Tag Archives: flora

Boulders, Upper Young Lake

Boulders, Upper Young Lake

Boulders, Upper Young Lake. Yosemite National Park, California. July 29, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Small islands catch the evening light at Upper Young Lake, Yosemite National Park.

On this late-July evening I climbed from Lower Young Lake to the upper lake an hour or so before sunset, hoping to photograph the lake and the surrounding open terrain as the day ended. The lake provides a real alpine scene, as it is set in an open meadow interspersed with glacial remains and scattered groups of trees with tall, rocky ridges and peaks to the south, east, and north – but open to the sunset in the west.

On a side note, I’ve been to this lake a number of times. Although the walk up from the lower lake isn’t all that far (perhaps a mile or so) I’ve always wondered about one section of the use trail that more or less ascends right up a steep section of the creek flowing from the lake. This time I took a closer look at the map instead of just walking where the trail seemed to go, and I found a much easier approach that leaves the main trail at the middle lake.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: boulder, island, evening, sunset, light, warm, ripples, reflection, grass, tree, plant, flora, lichen, rock, hill, tree, alpine, face, meadow, shoreline, upper, young, lake, granite, snow, forest, grove, water, sierra, nevada, mountain, range, yosemite, national park, california, usa, hike, backpack, travel, scenic, tuolumne meadows, nature, landscape, stock

Spring Azaleas, El Capitan Meadow

Spring Azaleas, El Capitan Meadow

Spring Azaleas, El Capitan Meadow. Yosemite Valley, California. June 6, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Spring azalea blossoms beneath the black oaks in El Capitan Meadow, Yosemite Valley.

I found these white azaleas growing beneath the black oaks in El Capitan Meadow during my early June visit to the Valley. I photographed these same flowers last year during the fall when the flowers were long gone and the leaves were turning gaudy shades of red and yellow and eventually brown.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

keywords: azalea, blossom, bloom, flower, plant, leaf, green, el capitan, cap, meadow, black, oak, tree, grass, yosemite, valley, national, park, spring, season, landscape, nature, travel, scenic, mountain, sierra, nevada, range, california, usa, flora, stock

Tarn and Forest, Tioga Pass Road

Tarn and Forest, Tioga Pass Road

Tarn and Forest, Tioga Pass Road. Yosemite National Park, California. June 7, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Rocks and their reflections in the still water of an early season meltwater tarn in the high elevation forest along Tioga Pass Road, Yosemite National Park.

I’ve driven past this small seasonal pond alongside Tioga Pass Road many times, and I’ve stopped on occasion. It tends to be a tough subject for me. Either I’m there at the wrong time of day or later in the season when the pond completely dries up. However, the interesting rocks and boulders set in the tarn and the background forest keep drawing me back, and I always cast a glance at it as I drive this road.

It was midday when I passed by on this early June day. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a group of deer at the far side of the pond, feeding on new grasses against the background of the forest. It took me a moment to find a place to pull over and park, attach my longest lens, put the whole mess on the tripod, grab my pack, and walk back to the tarn. I managed to get everything set up and a nice composition including the deer set up… when they left. Ah, well! I decided to stick around a bit and see what else I could find even though it was midday and the light was somewhat tough.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: tarn, pond, pool, melt, water, runoff, seasonal, spring, forest, tree, grass, plant, flora, rock, boulder, submerged, reflection, still, smooth, tioga, pass, road, tuolumne, meadows, yosemite, national, park, california, usa, sierra, nevada, range, mountains, landscape, travel, scenic, nature, stock

Tree Trunk and Boulder

Tree Trunk and Boulder

Tree Trunk and Boulder. Yosemite National Park, California. July 8, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A tree trunk catches the light in front of a boulder in the Tuolumne Meadows campground, Yosemite National Park, California.

I did not have to go far to make this photograph – I spotted it from my picnic table in site G4 at the Tuolumne Meadows Campground! I saw this nearby boulder surrounded by young trees shortly after setting up camp, and over the next three days I photographed it several times in varying light.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: tree, trunk, bark, lodgepole, pine, vertical, pattern, rock, boulder, lichen, black and white, light, sun, illuminate, nature, texture, flora, plant, nature, landscape, travel, scenic, tuolumne, meadows, campground, yosemite, national, park, california, usa, sierra nevada, mountains, range, site, g4, stock