The Great Outdoors

Chapter 59

DAY NINE

Day of Solitude at Sparrow Valley Falls

With the base of Mount Valerie a mere half mile’s walk down the trail, it can be tempting for visitors to forge ahead to conquer its heights without pausing to take in the beauty of Sparrow Valley.

I would caution against this. Summitting Mount Valerie is a feat, to be sure—but there is also value to be found in stillness, in purposefully carving out a time of rest and reflection.

The discipline to embrace this period of stillness can have a profound impact and, for that reason, has become tradition among those who frequent Valerie Forest National Park.

—Henry Herrington, Backpacking the Sierras: A Beginner’s Handbook (Fourth Edition)