Sierra Adventure

Blue as a topaz and circled by majestic peaks, Lake Tahoe 一个空气“非常纯净”的地方是遗愿清单上的常客吗...就像天使呼吸一样，”作家马克·吐温说. Lakefront towns, each with their own appeal, 点缀在这个横跨加州和内华达州边界的高塞拉宝石的海岸线上. 冬春大雪让你在世界级的高山度假胜地尽情享受. Summer brings out the water toys—sailboats, stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, and almost anything that floats. Fall paints the hills with golden aspen leaves.

太浩湖拥有美国一些顶级的高山度假胜地. On the north shore, near the mountain town of Truckee, Palisades Tahoe and Northstar California ski resorts are top draws, especially on powder days. On Tahoe’s south shore, Heavenly这里是世界上最大的滑雪胜地之一，从像高速公路一样宽阔、没有颠簸的滑道上可以看到令人瞠目结舌的湖景. 即使你不会滑雪或冲浪，天堂乐园也会增加你的乐趣, with on-mountain zip lines, tube runs, scenic gondola rides, and a party-like atmosphere on and off the mountain. Tahoe is also home to such lower-key resorts as Sugar Bowl Resort, Tahoe Donner, Boreal, Donner Ski Ranch, Homewood Mountain Resort, Sierra-at-Tahoe, and Soda Springs. 如果你对下坡不感兴趣，你可以在下午3点沿着平整的越野雪道出发 Royal Gorge (the largest cross-country  ski area in North America) or Kirkwood. For a real treat, get your mush on with a sled dog ride near Palisades Tahoe, Kirkwood, or in Hope Valley, just south of Lake Tahoe.

In summer, many of these same resorts—especially Northstar California, Heavenly, and Palisades Tahoe, offer summertime fun such as mountain biking, hiking, 还有风景优美的电车或缆车——这是一种无需费力就能登上高山的好方法.

At this high-desert preserve, on the eastern side of the towering Sierra, 幽灵般的凝灰岩塔点缀着一个有一百万年历史的湖泊的边缘.

在解说中心了解莫诺盆地的自然和人类历史, just off U.S. 395李维宁和泰奥加山口以北(从山的这一边进入约塞米蒂的唯一路线). Decks offer dramatic views—Sierra peaks to the west, 东边是布满灌木的沙漠，还有湖本身和小小的巫师岛, a nesting site for Western gulls and other sea birds. Bird walks are offered at 8 a.m. Fridays and Sundays, mid-May through Labor Day. The visitor center is closed December through March.

Explore Lee Vining Creek riparian habitat, blanketed with obsidian and pumice, 或者走到南凝灰岩区，近距离观看凝灰岩塔，这些凝灰岩塔是由流入超碱性湖泊的淡水泉相互作用形成的，该湖泊的盐度是海洋的2.5倍. 从六月下旬到劳动节，博物学家每天在南图法地区进行三次免费散步. Guided paddles are also offered through Caldera Kayak.

Surrounded by some of the highest peaks in the west, Mammoth Lakes 是为认真的户外爱好者，谁采取的斜坡签名 Mammoth Mountain and nearby June Lake resorts in winter, and when the snow melts, head out to fly-fish in clear mountain streams, hike and mountain bike in high alpine meadows, and dip into natural hot springs.

In winter, Mammoth Mountain, gets, on average, more than 30 feet/9 meters of snow, and is open longer than any resort in the state. Visit the village for shops, restaurants, and nightlife. If you’re not a skier, you can take the gondola 到山顶11,053英尺/3,369米，周围山峰的景色令人瞠目结舌. 冬天到处都是挥霍——从机动雪地车之旅到带导游的满月雪鞋徒步旅行. Go tubing with the kids. Glide through the wilderness on a dogsled. 得到按摩在地区度假村或晚餐在舒适的湖畔餐厅，被雪松树包围.

加州东部的塞拉山脉是美国一些最高山脉的所在地. Among these giants is Mt. Whitney, whose summit scrapes the sky at 14,494 feet/4,418 meters, making it the tallest mountain in the 48 contiguous states, and a popular climbing destination.

People do race up and back in a day (10.7 miles/17.1 kilometers each way), 沿途还能欣赏到塞拉山脉最高峰和沙漠平原的美景, there’s no reason to rush. 在咨询湖(Consultation Lake)搭个帐篷过夜，然后穿过通往山顶的折道. Climbing season is typically May through October, but it can snow at any time, so all climbers should be prepared. Permits, awarded by lottery only, are required.

