Alpine Lake, Cloud Shadows, Reflection. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The talus slopes on a Sierra crest ridge, mottled with cloud shadows, is reflected in the surface of an alpine lake.

This is an interesting place. I’ve visited quite a few times in the past, and in varying conditions of light, season, and weather. My first visit was quite a few years back, when a friend an I backpacked into the area very late in the season, experiencing cold temperatures and early snowfall. When I visited last year it was early in the season following a year of record-setting precipitation, and at almost the same point in the season it was difficult to cross the snowfields along the route. Once I got there I could not cross the rushing torrent of the outlet stream. This year the hike was less challenging, and I encountered no snow at all.

This lake lies at the end of my planned hike on this visit. It is a moderate-sized subalpine lake that is surrounded mostly by rocky meadows and high, talus-covered mountain slopes. The first clouds of what would be afternoon thunderstorms were beginning to appear, and the wind rushed their shadows across the landscape. I made several exposures as the light changed, enjoying the kaleidoscope-like effect produced by the reflection in the surface of the lake.

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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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