I recently spent a few days backpacking with long-time friends and few new friends. We headed into the mountains just east of Yosemite and the Sierra crest, spending days in a high place — we were just above 10,000′ the entire time. We camped near this pond, so I was up before dawn to be here for the sunrise show as the first light appeared on the high peaks to our east.
Traveling in the backcountry with non-photographers is always a different experience. During the past few decades I have mostly backpacked by myself or else gone out with other photographers. We photographers have our odd rituals: up in the darkness, breakfast at mid-morning, dinner before the good evening light, then out to photograph and not back until dark. Sometimes I wonder if the others think I’m some kind of ghost.
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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email
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