We found a sunny day to go into the eastern Sierras and do a little leaf peeping. It was really a little past prime color but it was still a delightful morning stroll. We went to Hope Valley Wildlife Area North Unit.
The trail from the parking lot crosses the west fork of the Carson River,and then across the valley and up through aspens and finally a pine forest. It probably ties in to the current 89 at some point, but the trail was snowed over and we didn't get to the top.
My great great grandmother, Lucy Nutting Ferguson, camped in Hope Valley August 25, 1848 on her way from the California gold fields to Salt Lake City. I love it when I get the chance to walk in her footsteps.
The valley was also along the Pony Express Route
We noticed a curious thing when we started looking at the carvings in the aspen trees. "J + B" had carved their initials in the trees almost every year between 1991 and in 2012, but the later years had been "crossed out." There is a story waiting to be told here.
