Tag Archives: hike

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Submerged Boulders, Lake, and Cliffs

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Submerged Boulders, Lake, and Cliffs
Sunlight illuminates submerged boulders near the cliff face along the High Sierra Trail – Sequioa National Park.

Submerged Boulders, Lake, and Cliffs. Sequoia National Park, California. August 6, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Sunlight illuminates submerged boulders near the cliff face at a lake on the High Sierra Trail – Sequioa National Park.

I first visited this lake decades ago during a two-week trans-Sierra backpack trip along the High Sierra Trail. I recall arriving and recognizing it from a well-known 1932 Ansel Adams photograph, but I made no serious attempt to photograph it at the time. In the summer of 2008 I retraced the route with a group of friends, and on the third morning I again climbed the spectacular trail toward Kaweah Gap. After crossing a lovely section filled with springs, flowing water, and wildflowers the trail topped a rise and suddenly arrived at this lake. I spent a half hour or more photographing from the shoreline. Finally I finished, packed up my photography gear, and we started up the switchbacks toward the pass.

A moment later as the trail climbed above the lake I glanced back and saw a stunning sight as sun broke through the clouds and intermittently illuminated the submerged talus at the base of the cliffs. Ironically, my first reaction was to think, I just finished shooting, and I’m not going to take this pack off and set up all that gear again!” I almost kept going. Fortunately, I’ve learned my lesson a few times — shoot it now while you have the chance! — so I dropped my pack, set up my tripod and camera, and waited for the right light to appear as broken clouds moved overhead.

Notes:

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
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Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Dawn and Shoreline Trees, Moraine Lake

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Dawn and Shoreline Trees, Moraine Lake
Dawn and Shoreline Trees, Moraine Lake. Sequoia National Park, California. August 8, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Dawn along the tree-lined shore of Moraine Lake in Sequoia National Park, California. Moraine Lake is along the “High Sierra Trail” route between Crescent Meadow in the western Sierra and Whitney Portal on the east side of the range. This photograph was made last week as I crossed the range from west to east with a group of friends – who were all still warm in their sleeping bags while I arose before dawn to prowl the lakeshore and get this sunrise photograph.

keywords: dawn, shore, shoreline, trees, moraine, lake, high, sierra, trail, nevada, backpack, hike, camp, reflection, rock, mountain, alpine, great western divide, peak, forest, grass, quiet, landscape, california, usa, sequoia, national park, stock, blue, sky

Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Alpine Lake, Mirrored Reflection

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Alpine Lake, Mirrored Reflection
Cliff wall mirrored on the surface of a rockbound alpine lake in Sequoia National Park, California

Alpine Lake, Mirrored Reflection. Sequoia National Park, California. August 6, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Cliff wall mirrored on the surface of a rockbound alpine lake in Sequoia National Park, California

I just returned from a 9-day trans-Sierra backpack trip that passed by the lake on the route over Kaweah Gap as we travelled from Crescent Meadow on the west side of the Sierra to Whitney Portal on the east side. The lake is near the top of the approx. 2500′ climb from Upper Hamilton Lake to Kaweah Gap, a pass across the Great Western Divide into the area near the Kaweahs. After struggling up the steepest portion of the climb – thankfully done in morning shade – you top a small saddle and there it is in front of you. I remember my first visit 30 years ago – although I had seen the famous Ansel Adams photograph of these cliffs I did not know where they were located… until I topped this rise and saw the actual scene right before me.

Shooting the “classic” lake view is almost embarrassingly easy. Walk up to the edge of the lake on the trail and drop down to some nice rocky spots along the shoreline, take out tripod, aim at opposite cliff (one of the signature features of the location), make photographs. It is my impression that this is one of those places that can be good to shoot a bit later in the day – perhaps around mid-morning as the light begins to spill over the ridge and onto portions of the water, where it can illuminate some very interesting underwater rocks.

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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” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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Locations

Young Lakes – Yosemite National Park

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I just got an email from someone who will be visiting Yosemite from Europe later this summer, asking about visiting the beautiful Young Lakes area in the Yosemite National Park high country. I posted a copy of my reply in the forum.