Winter Solstice in Sierra foothills

The water level in Folsom Lake has dropped drastically from the drought.  Water marks are very visible.

 As we have almost every other year for the past 10 years we're spending the Christmas holiday in the foothills of the Sierras in California in a ritzy subdivision on the shores of Folsom Lake.

Fearful of Covid and Omicron, we drove the 1,100 miles from Montana rather than fly.

Although there was plenty of snow and cold, the roads were nearly spotless and the sun was out, making our trip pleasant, if long.

One of the highlights of our stay is a National Recreation Trail I can reach on foot within minutes of where we are staying, accessing it from the Sterling Pointe trailhead.

It weaves through a live oak forest to several trails parallel to the lake, through tall granite spires, some of which remind me of a deck of cards strewn around.

There are lots of signs of wildlife and even wildflowers along the paths.

The lake is an impoundment the American River below a dam.

I walked several miles on the shortest day of the year in about 50 degree weather.  The extreme California drought was visible in the water marks along the sides of the drawn down reservoir.

We're expecting a massive weather system that could dump as much as 8-10 FEET of snow in the next couple of nights several miles to the east of us.

Because of the intense drought here in California, I know the moisture is desperately needed.

It makes me nervous, though, because we'll have to cross the Sierras at Donner Pass in about a week.

Here's hoping we're more successful in our travels than that legendary Donner Party!