Begin. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
A cryptic but arguably appropriate roadside sign seen at sunrise in the Eastern Sierra Nevada.
This sign was along a route I drove in the Eastern Sierra Nevada on my first fall color foray into the range this year, back in the first week of October. I had camped out near those far mountains the night before, arisen before dawn to make a few photographs in the 19-degree weather, then started heading farther south toward the location where I planned to camp. Very soon a I did a double-take as I passed this sign. I quickly turned around and went back to make a quick photograph!
I’ve long been intrigued by what I assume are left-over signs that must have once actually meant something a bit more concrete. (When I was a cyclist I regularly passed a sign along one route that thoughtfully noted, “Next 1/4 Mile.”) Perhaps there was another sign nearby announcing some particular route, or a construction zone, or something — but that is gone and we’re now left with the simple and enigmatic message, “Begin.” Not that “begin” is bad advice, or that sunrise is an inappropriate time to offer it..
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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