At Tree Line

At Tree Line
“At Tree Line” — The final small trees give way to meadows and granite at tree line, Sierra Nevada.

On occasion I have been asked about my favorite places in the Sierra Nevada, the range I have wandered for decades. I do have some favorite specific locations, but I often answer more generally: it is the country right at the tree line, where the terrain opens up, the highest peaks are visible, there is (usually) water everywhere, and where one can freely wander without trails, constrained only by technical skills, the terrain, endurance, and imagination. To me, this IS the “range of light” terrain.

This place was and is a remarkable example of what I refer to. We were camped at a lower elevation among trees and near a lake. But we could see all the way up this long, open valley. It bean with small trees, scattered meadows, and a lovely creek. I walked up it several times during out stay. As it rose the trees began to thin and the meadows, soggy in places, took over. I made the photograph in the region of the last trees, and then I kept going toward the base of the talus slopes in the distant shadows.


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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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