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There’s the type of outdoorsy badass who accomplishes a noteworthy feat for the bragging rights. Then there’s the kind of badass who — like John Muir, Mary Austin or Norman Clyde — follows the tug of nature to the source of its extremes because he just can’t help himself, lives to tell the tale, and tells it beautifully.

Daniel Arnold is part of the latter group of badasses. His new book, “Salt to Summit: A Vagabond Journey from Death Valley to Mount Whitney,” combines his passion for adventure with his talents as a wordsmith. Eastside readers might be familiar with his previous work,
“Early Days in the Range of Light” (Counterpoint, $24.95), in which he retraces the footsteps of climbing legends through the Sierra.

In “Salt to Summit,” Arnold recounts his expedition from Badwater Basin in Death Valley to the summit of Mount Whitney. A distance of 80 air miles and an elevation gain of 14,787 feet, the 17-day journey takes him from the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere to the tallest point in the contiguous United States. Arnold recognized this poetic proximity of extremes as a teenager, thinking, “. . . this must be the perfect way to climb a mountain. Start at the very bottom, and end at the very top. What more could a mountaineer want?”

In a fashion familiar to readers of Early Days in the Range of Light, Arnold self-imposes obstacles to make is journey more difficult. Rather than travel the paved route from Badwater to Whitney, he forges his own path, avoiding roads and trails when possible. He leaves in April, a month when Death Valley smolders and Mount Whitney is still snow-capped. He carries little more than what the early travelers would have brought: no GPS device, no tent and a grown-out beard for sun block.

Schlepping 46 pounds of water, Arnold begins his trek from Badwater Basin: “Getting pinched between the salt and the sun here feels like hanging out in a jerking oven. It’s the apocalypse written by a banana slug.” Fighting the tricks of the desert and mountains, Arnold makes his way across salt flats, through slot canyons, and up precipitously steep rock and ice.

Although he travels alone, Arnold encounters a host of ghosts from the Old West … Shoshones, ‘49ers, writers, climbers, entrepreneurs and Paiutes. With his signature gift for storytelling, Arnold’s narrative seamlessly transitions from anecdotes of his own journey to tales of people from the past. He also leads readers through the history of the landscape, from the time when the native population thrived, to the gold rush era, all the way to Owens Valley water wars.

With the observations of a philosopher and the artistry of a poet, Arnold’s impressive writing style propels the story forward. He breathes life into the area’s history and its notable characters. His descriptions of the landscape spring to life on each page, as he notes the changing color palettes, geology, flora, and fauna.

To some, Arnold’s feat itself might not sound entirely “epic” in a world where athletes are constantly breaking records free-soloing, speed-climbing, BASE jumping, and logging obscene mileage on foot or bike. But “epic” aside, this is a story of extremes, of hot and cold, high and low, and of the extremes people have taken to live in such seemingly uninhabitable conditions.

“More than a story of passing through, this is also a story of trying to stay, of people drawn to the harshest landscape in the American West and held here when the desert got into their blood,” Arnold writes.

Copies of “Salt to Summit” can be found at the Booky Joint in Mammoth Lakes, and Spellbinder Books in Bishop.

Two Big Pine men were recently arrested for allegedly stealing a motorcycle and ATV from Tinnemaha Campground. The two vehicles were reported stolen on Nov. 10. By the following afternoon Inyo County Sheriff’s Department had located the stolen motorcycle as it was being driven in the Big Pine area.

Casey Stine, 18, was the rider. When the Sheriff’s Deputy tried to make an enforcement stop, Stine failed to pull over and a pursuit ensued. After fleeing the scene, Stine abandoned the stolen motorcycle in the area of the Big Pine sewer ponds.

Also on Nov. 11, Daniel Bencoma, 23, was found to be in possession of the ATV. He was taken into custody. Stine was later apprehended by CHP while hiding in Bishop. –CHP/LAK

Elevated radiation levels have been discovered in the Sierra Snowpack as a result of the nuclear meltdown in Japan according to California Dept. of Health spokesman Timothy Geiger.

Geiger said samples were recently gathered by none other than Mammoth Mountain founder Dave McCoy during a recent outing in his Rhino.  “I skied for 40 years without sunscreen. Do you think a little radiation’s gonna get me?” said McCoy with a grin.

Radiation levels were found to be 1,000 times higher than normal. It is suggested one immediate side effect of the increased radiation could be accelerated hair loss.

Geiger recommends the use of Rogaine, Propecia or other hair supplements to stem the tide.

