Autumn, Eastern California Mountains. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
Early autumn color in mountains east of the Sierra Nevada.
This was a wonderful day in many ways — as a mountain experience, as photography, and as an exploration. I was in the Eastern Sierra Nevada in mid-September, that post-Labor Day period when the crowds diminish and the weather starts to change convincingly in the direction of autumn, but still with warm and sunny days. On this day I woke very early and decided to head east of the Sierra. I was on the road before dawn, and I ended up exploring an area that was mostly new to me.
I was surprised by the number of aspen trees out here that had already changed colors. In the locations I frequent in the Sierra the change was mostly still a week or two away, but here many trees were already showing peak color. As I explored I found a high overlook — the summit of a low peak — where there were expansive views across layers of receding forested mountain ranges.
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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