Tag Archives: forest

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

The Old Tree

Image Leave a comment
The Old Tree
“The Old Tree” — An old, gnarled monterey cypress grows along the cliffs of Point Lobos State Reserve.

This Monterey cypress has long been a favorite subject of mine at Point Lobos, but this year I learned something new about it. It has a name. It is known as “The Old Veteran” or “The Old Veteran of Point Lobos.” I discovered this while looking up information on the distribution of Monterey cypress trees, and one source I found included its picture and the name. Further reading turned up an estimate that it is probably 200-250 years old.

It certainly is a weathered old specimen. It lives on top of a rocky outcropping at the edge of a steep face that drops straight into a cove. One wonders if there was perhaps more soil over those roots in the past, but it hangs on still. From looking at older photographs, it appears that the tree is now increasingly stressed. There were more green branches in the past, and one prominent limb that used to extend to the left is long gone.

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.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Scotland, Photographs: Travel

Forest, Mountain Fog

Image Leave a comment
Forest, Mountain Fog
“Forest, Mountain Fog” — Fog fills the valleys and rised towards the highlands along the Great Glen Way.

This photograph comes from one of the most “alpine” days of our Great Glen Way walk in Scotland earlier this year. In previous posts I have mentioned that much of this trek is quite civilized — more of a “walk” than a “hike” in some ways. Long sections follow the banks of the Caledonian Canal, others trace the shorelines of lochs, and in a few spots one can pull off the trail and order food! This was not one of those days. We climbed steeply out of town in the morning, and before long we were at treelike in cloudy and foggy conditions.

As a California hiker and fan of the Sierra Nevada, I am used to having to climb quite high to get to the open country above treelike — often 10,000 feet or higher before the last trees disappear. But in Scotland, with its northerly location (and some other factors), a few thousand feet of elevations will get you to country that looks like tundra. I made this photograph close to the highest trees in this location, where it was open enough to give a long view down into the fog-filled valley holding Loch Ness.

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.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

North Shore, Fog

Image Leave a comment
North Shore, Fog
“North Shore, Fog” — Monterey cycpres trees top North Shore cliffs on a foggy morning at Point Lobos State Reserve.

This is another photograph from my gloriously-foggy late-July visit to Point Lobos. I made a morning escape from the too-hot inland temperatures, hoping for an hour or two of cool fog on the coast before the fog burned off. I was pleasantly surprised when it stuck around well past noon. I spent a few hours wandering slowly along the north short of Point Lobos in the cool fog, photographing the headlands cliffs, Monterey cypress trees, and the fog-shrouded Pacific Ocean.

I stopped at this spot twice, once near the beginning of my amble and again near the end. The first time it was very foggy, and the farthest prominence was almost completely obscured. It was still quite foggy when I came back. but the cloud deck had lifted enough to open the view towards the end of these cliffs a bit more, and as I photographed I was able to watch sea birds wheeling around the rocks.

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.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Scotland, Photographs: Travel

Highland Trees and Fog

Image Leave a comment
Highland Trees and Fog
“Highland Trees and Fog” — Small trees and mountain fog in the highlands along the Great Glen Way near the “View Catcher.”

We began our spring walk along Scotland’s Great Glen Way in distinctly lowland country. We started a sea level in Fort William, then headed north along the Caledonian Canal, passing by agricultural country and eventually a large loch. But eventually the route took is into higher terrain, most dramatically on this day when we climbed steeply out of the town of Invermoriston, eventually crossing a high ridge before a long descent to the final miles of the day along the canal once again.

Much of this part of Scotland is thickly forested, but there’s often a distinct and sudden division between trees and barren highlands. We had passed through some highland country on the train to Fort William, but this was the first time we walked into it. It was a dramatic change! The day was cloudy and damp, and even though it momentarily cleared at this point, fog clouds drifted in and out of the scene, alternately revealing and blocking views of higher ridges.

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.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.