Tag Archives: mist

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Sierra Rain

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Sierra Rain
“Sierra Rain” — Gentle rain falls on granite mountains, sparse trees, and a meadow in the Ansel Adams Wilderness.

It is easy to be a bit afraid of backcountry rain — worried that you might get your clothes wet, you could slip, it isn’t good for your gear. In our civilized lives we usually stay inside when it rains, and when we must go out we scurry between dry places. But when the rain comes to the mountains, at least in most cases, it can be better to embrace it. (Of course, it is also important to not get dangerously wet or cold!) Back in my serious bicycling days, those of us who rode all year long had a rain philosophy: “Once you are wet you are wet.” It reflected the recognition that — accounting for keeping warm enough — ultimately getting wet isn’t that big of a deal. And, yes, I was getting wet when I made this photograph.

We had been pretty much stuck in camp for close to 24 hours when a truly major weather system came through unexpectedly, Sending streams of water under our tents and raising nearby creeks. On the second day we were ready to get out and make some photographs, light rain be damned! I walked to a nearby high point with an open view of our alpine surroundings — and I stuck it out long enough to make this photograph of a squall working its way down from the ridges above.

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.

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

Forest and Cove

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Forest and Cove
“Forest and Cove” — Forest trees and a cove on a foggy morning at Point Lobos State Reserve.

The north shore of Point Lobos is a beautiful and wild place. The meeting of land and sea is a bit more rugged here, with taller cliffs. Steep headlands alternate with coves, many of them narrow and full of rough water. The evocative shapes of Monterey cypress trees top the cliffs, some barely clinging to rocky slopes and many acquiring unusual shapes.

I often discover new things about places that I thought I knew well. I’ve been going to Point Lobos since I was a child. I knew, of course, about these fascinating coves, but it only recently occurred to me that they might have names! This one is “Bluefish Cove,” and it is one or the larger ones, more open to the sea. The trail circles around its inner edge, though it is lined with trees that often obscure clear views of its waters. It is a trail, like many at Point Lobos, that rewards casual and aware sauntering more than purposeful, businesslike hiking.

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.

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

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Scotland, Photographs: Travel

Forest, Mountain Fog

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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.

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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

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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.

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