Inyo Forest Deputy District Ranger Mike Schlafmann said he is not overly concerned. Which doesn’t mean much

coming from a guy who hasn’t had hair for years.

Geiger said public health officials are advising citizens not to eat the snow, play in the snow or build snowmen. Skiing is still permitted, though  you are strongly advised against falling down.

Sheet note: The snow advisory applies to all snow, not just the yellow stuff.

Geiger said McCoy is being sent out to do a second round of testing this weekend. On a positive note, the radiation is expected to decrease the rate of snowmelt, portending a longer season.

MMSA CEO Rusty Gregory said he was thrilled by the prospect of a longer season and promptly raised the price of the MVP season pass to $689.

Next year’s passes, however, will be lead-lined and come with rad detectors.

Geiger countered claims that water contamination would dissuade tourists from visiting the Eastern Sierra. “On the contrary, once the runoff reaches L.A., it’ll actually drive visitation.”

The following letter came in late, but as it speaks to the journalistic excellence of The Sheet and our ability to break stories like the one above, we decided to print it:

Dear Editor:

Your reporting on the California Supreme Court’s denial of the Town’s petition in the Hot Creek litigation was troubling and annoying, not only due to the unfortunate result, but because the article was a strongly worded editorial and opinion masquerading as front page, headline news. Is this responsible journalism?

Rather than simply providing the facts of the story, the important news for our residents, The Sheet presented its own judgment in the case, marking “the culmination of three years of self-delusion on the part of Town officials,” commenting on “the Town’s attempt to screw over a private business,” which in the end, according to this newspaper, “sounds like code for ‘We still plan on shirking our legal and moral responsibilities for as long as we possibly can.”’ Since when did The Sheet become an expert on legal and moral responsibilities, and an advocate for the same in the guise of front page news? I thought the Sheet was a newspaper, but perhaps I’m mistaken.

As opinions go, yours deserves a response. One side of the Hot Creek story is that the Town never officially or even unofficially said we’re not going forward — in essence, there was no breach of contract. The project stalled for a variety of reasons, apparently.  Perhaps the developer saw what was written on the wall  concerning the economy and the real estate market, choosing instead to role the dice by filing a lawsuit alleging a breach of contract action for damages, rather than proceeding in good faith with the project. By persevering forward, there was a risk (a likelihood) of financial disaster; by filing a lawsuit, he only risked losing the case.  The latter course sounds like better odds.

Moreover, as a lawyer, I know that judges and juries can decide cases the wrong way. The trier of fact can simply believe the wrong person, given two choices and two stories of what happened — it occurs regularly.  Scary but true, I’ve heard of jurors that decided a case simply because they didn’t like the lawyer!  We also know that innocent people are sometimes wrongly convicted of crimes they did not commit. Also, aside from juror error, someone told me that North Mono County residents (jurors) have a bone to pick with Mammoth; that’s only an opinion.  Concerning the appeals process, I’ve seen judicial panels disregard all rules and standards of appellate review while rendering decisions. Justice is not always served simply because a case has gone through the entire judicial system.  That is a fact.

Finally, it doesn’t take much to know that the developer would have likely gone bankrupt had he moved forward with the project, given his timing and what subsequently happened to the economy and the real estate market. Oh, and the developer wasn’t even the plaintiff; a company bought the developer’s rights to the case and pursued it on its own behalf. Thus, instead of a bankrupt land developer, we have a party unrelated to the transaction collecting a 30 million dollar windfall, plus interest. Where is the justice in that?  What is legally just and moral under these circumstances? I wouldn’t feel so sorry for the developer, who apparently made something by selling the case.

In the future, I hope that The Sheet would report only facts on page one articles of such importance, and not force feed us opinions in the name of news, so that the residents of Mammoth Lakes could arrive at their own conclusions and opinions regarding the matter at hand.

Daniel O’Connell

Mammoth Lakes

P.S. In the past, I have had issues with this kind of journalism in The Sheet, but hey, it’s free and my wife enjoys the crossword puzzle. It’s disappointing, because many of your articles are thoroughly researched, informative and well written.

And now the reply:

Dear Mr. O’Connell:

All the articles which appear in this paper are thoroughly researched, informative and well-written.

Yes, a bit unorthodox, having that editorial commentary on the front page. I acknowledge that I was floored by the Town’s official statement in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision, which likely contributed to the acidic tone.

I guess being a public official means never having to say you’re sorry.

