Fall On Donner Pass

Went up to Donner Pass with my Dad on Monday last week. There's a lot of trees turning color, many golden Alders (not Aspens, Alders) and the shadows are sharply cold, the leaves have fallen off the marsh bushes, and there are many fresh burrows where the critters are buttoning up for the winter snows, which will fall anytime now.

In a few weeks I expect to see about 4 feet of snow on the ground here. For brave people with telemarking skis or snowshoes and the proper permit it will still be fun, but a far more challenging winter adventure. I'll wait for Spring. There are already trees down from Fall winds, after all, and the term Widow Maker refers to these.

If a tree falls on you in the forest, does anyone hear you make a sound? There's a lot of sick trees up there, mostly from Bark Beetles, and infestation from the 1980's from some unfortunately imported bug that finds pines and such delicious and kills them. Some trees seem fine, so I expect there are species the beetles can't eat. Still, its a little sad to watch trees die like this over a few months and fall down in the wind. There's nothing anyone can do.

If you're heading to South Lake Tahoe, the salmon are spawning. This is what they looked like last year at Taylor Creek. Its very family oriented, crowded, and there's not much parking so you have to hunt for a space along the roads. It is pretty odd and worth seeing at least once in your life. An accident put these fish here. They managed to survive anyway. Nature always wins. Anyone who says different is just ignorant.