Deep in the Forest Beyond the Clouds, Volume II: More Secrets and Stories of the Frazier Mountain Communities

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to step into another life experience somewhere else, doing something you've never done?
Welcome, friend, to the Frazier Mountain Communities of the Los Padres National Forest. Whether by night or day, magical experiences await. Depending on the season, the forest, wildlife and life in our collective communities takes on its own unique flavor.
Every day, more than 50,000 cars pass the Frazier Mountain Exit from Interstate 5. They climb north, passing Santa Clarita Valley and Pyramid Lake, or from the north, they come down over the Grapevine pass out of Bakersfield. Unless motorists stop for gas or fast food in Lebec, Frazier Mountain Parkway is just another exit off the freeway, and many drive on by.
Maybe you’ve passed us on your way to somewhere else. Perhaps you don’t even remember. But if you ever come our way again, we want you to know you are welcome. And now that you’re here, may we take you on a journey? (If you’re holding this book I’ll take that as a yes.)
Sometimes in winter we get snowed in. If the snow is heavy enough or fog and ice preclude travel—even with chains or 4-Wheel Drive—the freeway closes. Snow day for everyone!
Weather and other factors can impact electricity and cell service, and sometimes we lose power. Most of the time it’s temporary, but we’ve been known to revert to living as pioneers for a day or two cooking on woodstoves or if one is unprepared, eating cold food from cans. I’ve done both.
We live with change on the mountain. For those willing to learn, it teaches us patience and how to go with the flow. We are neighborly and supportive of one another, especially of the most vulnerable among us.
If you’ve read Volume I of Deep in the Forest Beyond the Clouds, you might remember reading about our journey through the first 18 months of the COVID 19 pandemic. As in most areas, it was challenging, but it also brought us closer as a community. We discovered just how resilient we were when we acted together on behalf of the whole. We cared for our elders and embraced the needs of families in need and those who lost jobs or businesses. There were many.
At the time of this writing, a little over two years into the pandemic, we’re adapting to the new normal, and many of the gains from the prior year and a half stuck. No doubt there have been changes. There are things that have gone away forever, but we of the mountain communities continue to persevere through circumstances beyond our control, and we are all the better for it.
I’m glad you found your way to our book. Sit back and relax as we offer a peek into the Frazier Mountain Communities by telling our stories and sharing our poetry. Perhaps someday you’ll have the opportunity to visit.
Judith Cassis, Publisher