It was not cold this morning, but it was cool enough to put on a sweatshirt. I am not someone who loves heat, especially the high heat we have had over the past couple of weeks. It might not be overwhelming to people from other parts of the country where temperatures rise to triple digits, but anything in our area over 90 degrees tends to sap the energy out of me. Thus, the cooler morning and overnight temperatures bring back the joy of hiking and mountain biking into focus. Less sweat and overheating during the day and at night are a blessing to me.
I rode to the top of Summit Chair this morning. The bright colors of blooming wild flowers have faded into the distance. A few remain, but they are far and few between. It is early, but I thought I sensed fall in the air. Berries are showing on various plants that were blooming a few days ago. A few leaves are turning orange or yellow and pine cones are dropping from local trees. I suppose they are being assisted by our local squirrels who are rushing around storing food for the winter.
Speaking of falling pinecones, one dropped on to my windshield yesterday while I was driving up Alpine Meadows Road. I scared the crap out of me and total my windshield. The good news is that I was thinking of replacing it anyway, but not because of a falling pinecone. The blast filled my car with tiny pieces of glass that took all afternoon to remove using my shop vac.
Standing at the top of Summit Chair with a cool breeze blowing made me think of winter. I could feel it coming even though I am not ready for it yet. Another two months of summer and fall are necessary before the first snow falls, but it is exciting to look at steep slopes that are so familiar sitting in wait for snow to change their color from green to white.
If you are thinking of winter and you have not secured a lease for the season, I do have someone that is looking for a tenant for the winter.
The 4-bedroom house is located in Alpine Meadows and is available for four months beginning in December. I may as well mention that a few homes and condominiums are available for sale in a wide range of prices.
Enjoy your day.
Andy
I am not sure that I have ever seen such a dry Alpine Meadows during the month of August. Often there’s some patches of snow in Upper Saddle, Palisades and High Yellow Gully. I have skied High Yellow Gully in August in some bigger years!
I am thankful that firefighters got the upper hand on the Talbot Fire over the crest from Alpine Meadows so quickly. That basin has essentially never burned in the last 100 years, so there is a lot to burn there. Just a few hundred yards further and that fire would have been into the Granite Chief Wilderness, where fire fighting options are much more limited. The conventional wisdom was that wildfires could not cross the Sierra crest due to the wide expanses of granite. The Dixie fire and Caldor fire both proved that idea wrong.
Unlike Andy, I am ready for winter ASAP!