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Spring in Sierra Nevada
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Written by AnnaBeth
It’s now the beginning of Spring. In early April we returned to the Puerto de La Ragua in hopes of another snowshoeing day before it all melts. This time the road was clear and we drove right up the mountain to the pass. |
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When we arrived at La Ragua Pass, groups of parents and young children were starting up the hill carrying brightly colored, round plastic toboggans. The snow was patchy but we looked around and found a trail through the forest, still covered with both packed and powder snow, that zigzaged up to the mountain top.
No one has passed here recently. The snow pack is from snow that fell in blobs from the trees.
Four hours up the trail and along a crest. Whew. We break to eat and rest. Then one hour straight down, off-trail between the trees in deep snow. Afterwards, my lungs will feel the expansion of exertion and fresh, clear air. That night I will sleep deeply. Olivier will barely sleep. He’ll say it’s because of the energy he feels from the snow.
I remember that white light is the reason I love snow.
View to the southwest.
Below, view to the north. If you can see the faint lines of white posts, those are windmills.
A real nap. It felt so good.
On the way down.
We arrive back at La Ragua Pass just before dusk. The parking lot is empty except for three vehicles: a silver van, a small blue car, and our black truck. Two men appear from across the road carrying cross country skis over their shoulders. They could be father and son. Like us, they move slowly, not quite dragging themselves back to their van. A few minutes later, a young person hikes along the road with snowshoes and poles in hand, toward the little blue car at the far end of the lot. We all acknowledge each other with an “hola”.
The sun begins to set as Olivier and I finish packing up. We break out our rice and beans and plunk ourselves down onto a wooden bench at a nearby picnic table under the trees. The two men continue to slowly put their gear away. One of them sits motionless on a camping stool near his van, one boot off, one boot on. The young person’s blue car is still. Quiet reigns. We are all taking our time coming down from the magical journey of the day. I think to myself that all of us, this little mix of snow lovers, is truly privileged to have the ability – health, skills, means, flexibility to be off on a Friday – and the appreciation of nature that motivates us to come out at the end of winter when the snow is melting so that we can grab one last taste of this ephemeral white wonderland before it disappears until next year.
