LINE OF SIGHT

Location: Sequoia National Park

Date: TBD

On this trip we will consider how our bodies relate to the vertical and the visible, engaging with the idea of a high point, peak, or vista that moves in and out of sight. How does a summit within view affect a sense of a goal, achievement, or accomplishment? From whence comes this urge to “get to the top” – for clarity, for a clear line of sight in as many degrees as possible? We will pay special attention to the ways in which vision or lack thereof contributes to our orientation of our bodies in space. Of course, with lookouts and observation points we can also consider the implied agency in that relationship (ie. who is watching whom) and ways in which we could complicate the human-centric idea of a person surveying a passive vista. 

 

We start by approaching Alta Peak, one of the more prominent points on the west side of the southern Sierra, camping part way up on our first night. On the second day, we will summit the peak for sunrise, hoping to catch views of Mt. Whitney from the top, before descending again to the meadow below, where we will camp with the granite peak as our sentinel. From there, we move on to Emerald and Pear Lakes, with the peak moving in and out of view. Finally, on our last day, we will climb the Watchtower look out point for a different perspective on the land we have just walked through.