My first adventure in California's Sierra Nevada was a cross-country hike to Cecile Lake from Red's Meadow in July of 1964. At the southern end of the lake in a cluster of White Pines we discovered the remnants of an abandoned camp. A tattered blue tent was half buried in snow and other gear had been strewn about by untold storms. Clyde Minaret towered above the scene and scattered clouds punctuated a brilliant blue sky. Being there was like being on Everest.

Since then I have done a great deal of hiking, mountaineering, rock climbing, kayaking and skiing in the Sierra. The common thread in these activities isn't necessarily the challenge, or the attainment, but the opportunity to Be There. To be in the mountain environment and relish what it has to offer. To make Pennyroyal tea, or munch on a leaf of Mountain Sorrel. To savor the smell of mountain Polemonium, or wild onions growing in a meadow. To run from a thunderstorm, or feel the sting of blowing snow. Climbing to airy summits. Hiking to heart-pounding passes. Descending "impassable" canyons. Experiencing cold bivouacs and star filled nights. Elated, just to be there.

Gary Valle
1996
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