Change definitely in the air,
high on this 80th day of summer down 27 degrees to 82,
greeting Harriet's nephew Alex and his belle Wanda,
then,
after their visit,
heading
up the great inclined slope of the Sierra: Auburn Trestle
and
Ravine,
Colfax,
Bear Valley,
Emigrant
and
Yuba
Gaps,
the
latter's
Pass
and
Canyon
Tunnel,
Cisco,
Big
Bend,
Castle
Ridge
Valley,
Boreal,
over
Donner
Summit
and
down
into
the
Canyon
within sight of the Granite Chief Wilderness,
crossing
the
Truckee
River,
through
Martis Valley,
up and over the divide to the
Nevada Border,
then
vaulting the
Grade with views of
Lake Tahoe
Rose
Ridge,
the Meadows,
Slide
Mountain,
the
Summit, and
Peak --
winding
downslope
to
Ski
Tavern,
to just above
7,000 feet.
Here,
near
the
old
Reindeer
Lodge, begins the walking route... part of a series of day hikes that stretches years back to the California Coast, and may be coming to its conclusion.
The way is not particularly walker-friendly, though viewful, with law enforcer hovering about (the bike route merits toting one along as a precaution).
Down to a parking area adjacent to Galena Creek County Park, one has the sense of being basically out of the mountains and on the upper slopes of the greater Reno Valley area.
The Californianesque Sierra of the Eastern Tahoe Basin is behind us. The last two shuttlehikes of the day are long ones, far enough away from the turnout-parked car that one fears a citation or tow. Both returns entail stress, finding a firetruck temporarilly pulled over behind the vehicle the first time (simply allowing others to pass), and a second patrolmen stopping briefly at the final return to ask after well-being. Yes, fine thanks, but, privately, enough already. And it may be.
Back in the car,
driving further northeast,
downslope, is perhaps an explanation for why there has not been over-safety-ing behavior, as there was the third-to-last walk last season. A traffic accident near the junction of 395 has called area personnel to the scene.
It is time to leave this scenario.
With the prospects of three-hours-from-residence,
accessed
mostly
by
the
businesslike-
though-
scenic
395
through the Reno Valley,
and
80,
this
era
may
be
at
an
end,
or
at
least
a
temporary
one.
one
leaves
the
area
with
regret,
as
this
Pacific-to-points-east
pilgrimage
has definitely been
part of the summer experience,
going back well before
2007.
Back in the Sacramento Valley,
detour to UC Davis
Library once more, with a very leisurely agenda,
and time to accomplish same (the basically successful quest includes Arnold Schoenberg's Eight Songs, Op. 6, No. 3; Igor Stravinsky's Two Melodies, Op. 6, and Two Poems of Paul Verlaine, Op. 9; Paul Hindemith's Eight Waltzes, Op. 8, No. 1; and Dmitri Shostakovich's Hamlet, Op. 116), the building again open until 2am, due to exam week.
But in this case, c. 10-11pm seems to suffice, in a space unusually crowded, given that it is usually visited by this writer in the hour-or-so before closing.
Return homeward to compose the 21st page of Hamlet and score-study system 6 of Alban Berg's Three Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 6, No. 1.
