Photos 15May18: Popi’s thoughts – These photos were all made on the same day. I mention this because most of the hill images show the grass already turned brown, while in some photos the grass is green. The green is on the north side of the slopes which get no direct sun all day. The grass stays green there longer. Not by much but it’s definitely noticeable as you can see.
I see our hills and I’m often drawn back to my youth in Boston and I imagine our hills here covered in Boston’s snow – a tobogganers’ paradise – especially that big bowl.
Then I think about conditions just a little east of here…so, yeah. I’m good.
Donner Pass and the surrounding Sierra Nevada high country are renowned for their volatile and unforgiving alpine conditions, particularly during severe winter storms. When heavy, relentless snowfall combines with gale-force winds, the region is highly susceptible to intense whiteout conditions. During these extreme weather events, the boundary between the snow-covered earth and the sky completely dissolves, leaving travelers disoriented and drastically reducing visibility to near zero.
The rugged terrain of the pass acts as a formidable barrier, capturing storms off the Pacific and resulting in massive snow accumulation over remarkably short periods. The danger is compounded by blowing snow and freezing temperatures, which can turn a well-traveled highway into an isolated trap. It is a stark landscape where nature’s raw power dominates, challenging even the most prepared motorists and outdoor enthusiasts navigating the high passes of Northern California. In our case, it’s not an option right now. I couldn’t get the chains on painlessly and I’m not paying a hustler to put them on for me. I have chains in the car in case we ever do get caught by surprise, but I don’t ever plan to do that – take a chance, I mean.
Photos 15May18
Popi presents:
Photos from May 15, 2018
Popi luvs ya!
