“Although I deeply love oceans, deserts and other wild landscapes, it is only mountains that beckon me with that sort of painful magnetic pull to walk deeper and deeper into their beauty.”

~ Victoria Erickson, author, dreamer, poet, and creative writing coach

Still in awe, I write. Let me explain.

California is often split into Southern California and northern California. Take a look at a topographical map; a natural  delineation (the Central Valley) divides California into a western segment and an eastern one. An imaginary map, with the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Sierra mountain range on the other, comes to mind.

As I write, roaring gusts of Santa Ana winds continue to blow, which seem to be increasingly familiar visitors to Crescenta Valley weather. Last week, with the wind at our back, we set off for the Eastern Sierra – Lone Pine, a long overdue mini-vacation. Back to “awe.”

The weather was pristine, exceptionally clear and brisk. In spite of being the first days of spring, the view from our hotel was one of winter. The mountains were blanketed with snow, reaching baseline. Among the rugged peaks stands Mt. Whitney, the highest elevation in the lower 48 states at 14,505, and growing by one millimeter per year. It wasn’t the height that attracted me, but fast-moving wispy clouds swirling around the tall peaks. Nope, not clouds but blowing snow!

Blowing snow is the meteorological term for any loose snow lifted from the ground surface and suspended by strong winds to a height of six feet or more above the surface, and blown about in such quantities that horizontal visibility is reduced to less than seven miles. Blowing snow can be falling snow or snow that already accumulated but is picked up and blown about by strong winds.

Blowing with hurricane level force, tons of snow were swept from the highest mountaintops. But a part of the water cycle called “sublimation” is also at work. Just as evaporation turns liquid water into water vapor gas, sublimation turns frozen water directly into water vapor gas, skipping the melting phase into a liquid. The sun’s heat causes sublimation to work. On top of Mt. Whitney on a clear day, the sun is very strong and provides energy for sublimation, even though it is below freezing.

Back home, the wind is still blowing, maybe not snow but a few long lingering winter leaves.

Cooling is expected by Thursday, today, with more clouds and a chance of light showers. A significant warming trend is expected over the weekend under clear skies and mostly light winds. Same follows in following days.

I can attest to John Muir’s words: “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you.”