Journeys›Photograph

Mid-May in English Meadow on the Middle Yuba

·Nevada County, California·#hiking#tahoe#spring#sierra nevada#meadow
A winding river flows through grassy banks, surrounded by a dense forest under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.

Drove out to English Meadow to see how far along spring is up there. Answer: barely started. The meadow is still mostly last year's flattened grass, brown with green just coming through where the ground is wet, and there were snowbanks lingering at the tree line — I walked past one that still had a foot or two of depth to it. The peaks up the valley are still holding plenty of snow.

The Middle Yuba is running well, moving fast under the footbridge and carving those slow loops through the meadow. Standing water in the low spots everywhere; a few places I had to pick a drier line through the sagebrush.

Passed the Crocker sign again — "May the beauty of this meadow fill you with joy." It's rusting into the meadow a little more every year.

Willows are leafing out along the channels even though the grass hasn't caught up. Give it three or four weeks and the whole valley floor will be green. For now it's that in-between state, half winter's leavings and half what's coming.

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