Summer in the mountains can be truly spectacular, especially during a year with above average winter and spring snow accumulation. Such a year 2019 has been in the southern Sierra Nevada range! Although famous tourist attractions such as Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, and Mineral King National Park are amazing, there is no shortage of areas outside these parks within the Sierra Nevada range that are just as spectacular and in many cases much more wild. A few that I'd recommend are the South Sierra Wilderness, the Golden Trout Wilderness, the Chimney Peak Wilderness, and the Sacatar Trail Wilderness. Together these wilderness areas account for much of the land south of what is commonly called the "High Sierras" and actually these areas contain peaks which range from seven to almost twelve thousand feet high. These areas also are home to many plants that will not be seen in other parts of the Sierra Nevada range and so they have many unique features worth checking out!