Why is high good? From the moment you wake up, there's a cool, fresh crispness to the air. The higher you get, the bluer the sky. Lakes and streams are clean and cold. Spring arrives late, with thigh-high wildflowers often blooming through early August. So the air, water and land make for some of the best midsummer hiking, camping and sightseeing available anywhere.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/09/SP8718K0KA.DTL