CA 108 by Soda Creek, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Mono County, CA, 10/15/2007
At an elevation of 9,624 feet Sonora Pass, which is traversed by CA 108 is the second-highest highway pass in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range of California. This pass connects the communities of Sonora to the west and Bridgeport to the east. I found the scene depicted in this photograph a short distance east of the pass, near Soda Creek (possibly also known as Sardine Creek) in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. The old Sierra juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) seen at the left caught my eye from the road, and looked especially good in the late afternoon sunlight on this autumn day. Junipers were a very important resource to the Native Americans. The berries were used in foods and drinks, and the wood and bark were utilized as building materials and in tools such as bows. Native Americans have even used juniper as a treatment for diabetes! Like the better known and more frequently traveled Tioga Pass (the highest highway pass in the Sierra Nevada) to the south, Sonora Pass abounds with old growth trees, beauty, and High Sierra views.
