Letters to the Editor: Returning to the Sierra Nevada — a reporter took these readers on a journey through the world of the Sierra Nevada backcountry. Not everyone likes the wilderness and in some places, it is still dangerous in ways not seen in the wild. But in others, wilderness is so rare that you can really get an excellent view of it.
In the Sierra Nevada, the backcountry is a place to be in winter. One can hike alone or travel with a group, and even camp with a group, but a big group is hard to find.
And there is lots of wilderness. You can hike alone in a day — the Sierra is a beautiful place for that — or you can go for two weeks or more. In such a backcountry setting, it is important to be smart, and there are a lot of smart people out there.
I know a lot about the Sierra and am familiar with the backcountry. I wrote a story about it many years ago, and I was happy to re-run it here. And for some reason, the reporter who took these readers on this journey a year ago, is taking those readers on another one. In many respects, I am disappointed, so I will not bother with a letter to the editor of the Sept. 12, 2010 edition.
I will make one comment. I would like to see those who choose to live backcountry lifestyles in other parts of the world, have the courage to do so. In particular, I have some doubts about the American Indian reservations in the United States, where there are very few backcountry trails and they are all on the edge of the wilderness. In places such as these, they would be better off camping and living in the wilderness.
We have some choices as we work our way into the 21st century, and we must think and act carefully about them. But in many respects, our choices will be determined by where we live. I worry about the poor people who live in the wilderness. And I worry about our leaders who would rather live in the wilderness, and their lack of respect for the wilderness.
David Shaver, Yreka
For me, life with the Sierra is about solitude. It is about the people you meet and the things you see. In part it’s about where you live. It’s a little hard to