Julian and Mammoth, photo by Harold Davis.

This is Julian beneath the Mammoth in front of the main gondola up Mammoth Mountain in this well-known ski resort in the eastern Sierra.

Julian and I had a great time riding the gondola to the top of the mountain, staying in a fancy condo, and eating in a nice restaurant. Once more he ate a whole rack of ribs, to the amazement of the staff!

On top of the mountain, Julian played in a snow patch and we found a butterfly:

To me, this butterfly proves there is beauty in devastation. The Mammoth Ski Resort is part of Inyo National Forest. I respect everyone’s right to ski and have fun, and don’t want to be a kill-joy on behalf on an environment cause. But it is astounding the havoc the ski lifts, hotels, artificial snow machines and so on inflict on the wilderness. A whole section of the High Sierra wilderness has been wrecked for everyone but the skiers.

I can only imagine some form of payola to those in the national forest who are responsible for administering wilderness, and I would dearly love to know more about the specifics.