Late June Snow and Sun Above a Sierra Lake

Spent a couple of days up in the Sierra Nevada in late June 2017. From the overlooks, we could see the deep blue water of the lake filling the valley, surrounded by dense pine forests and the hazy, snow-capped peaks in the distance. The sky was bright and clear the whole time.

We did some hiking at a higher elevation and found huge snowfields still sticking around from the winter. It was strange to be standing in the warm sun on dry, rocky ground right next to a massive drift of snow, with meltwater carving little streams beside the path. It was warm enough to go barefoot, which some of us did.

After exploring the mountainside, we spent time down by the water. We saw a girl and her dog out on a paddleboard, making their way across the calm surface. It was a quiet afternoon, with the forested mountains rising up right from the shoreline. It was a short trip, but the contrast between the summer heat and the lingering snow was memorable.