There are little personal spots all over the Sierra Nevada that I return to each year — a bend in a road, a tree, a favorite rock, a viewpoint. These trees are on that list. I suspect that most passers-by might not really notice them. They are along a route to a different popular place, and there’s a good chance that most people are thinking more about that destination. And when people leave that other spot, their attention may well be focused on the road more than on a couple of trees. But I notice, and I stop almost every time.
Several things fascinate me about these particular trees. Two of them have to do with light. First, when I am there the trees are typically backlit, so the leaf colors really glow. But since they are not part of a larger grove, there are few distractions and the two trees stand out from the shadowed face of a mountain across the canyon. And that blue shade light complements the warm colors of the autumn leaves.
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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.
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