This Isn’t Sierra Mist, but Close to It

Sept. 23, 2010 - PRLog -- Sierra Nevada is a mountain range that covers the US states of California and Nevada, between the California Central Valley and the Basin and Range Province.  The mountain ranges over 400 miles directly north to south and is roughly 70 miles east to west.

Being that part of it is located in California it will be no surprise that the climate of the mountain range is similar to that of a Mediterranean climate.  Summers are dry with low humidity but in the afternoon thunderstorms are pretty common especially during the North American Monsoon season.  Temperatures are high averaging from 42 rising to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

The major source of water in the area and a significant source of electric power generation is the Sierra Nevada snow pack.  As many reservoirs had been constructed in the canyons of the Sierra during the 20th century and it is through several aqueducts that water gets disturbed throughout the state.  What many people do not know that it is the Sierra Mountains that are the reason why Nevada is the driest state in the country.  The reason is because the rain shadow that the mountain casts over Nevada, this has a huge impact on the climate and ecology system on the Great Basin.

It is also where the Yosemite National Park is located.  This is a park that covers over 700,000 acres of land that reaches across the western slopes of Sierra Nevada.  It was given the World Heritage Site in 1984.  Over 3.7 million visit this park a year doing all sorts of activities such as Hiking, climbing, cycling and if you go by the mountain range where there are ski slopes that you can visit and try your hand at the sport.  Also there is a few places where you can information and learn about the history of the park, these are places such as the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center, the adjoining Yosemite Museum, and the Nature Center at Happy Isles.

Lake Tahoe is a place that Sienna Mountain is feature on.  Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine range in North America.  It is a large beautiful blue freshwater lake in the northern region of the Sierra Nevada, with an elevation of 6,225 feet.  This is an area where you can relax as it is a calm tranquil place to stay at and that is saying something as it is a top tourist destination, thousands from all over the state come to visit here, this includes people from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.  One of the main reason is because of the resorts where you can do various winter sports such as downhill skiing, sledding, snow tubing, cross-country skiing, snowmobile riding and snowshoeing.  You can see why some consider this area a winter sporting Mecca.

So if you whether you're staying at an Lake Tahoe vacation rental ready to hit the slopes or your driving through the Yosemite National Park sampling the best natural has to offer, you can be sure that the Sierra Mountain range will have something for you.

# # #

Vacation rentals from around the world, direct from the owner at vacationrentalpeople.com.

Try one of the relaxing Lake Tahoe vacation rentals available at VacationRentalPeople.com.