Tag Archives: nevada

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

One Rock

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One Rock
“One Rock” — A solitary orange-tinted rock on a bed of blue and gray rock.

Rocks tell stories in the high country of the Sierra Nevada. I can’t understand the details of all of these stories (I’m not a geologist!) but I understand some of the themes. One is the constant wearing down and eroding of the highest peaks, a process that eventually transports rocks far from their source. And when this happens you find things like this solitary orange-toned rock sitting on a bed of entirely different material.

These small details fascinate me in the mountains. Yes, I do love and am impressed by wide panoramas and towering, dramatic ridges. But over time I’ve learned to look at smaller things. They provide so much material for photography, they are everywhere, and they turn seemingly familiar landscapes into endlessly fascinating places.

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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Sierra Stream, Aspen Color

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Sierra Stream, Aspen Color
“Sierra Stream, Aspen Color” — An Eastern Sierra Nevada stream lined with autumn aspen trees.

I photographed this scene on my recent trip to the Eastern Sierra Nevada to photograph autumn color. Though they are not the only source of fall color — look closely to see others in the photo — the aspen trees are the stars of the show. I arrived at just about the right moment, as there were lots of very colorful trees. But the trip was cut short when extremely strong winds arrived, bringing down many of the peak color leaves. I made this photograph after waiting patiently for a lull between the gusts!

Since this is my first 2025 fall color photo I will add a brief general update. (You can find more detailed information about Sierra fall color here.) While you can find aspen color, mostly on the eastern side of the range, from late September into the third week of October or so, the peak color tends to be during the first two weeks of the month. It generally works its way from high elevations to lower elevations and to some extent from north to south during this period. Although there is good color this year — better than average in my view — the weather is creating some challenges. The wind event I experience was one. Wind strips the most colorful leaves from the aspen trees, but the color ofter comes back a few days later as green trees transition. However, the forecast is for a somewhat unusual early-season winter-like storm this coming Monday through Wednesday, and the current prediction is for more than a foot of snow down to 7000′ or lower — which will likely close a number of the trans-Sierra passes.

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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

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

Meadow and Forest, Clearing Fog

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Meadow and Forest, Clearing Fog
“Meadow and Forest, Clearing Fog” — Morning fog clears from a Sierra Nevada meadow and forest.

The atmospheric and light conditions were lovely on this July morning at Tuolumne Meadows, in the high country of Yosemite National Park. Shortly after sunrise hardly anyone was there, since the campground was still closed. If you have visited this place in the summertime, you know that such solitude is a rare and wonderful experience here.

It had rained the previous evening, so there was lots of residual moisture in the morning. As a result mist was rising from the meadow and river, and the atmosphere was almost opaque. (If you look closely you may able to just barely make out the slopes in the seemingly featureless area at upper left.)

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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Sierra Crest, Evening Light

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Sierra Crest, Evening Light
“Sierra Crest, Evening Light” — Early evening light on a copse of small trees, a bit of meadow, and peaks leading to the Sierra Nevada crest.

This photograph seems to me to have the “classic Sierra Nevada” backcountry “range of light” look. It is from my favorite terrain, those places just below timberline where the trees are short and rocky meadows abound, and where there are open views of alpine peaks. Even better, I made this photograph very late in the day as the evening light was beginning to warm the colors of the landscape.

It was a joy to spend a few days in this backcountry location with friends back in July. We did a low-key loop just outside of Yosemite, to the east of the park. The highest peaks in the photograph sit right on the crest of the Sierra Nevada, and the park is on the other side of that ridge.

Leave a comment or question using the form. (If you are reading this on the home page, click the article title to see the full article and the comment form.

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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.