Sierra Nevada
The coyote looked down on the foolish humans. They had been accumulating there at the foot of the mountain range on foot and in their wagons, poking at the earth in hopes of finding something here. The coyote had no idea what these humans were after but he could find them by their scent (what a scent that was after days, or possibly weeks without baths.) These young adventurers and their horses had trod through the desert land where the coyote's other distant cousins lived to this hard rock wall of a mountain range. Up the mountains, the lifeless hell-on-earth desert gave way to snow-capped mountains, distant vistas of the entire California territory... and dangerous wind currents that could sweep someone or something down the mountain range to their doom if they weren't careful. The coyote knew this particular fact from an early incident in his cubhood which his mother had saved him from.
This mountain range of snow was truly a mystical place and the coyote would be the one to know it. This special place, which the ruddy-skinned former inhabitants who the coyote once knew was once held sacred. This was where the sands of the desert, the constancy of mountain, and the divinity of white snow collided into a location that was at once, peaceful yet also tumultuous, barren, yet also alive, quiet at some points, yet there were times when the earth would shake and break open with such ferocity. The coyote had experienced so much in this sacred land. He had in his many years, felt the unpleasant frozen rain hit his back during the unforgiving winters, he had felt the blinding dust vortices from the desert when he was visiting his desert cousins, and he had of course, felt that sojourn of peaceful wintertime when the sky grew gray as the wolf and snow fell from the sky. And of course, the wind.
The Sierra Nevada, which is what the coyote overheard the humans call it during eavesdropping, was the windiest place on Earth as the winds from the ocean, chilled by the snows and cold weather, would never stop blowing and sweeping things off the mountain range. The coyote thought that it must have been a rush for a bird to get swept up in those mighty currents and take a one-way course out to the deserts- but then how would said bird return? For everyone else, animals and humans watch for areas of no vegetation to find out those wind tunnels which would sweep you off.
The coyote had begun his nightly vigil over the humans from a high unseen cliff where the coyote could not detect them as the sun set under the horizon and the entire land reverted as per the natural cycle. This had become quite entertaining to see the humans and hear them talk amongst themselves- their dreams of gold fortunes and founding cities seemed as utter foolishness to the coyote who had everything he would ever want in his mountain home. Stupid humans, whatever will we do with them?
"We went through this burning sand for gold, Jim. I've got a matter of business in San Fransisco. My family has a claim and I want to gain what belongs to me."
"I know Paul, this stupid desert was already too much but in order to get to Colima we will have to conquer this mighty mountain range and I've heard it's dangerous. Tomorrow, the other prospectors will start out and report if it is too windy and too dangerous and if it is..."
"We'll have to double back, Jim and look for a gap in the Sierra Nevada. That could take weeks and the gold could all be gone. GONE! As in nothing for us, as in why did we leave Missourah..." If only the coyote knew human-talk he would warn them but the only thing that he could make was a howl. HARRRRROOOOOOO!
"What ambience, the stars at night, the snow on top, and a prairie wolf somewhere up the mountain, Jim. Probably makes his home up there, real dangerous. But he won't stop us, we're men with gold on our brains"
The next day...
The coyote had tried to warn them but it was too late or the humans were too determined to go ahead anyway. Not much of a surprise but one of the humans was getting swept away when the coyote snatched him with his fangs and deftly saved the human's life by grabbing him by the arm with his fangs. It drew some blood but the miner would be ever thankful, even though the coyote would never agree to being the young man's pet.
"Thanks, you little lifesaver! My wife is pregnant in Deseret with a child and boy or girl, the child's name will be Coyote. It's much too dangerous to try and come by on foot and we aren't going on wagons either."
And the coyote able to understand human-talk knew they were sincere and these prospectors would double back without finding their way to the gold, leaving him and his friends in peace. And he was quite content with his windswept home not being invaded- it was a place of contentment, solitude, and immense beauty. And the coyote knew that the young man would return to civilization safely with a story and an unusual promise for his child yet to be born. The humans would leave at least for now for another path but they would always remember this mystic land of sleet dust, snow, rain and wind It was a place of divinity and happiness mixed with danger- it was Sierra Nevada.
Sierra, Sierra Nevada
Sierra Nevaaaaaaaaada
Sierra, Sierra Nevada
Sierra Nevaaaaaaaaada
A sight of mystic land, massive wind, taste of sand,
Sleet, Dust and Snow, Where the Wind will Forever Blow
Night turns to day, as the land goes Nature's Way.
Heat, burning sand, Divides us from the Promised Land
They started out their spirits high that day
Their horses galloped wagons led the way
The Forty-Niners knew danger from the start
But these young men had gold in their heart
On the journey, it ended in the sand
They never made it to the California Land
They retreated but they had a promise you see
They'd leave this land in their memory
Sierra, Sierra Nevada
Sierra Nevaaaaaaaaada
Sierra, Sierra Nevada
Sierra Nevaaaaaaaaada