Under favorable circumstances it snows at least once every single month of the year in the little town of Mono. So uncertain is the climate in summer that a lady that goes out visiting cannot hope to be prepared for all emergencies unless she takes her fan under one arm and her snowshoes under the other.
-- Mark Twain

Visions of "streets paved with gold" lured many fortune hunters to the Sierra Nevada durinf the mid to late 1800s. Thousands of gold seekers roamed the hills braving the elements. Life was challenging. Bitter winter winds dropped temperatures well below zero and snowfall was often several feet deep. "Homes" with little of no insulation neither kept the wind out, nor the warmth in. Shortages of provisions, difficult travel conditions, illness, and isolation were some of the many challenges faced by these hardy prospectors and pioneers. Most of the men and women were financially unsuccessful -- a lucky few actually realized their dreams.

Eastern Sierra Scenic Byway