Sierra Spraker | July 21, 2021

Amid the daily grind of work, sleep, eat, repeat it’s important to take time to encounter nature. A whirlwind of driving and sightseeing began, endured, and concluded peacefully. Mammoth graced us with spectacular sunsets both evenings and was followed by a morning dip in hot springs. These moments were rewarding and refreshing, and an excellent reminder to appreciate nature and balance it has to offer.

The instances I treasured the most were the pink tornado of a sunset; the sigh which is exhaled along with the pent up muscle tension and heat leaving the mineral bath; and the wonderful feeling one gets when they’re in exactly the right place with the right person at the right time. 

We tended towards lakes on this trip. We entered the heart-stopping water of Convict Lake and waded among the ducks and summer vacationers in June Lake. The path directing us towards Mono Lake presented us with wonderful views of a vast expanse of saline-soda content. I observed for the first time the fault line, with a convenient walking path bridging the two sides of a deceivingly large crevice.

We traversed open spaces and lakeside trails. June Lake was a lovely place for lovely people. The families vacationing there along with the locals overlooking their lake neighbored peacefully. We visited the lake, said hello to the lupins along the trail, and dipped our toes in the freezing alpine water. A pit stop at June Lake Brewing Company made us realize that alpine IPAs are not for the faint hearted. The bliss of having no schedule allowed us to sit and enjoy the other’s company and the space we were in for a couple hours.

It’s difficult to capture the true essence of what such a trip entails through reflective writing, which is why the idea of instances being captured was used as inspiration for the blog. This is simply me, myself, and I, reflecting on nature and sharing photos from a time with less worries and more wonder.

All photo credit goes to Ethan Duffy // @duffvisuals