-summer cabins around Donner Pass and Tahoe were empty since the season was wrong for most. Not for Shirley and I! When it snows we are gone that's for sure.

To us, when it snows, we almost feel young again. We look at those high ridges and pick our route.
You see we know every tree and rock along that route, and in our mind we are there, Our memories of those high ridges are there forever. Ski Heil!

California Spring

The recent rains saved our spring and permitted us travel to all our favorite Coast Range, valley and foothill flower and scenic sites once again. Photography of course is always our goal, but many views and wildlife sitings are just that....we get to view, but for many reasons we are not able to get that photo. It was worth the trip anyway.

Bear Valley in Colusa county was a wildflower bust, it just did not rain early or enough. However, a few miles north, Lodoga and Stonyford were great. Too bad there have been so many ticky-tacks built in the last few years in that area, but the flowers were there anyway. Table Mountain north of Oroville was the winner. Spectacular is the only way to describe Table Mountain. During Easter week Table Mountain was prime but the crowds took away some of the charm.

It is a tough time for farming and ranching in California this year. Water is worth more than gold. If you have water your can thrive. If not, hang on. Plants, flowers, trees, fish and wildlife, and ranchers and farmers....hang on and ride it out. Look closely, the beauty is still there. You just have to add a little imagination. We did, and now we share with you.

 

Alpine Valleys

By Jim White

We were at the Community Center in the Turtle Rock Campground in Alpine Co. last week celebrating the life and times of Fish and Game Warden Norm Reuther of Alpine County who died last month. Norm was a friend who loved the mountains and valleys of Alpine Co. and tried to spend every day of his life looking at this beauty. Someone said Norm would have loved the weather that day. You see it was raining and snowing outside, and Norm like me, loved a good storm. Norm was a friendly guy with a big smile who would have invited all of you to come up and see the beauty of the Alpine Valleys nearby. Bring your cameras and enjoy the beauty. I will sit in for Norm and tell you where to go.

Norm loved Diamond Valley. Take the road from Woodfords toward Markleeville about a mile and take the first county road to the left. This road will go thru Diamond Valley, past the settlement of Hung-A-Lei-Ti, home of the Southern Band of the Washoe Tribe and end up on highway 88 once again. We have wonderful memories of Diamond Valley. The first ranch house on the right is where my son Randy and I spent a few days many years ago, riding on horseback and exploring this valley. We had the whole ranch to ourselves and a full size pool table in the living room of the ranch house. There was an old fashion bathtub in the bathroom that my 12 year old son Randy could stretch out full length in and soak after a day of exploring.  Snowshoe Thompson had lived just down the street in the 1880’s where he had had a huge vegetable garden. He also delivered the mail each winter month on skis from Placerville over Echo Pass to Genoa in Carson Valley nearby. You cannot see it now but near where the cottonwood tree close-up picture in this piece was taken, was where Snowshoe’s house used to be and years ago I found some square nails near his root-cellar. Where the Diamond Valley road turns left if you go straight instead on the dirt road, I often find Mountain Lion tracks in the mud near the first gate. You might want to photograph the tall water tank in front of the village. It is covered in Indian paintings of objects of importance to the tribe. Be sure and photograph the West Fork of the Carson River to the west as you descend down the hill to the river and leave Diamond Valley.

Turn right on highway 88 and head down into Carson Valley. Once you cross the state line turn to the right and drive the many roads of the valley looking for old barns, horses, hayfields and memories of the way Carson Valley used to be. Some of the old time ranch houses and barns are still there and most of the time folks are friendly. If you meet an old-timer with wrinkled skin and a sweat soaked felt hat, you know he lived in Norm’s world and will welcome you to the beauty of his Alpine Valley. Better yet, wait for a summer thunderstorm with those towering clouds and see the real beauty of Carson Valley, the way Norm liked it.