I made my first trip up to Silver Lake today. At 600 feet the ranch basically follows the weather pattern of the Central Valley, with a high of 113 degrees today. At 7000 feet the temperature was twenty degrees cooler. The timber line is thinning but not gone at that altitude.
Following Highway 88 just past the Bear Reservoir, you crest a hill and see the entire lake spread out below you below. I wound my way down to the lake at Plasse’s Resort. From there, a two and half mile shoreline walk takes you out to Granite Lake, an associated body of water. An afternoon filled with the scent of pine and wildflower meadows, a gentle breeze off the lake flowing over granite outcropping where I sat. A bit further down the path was a high ledge above the lake, and a rock at the perfect height and shape to act as a pillow for a nap.
A Year at the Snake 