Letters to the Editor: Returning to the Sierra Nevada -- a reporter took these readers on a journey

Los Angeles Times Opinion
·2 min read
Sequoia National Forest, CA - July 06: LA Times reporter Doug Smith rides into the backcountry as he returns to the Golden Trout Pack Station where he worked as a teenager in the 1960s on Wednesday, July 6, 2022 in Sequoia National Forest, CA. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Times reporter Doug Smith rides into the backcountry in the Sequoia National Forest on July 6. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

To the editor: Reporter Doug Smith's story on his return to the Sierra Nevada stirred in me the kind of emotion that pulses down into my knees.

I've seasonally backpacked in the Sierra for decades, beginning with my graduate school days at UC San Diego. Like Smith, I've come to recognize that aging closes the window of physical strength (and, perhaps, mental acuity) to travel the backcountry.

I now view every season as one more clip from the ribbon of time that I have left to be out there. These moments create sadness but also gratitude for the times I've had.

Thanks to Smith for reminiscing.

Greg Odorizzi, Lafayette, Colo.

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To the editor: After reading Smith's piece, I had to wait a couple of hours to respond. It was so beautifully written and evocative.

My six siblings and I were often taken to the area Smith described to camp and hike back in the late 1950s and 60s. We left Mom's ashes in the area and hope she is happy back in her element.

What wonderful memories Smith has; thanks to him for sharing them. His piece was a great read for that first day of October. I can smell the campfire and coffee as I sit with my eyes closed.

Lee Gardner Dewey, San Marcos

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To the editor: Wow, did Smith's piece stir up some emotions in me. They were unexpectedly strong as I read about places that I had hiked and camped in the Golden Trout Wilderness and beyond.

While I never worked in the Sierra like Smith, I've hiked as much as possible. I've been fortunate to cross the Sierra, hike in circles and take all other kinds of trips. A few times, we ventured to other mountain ranges, leaving me with the impression that the Sierra Nevada are unparalleled in their beauty, wilderness quality and incredible granite panoramas.

As with Smith, time has caught up and I'm no longer backpacking. The day hikes are shorter and my husband now carries the lunch and other stuff. Still, I long for those great times leaving the highways behind to hike into the wilderness, where every concern is about the here and now.

Ann Dalkey, Redondo Beach

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.