A Week in the High Sierra with My Daughter

“Who designed this? It’s perfect,” my sixteen-year-old daughter frequently exclaimed during our week backpacking in the California High Sierra. And each time, we paused to take in our surroundings and agreed that nature’s design was indeed perfect.

I’ve been backpacking in the Sierras for over twenty years, but to experience it through the eyes of my daughter Katharine this summer made it the most special of trips. The beauty of nature was on full display during this week of mostly blue skies. Along the trail, nature had designed beautiful meadows bursting with wildflowers, meandering streams with crystal clear water, towering pines, churning waterfalls, birds of every color, a host of small mammals abuzz with activity, and so much more.

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