As you know, we have covered this story comprehensively from the outset. Sheet readers know the backstory. Why? Because we are the only news organization in the Eastern Sierra which actually covered the initial trial from start-to-finish, as well as the various appeals. We were in the courtroom every day.

Yet another rehash of the case seemed redundant to publish last week.

As to some of your points:

The whole breach of contract theory for why the developer chose to sue is something I’ve heard before.

Perhaps the damage award would not have been as severe if the Town had hired a competent expert to testify to the value of the potential project.

Sheet readers are aware of this point as it was outlined in our 2008 trial coverage.

Can I provide you with some back copies? That or you can access those stories at www.thesheetnews.com.

As to your disparagement of the integrity of North County residents … wow!

As to The Sheet’s moral authority, excellent point, though an attorney taking anyone to task over moral authority seems a bit of a stretch.

And yes, the radiation story on the front page is an April Fool’s joke, in case you wish to jump to conclusions and deride it as irresponsible journalism.

-Lunch

In other news, MLPD Sgt. Eric Hugelman is back on the job.

Lupe Almaguer’s sentencing was delayed again until April 26.

And hilariously, my friends return flight to San Francisco on United was also cancelled, even though every Horizon flight flew that day (Sunday). They had to rent a car from Mammoth Chevron to get home.

Arnold will sign and discuss his book at several area locations. (Photo courtesy Counterpoint)

Early Days in the Range of Light

By: Daniel Arnold
Counterpoint, LLC 421 pp.

When John Muir ascended Mount Ritter, his apprehension about the last leg of his journey was not enough to persuade him to turn back. Even when the cliffs near the summit looked most foreboding, it was as if the mountain was coaxing him on.
“We little know,” Muir wrote, “until tried how much of the uncontrollable there is in us.”
Muir reached the summit of Mount Ritter after a three-day long journey carrying a light jacket, a tin cup, a notebook, and a bundle of bread. He slept on the ground at night without a blanket in the middle of October, climbed up cliffs without a rope or harness, and lived to tell the tale.
That was 1872. These days, high-tech gear is seen as essential to a trip, and the people who don’t carry it are viewed as ill-equipped for the unpredictable forces of nature. However, modern outdoor equipment can easily make a mountaineer’s backpack weigh over forty pounds—what Muir would probably call an unnecessary burden for an adventure into the wild.
“Risk opens the door, focuses the mind, begets a healthy distrust for the padded walls of prudence,” Muir wrote.
Learning the stories of climbing pioneers such as John Muir, William Brewer, and Norman Clyde, makes modern outdoor adventure seem like a walk in the park. However, author Daniel Arnold wanted to do more than just learn their stories. He wanted to retrace their footsteps.
Arnold spent four years researching and writing what became “Early Days in the Range of Light: Encounters with Legendary Mountaineers.” During the cold months, his research included reading biographies and historical accounts of first ascents. In the summers, Arnold would, as accurately as he could, recreate the climbs of legendary mountaineers. He used only the equipment that would have been available to him between the years 1864-1931, but also mirrored the personal choices of his role models as best he could.
Arnold writes: “When the footsteps I followed were lightest, as with Muir, I left my sleeping bag and backpack behind, too, and spent days living out of a small canvas sack slung over my shoulder.”
The book spans the Sierra Nevada from north to south, covering 15 mountains, following the footsteps of the men who first reached their summits. Not only does the book contain interesting history and biography, but Arnold also exhibits his talent for nature and adventure writing. His prose is thoughtfully pieced together into a compelling and beautiful narrative that reminds us why we live in such a breathtaking place.
“The mountains have not changed nearly as much as we have,” Arnold writes. “Flashing digits may hurry us along, but the rocks and high meadows remain apart above the bustle. The asphalt noose around the mountains has tightened, the surrounding valleys have been mined, graded, and drained, but across the pavement threshold lies a country that is quiet and still.”
Daniel Arnold was raised in Portland, Ore., and developed a love for climbing at Broughton Bluff and Smith Rock. When he moved to California, however, and saw the Sierra mountain range for the first time, he was hooked. He has climbed nearly 100 Sierra Nevada peaks since graduating from Stanford with a philosophy degree.
Arnold will be at book signings at three Eastern Sierra locations this weekend: Friday, Nov. 13, at 6:30 p.m. in Bishop at the Inyo Council for the Arts (includes slide show); Saturday, Nov. 14, at 4 p.m., in Mammoth Lakes at the Booky Joint; and Sunday, Nov. 15, at 1 p.m., in Lone Pine at the ESIA Visitor’s Center (includes a discussion).