Sierra Nevada
Traversing
Thursday, July 19, 2018
For almost eight years now, Julia and I have been traversing and exploring the Sierra Nevada from west to east and back again. We plan to take all the east-west crossings available, but we figure this will take quite some time. We’re not in a rush.
So far, we have made the following crossings and incursions into this mighty range of mountains.
Crossings:
• Hwy 80
We have traveled Highway 80 many times now, all the way into Utah and back. This drive across the Sierra Nevada is nice, but certainly not the most splendid.
• Hwy 50
We’ve traveled the loneliest road from Utah to California, and it is surely very, very lonely. The drive on this road through the Sierra Nevada is spectacular and offers magnificent views of Lake Tahoe.
• Hwy 88
We just completed this crossing through the wonderful mountains, and the views of granite peaks, mangled volcanic conglomerate rocks, and deep green forests are without comparison. Silver Lake, Kirkwood ski resort, and Thunder Mountain will welcome you as you take this road.
• Hwy 4
So much spectacular scenery on this drive, you’ll want to stop and take pictures constantly. It is the place to hike Wolf Creek, which is a Sierra wonderland and fills me with marvelous memories.
• Hwy 120
This beautiful drive takes you over the top of the Yosemite Valley and surrounds you with the most amazing granite the Sierra Nevada can offer. There are many small and remote lakes not far from the road that are all worth hiking to.
Incursions:
• Kings Canyon
Redwood Mountain Grove is a nine-mile hike and picturesque location. It is noted as the world’s largest remaining forest of Sequoiadendron giganteum (Giant Sequoia trees). Sounds awesome, and it was!
• Yosemite Valley
What can I say about the Yosemite Valley that has not already been said, except that if you haven’t visited this place, you simply must.
Given what fun we’ve had so far, we’d like to continue our crossings and incursions of these magnificent ranges and add the following routes to our list:
• Hwy 178
Highway 178 crosses the southernmost part of the mighty Sierra Nevada and links Bakersfield, CA to Ridgecrest, CA. A deep canyon cuts sharply through the last vestiges of the granite peaks of the Sierra here. Further east and south lies the flat, sandy expanse of the California desert. It is a wonderful drive and worth your effort to see this place.
• Hwy 155
• M-50
• Hwy 190
• Hwy 180
• Hwy 168
• Hwy 41
• Hwy 108
• Hwy 49
• Hwy 70
• Hwy 36
• Hwy 299
As you can see, there is much to be explored and discovered. We’ll keep you posted.