Tag Archives: kuna

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Mountains, Spring Snow

May 27, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

New snow from a spring storm blankets high ridges near the Sierra Nevada crest

There is no question that for me and many others the sight of high, rocky, snow-covered alpine ridges, especially when backed by dramatic clouds and their racing shadows, is a compelling thing. I know it is true, but I often wonder why it is. Logically, such places are not pleasant or comfortable. In Darwinian terms, it is hard to see how an attraction to these places is logical — you aren’t going to find food or shelter there, and the conditions can be life-challenging. Yet we — or at least a pretty big percentage of “we” — find them appealing and even heart-stirring. I suppose that some things must remain mysteries.

This scene looks like winter, but it was photographed during spring. And, despite the alpine appearance, the photograph was made from a road — during my annual first trip over Tioga Pass via Tuolumne Meadows. As can happen at this time of year, one of those dying-gasp-of-winter weather fronts was in the process of moving through, it had left snow on the highest peaks and ridges, and its clouds were still blowing across the mountaintops.

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Forest, Peaks, And Snow

May 26, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Storm clears above snow-dusted peaks near Tuolumne Meadows.

I suspect that most Sierra visitors and residents have certain special places that have long-time associations, certain views that we almost always must stop for, no matter how many times we have seen them. Since the first high country experiences I can recall were in and around Tuolumne Meadows, it is probably no surprise that it is the location of several of those places for me. I have collected these spots for years — decades, actually — and they range from a particular rock outcropping — I stop to visit at the beginning and end of every season — to bigger and more familiar views. I understand that I’m not the only person who counts the first view of Tuolumne Meadows and surrounding peaks, seen along the road at the west end, as one of these places.

Tioga Pass Road opened for the season this past week. I missed opening day, but I did manage a long up-and-back one-day drive a couple of days later. Tuolumne looks quite different at this time of the season, especially if your main experience is limited to the short alpine summer when the snow is mostly gone and the meadow is mostly green. At this early date the meadow is brown (though you can see first shoots of new growth if you look closely), the river is flooding over its banks, and a lot of snow is still on the high peaks. In fact, new snow had just fallen above 11,000′ or so. This photograph does not show the whole view, instead focusing on a bit of meadow, a lot of forest, snow-capped peaks, and the clouds at the tail end of a spring storm

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Moonrise, Sierra Wave Cloud

June 7, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A Sierra wave cloud stretches south along the Sierra Nevada crest as the moon rises.

Spend a bit of time — or a few decades — in and around the Sierra and you begin to be able to anticipate certain events. Nothing is a sure bet when it comes to predicting spectacular visual conditions, but some signs make it very likely that your efforts may be rewarded. The “Sierra Wave” cloud phenomenon is one such condition — common, easy to spot once you recognize the signs, and having the potential to produce very special photographic opportunities.

As on this evening, it often begins subtly. The line of clouds is produced over the crest or on its leeward side as moisture-laden air passes above the crest. The clouds can extend many miles north and south and sometimes stack up in layers. During the day they are impressive, but it is at dusk (or, rarely, at dawn) that they excel. After the last direct sunlight has risen above the highest peaks and the sun has set, brilliant red light may illuminate the clouds from the west, producing an almost unbelievable intensity of color. On this evening I saw the potential as I came over Tioga Pass from the east, and I quickly found a place to stop and watch the show develop. The moon above Kuna Crest was an added bonus!

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Summer’s End

September 11, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Late summer meadow and forest, Yosemite National Park

I missed much of summer in the Sierra this season since we were traveling. Soon after we came back to California I managed to squeeze in a few “going home” days in the Yosemite high country during the week following the exit of the Labor Day Holiday crowds. Following my midday arrival and camp setup (and a nap to compensate for my early wake up call that morning) I decided that I’d head out a familiar trail toward an alpine lake that I’ve frequently visited in the past. As it turns out I started a bit too late, and when I hit my predetermined halfway time I hadn’t made it the goal — so I just found a rock and sat quietly for a while before turning around.

Every summer, far before autumn actually begins, I see the early signs of the coming seasonal change. I missed the first hints since I wasn’t there in August. (Though I did see a few early leaves change color in Italy at that time.) But on this early September day the signs were all there. The meadows have turned that familiar golden brown color. Red bilberry plants glow in the low angle backlight. Corn lily plants have lost their green lushness and now turn brown and topple over. A few yellow leaves begin to appear on willows, and here and there it is even possible to find a few aspen trees with premature yellow leaves. Less concretely, there is something I’ve never quite been able to define about the light and the atmosphere, though it is plainly obvious to me that it has changed. Summer is ending in the Sierra, and the inevitable arrival of autumn and winter is just around the corner.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: kuna

Mountains, Spring Snow

Forest, Peaks, And Snow

Summer’s End

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.