When the smoke clears from Swall Meadows, blackened trees and skeleton motorcycles

Kendra Atleework’s “Miracle Country” explores the history and landscape of the Eastern Sierra, but also provides a look into the life of the author, who grew up in the Owens Valley, went to school in Claremont and ultimately returned to Bishop, where she now lives. 
What follows is an except from the book, which will be published July 14 by Algonquin Books.
To understand the place we call the Eastern Sierra, you must be able to see what is no longer here. See what hides, c