Being primarily oriented to the higher reaches of the Sierra Nevada, I have always thought of aspens as being trees of that terrain. I encountered them on pack trips into the high country. Later on I was surprised to find that they flourish in other places, too, including areas that look almost desert-like. This includes the “sagebrush country” on the east slopes of the Sierra and on out into the basin and range country.
When they do grow in these places they seem to take a different role in the landscape. In the high country they might be in small groves next to a meadow, fill the bottoms of deep valleys, share space with conifers, or sometimes grow on rocky slopes. In those places they are usually set off against the conifer forests. But in this high desert terrain they often grow among grasses and sage, and they frequently follow moisture in the landscape, growing in wetter areas and along stream beds.
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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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