Dawn, Alkali Lake, Eastern Sierra. Owens Valley, California. October 10, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
Dawn light on Alkali Lake and the peaks of the eastern Sierra Nevada near Convict Lake.
I posted a photograph very much like this one a month or so ago, but I like this place and the morning light so much that I’m posting this similar photograph. The location is on the shore of a small alkali lake out in Owens Valley/Long Valley, in an area that is full of hot springs. On this very cold early October morning, steam was rising from the many hot springs in the area as the sun rose, lighting the eastern face of the Sierra Nevada near Convict Lake, the sagebrush-covered hills below the Sierra, and finally the surface of the small lake.
For many years after I started visiting the east side of the Sierra Nevada I mostly ignored the high desert terrain such as the area around this lake. As time went on and I looked further east I began to venture out here, and I discovered a beautiful landscape that is affected by proximity to the Sierra but which is not really “Sierra Nevada” itself. The bulk of the eastern escarpment is a constant presence here, but the character of this place is more that of the basin and range country — dry, full of sagebrush, with playas and rocky outcroppings.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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Thanks to both of you for your comments! Yes, I was fortunate to have a really beautiful morning at this location. I had actually been there the day before, also very early in the morning, but it was quite foggy. (I ended up using the fog in a different photograph of Hot Creek and the Sierra crest.) At least that gave me a chance to scope out the location, so that when I arrived on the second morning I knew exactly where I wanted to be and when. The dusting of snow, the clear skies, the beautiful morning light, and the reeds in the lake all came together.
Dan
As always, a gorgeous photo. I especially love the little bit of texture you get in the otherwise still lake from the reeds. The weather looks like it did you a big favor with the little dusting of snow the peaks received.
This is such a beautiful shot. I love the reflection and the grasses in the foreground. I very much enjoyed my trip to this area in September. We went to Convict Lake and June Lake, but I think we might have missed this one. I can’t wait to go back.
Anne.