Mammoth Lakes author and activist Genny Schumacher Smith passed away this month at age 96.   Besides writing some of the first regional guidebooks, she is also credited with stopping the planned trans-Sierra highway documented by Jack Fisher in his book Stopping the Road (2014) Please find a full and interesting obituary in The Sheet  at http://thesheetnews.com/category/news/  from the March 10, 2018 edition.

Her two most recognized books are regional guidebooks, Mammoth Lakes Sierra, and The Deepest Valley.  With several updates through her own publishing company, these are still books I do not hesitate to recommend.  The Deepest Valley incorporates enough human and natural history with trail and road information to hold a casual visitor or old timer’s interest as they explore our beautiful area.  I tried to pull copies from the shelf to photograph for this post, but I am sold out, again.

Genny Smith leaves a rich legacy in the Eastern Sierra. While I did not know her personally, like many favorite authors, it feels like I could have.   I hope her books stay in print for us all to appreciate.