....Waterfall

Photographed Oct. 2010 on a weekend trip to the Eastern Sierras

Eastern Sierra: A Land of Contrasts, Land of Extremes

The Eastern Sierra region of California is at once little known and widely loved. Geographically separated from populated California, two main influences create a distinctly wild and scenic character.

The Sierra Nevada Range is the longest, highest and most diverse mountain range in the continental United States. A cultural condition in the Eastern Sierra exists, affectionately known as "Behind the Granite Curtain."

U.S. Highway 395 forms the backbone of Eastern Sierra travel, parallel to the ridgeline as it traverses from the cities of Southern California toward Reno, Nevada.
The beautiful and rugged backcountry of the highest elevations of the Sierra Nevada are Wilderness Areas administered by the USDA Forest Service. These include the Hoover, Ansel Adams and John Muir Wilderness Areas, and accessible on foot or by utilizing horses and/or other pack stock such as mules or llamas. Ideal opportunities exist for all types of mountaineering, backpacking, rock climbing, and fishing in the abundant lakes and streams. The world-famous John Muir trail and the Pacific Crest trail join a network of fabulous trails to all parts of this huge mountain range.