If reaching the summit isn’t your thing, or you didn’t get a permit, no worries, you can still enjoy the area, with a hike to Lone Pine Lake (roughly 5.5 miles/9 kilometers round trip), including a stay Whitney Portal, a campground in the pines, 13 miles/21 kilometers west of Lone Pine.

内华达山脉(Sierra Nevada Mountains)有几十座高于1.2万英尺的山峰，划破了天空. But the king of them all is Mount Whitney at 14,500 feet, 它是美国48个州中最高的山峰(虽然它的确切高度取决于哪个政府机构测量),494 to 14,508). 成功登顶需要一流的身体素质和提前计划 coveted hiking permit (only 160 people are allowed per day). But if peak-climbing isn’t on your agenda, 沿着惠特尼门户路(Whitney Portal Road)行驶到步道起点(海拔8)，感受一下这个美丽的高山地区,300 feet), then hiking to Lone Pine Lake (5.6 miles round-trip). 稳步上升，穿过杰弗里松树和曼萨尼塔进入约翰缪尔荒野, 从这里可以看到高处的惠特尼山和远处的欧文斯山谷. 风景如画的孤松湖被陡峭的花岗岩悬崖所包围, huge boulders, 还有耐寒的白皮松，这里是休息和放松的绝佳场所. When you return to your car, stop in at the Whitney Portal Store for mountain-sized pancakes and Mount Whitney souvenirs.

Sequoia National Park’s Ash Mountain entrance, located in the small town of Three Rivers, offers a quick-and-curvy route to the massive sequoias of Giant Forest. 通过通用高速公路的130个弯道和12个转弯，你就能快速到达 General Sherman Tree, the world’s largest living tree by volume. 一旦到了那里，就出去走走，这是了解红杉的庞大规模和帝王之美的唯一途径. Salute the General Sherman, then move on to the quieter Congress Trail, where hundreds more gargantuan trees grow. 当你被这些古老的巨人彻底震撼之后，来一次心跳加速的攀登 Moro Rock’s 360 stairsteps. 即使是小孩子也能爬到这个光秃秃的花岗岩悬崖的顶端，看到锯齿状的西部大分水岭的全景. For dinner, head to the park’s Wuksachi Lodge. In The Peaks在这间玻璃墙餐厅里，每张桌子都可以俯瞰一片冷杉林和西利曼峰(Silliman Crest).

Coming from the east, Yosemite 展现了高山之美，花岗岩峭壁和高山草甸，最著名的是 Tuolumne Meadows, with well marked trails endless scenery. From its tranquil edges, 徒步小径通向四面八方——通往大教堂和独角兽峰塔尖下的高山湖泊, to a series of roaring waterfalls on the Tuolumne River. The meadow’s small visitor center, housed in a historic cabin, features exhibits that focus on the area's geology, wildflowers, and wildlife.  Continuing west you reach the park’s signature site, Yosemite Valley, where shuttle buses can take you to all the key sites.

加州第一个国家公园，并于1984年被联合国教科文组织指定为世界遗产, 约塞米蒂每年吸引400万游客——这是有充分理由的. Nearly the size of Rhode Island and covering more than 1,100 square miles/284,899 hectares, it features unforgettable natural beauty. 在优胜美地众多值得夸耀的地方中，它的瀑布名列前茅. In the list of the world’s 20 tallest waterfalls, Yosemite Valley scores three spots for Yosemite Falls, Sentinel Fall, and Ribbon Fall. 约塞米蒂瀑布拥有北美最高瀑布的无可争议的头衔. It’s a challenging hike to the top of the 2,425-foot/729-meter falls, 但幸运的是，从基地到轻松而风景优美的1英里/1，景色令人印象深刻.6-km loop that should be on everyone’s bucket list. 轻松步行到620英尺/189米的Bridalveil瀑布，带您到波涛汹涌的瀑布下的俯瞰点. 前往弗纳尔和内华达瀑布的徒步旅行要求更高，需要爬上花岗岩台阶，到达两个巨大瀑布的边缘, 在那里你可以看到整个默塞德河从岩石架上倾泻而下. (遵守所有安全标志，并留在所有绳索和标志后面.)

From Yosemite, continue south on the west side of the Sierra, 沿着通往富饶的中央山谷的小路, 你的最后一站是保护着世界上最大生物的双生公园和野生崎岖的高山峡谷.