Tag Archives: peaks

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Mountains and Cascade, Dawn

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Mountains and Cascade, Dawn
A cascade descends from the high country as dawn light illuminates peaks.

Mountains and Cascade, Dawn. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

A cascade descends from the high country as dawn light illuminates peaks.

One benefit of surviving the deluge we experienced on the first days of our recent backcountry photography trip was that the streams came back to life… and then some. In this drought-year August we were not expecting to see a lot of water, but as the near-flood receded the streams were flowing as if it were still early summer. There was water everywhere — tarns were full, small streams came back to life in meadows, and rocky cascades were full of water.

As I headed into one lovely subalpine meadow I had to cross several of these streams, something that presented a bit more of an adventure than I might have seen a few days earlier. As I pondered this crossing I noted that first morning light on the peaks far above, and I paused to photograph the rapidly descending water that I was about to cross.

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: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

High Country Lake

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High Country Lake
An alpine lake sits in a treeless bowl below the Sierra Crest, Yosemite National Park.

High Country Lake. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

An alpine lake sits in a treeless bowl below the Sierra Crest, Yosemite National Park.

This is a very remote lake high in the Yosemite Sierra backcountry. For years I had visited areas a few miles away and thought about going here. Finally, on this trip — when I was again base-camped at that close location — I took a morning to wander over this way and explore this rocky basin with its shallow lake.

I looked at my map, pointed “that way,” dropped over a short ridge into forest, and headed toward this bowl. I was far from the first person to go here, but there was no trail and barely any traces of other people. (Perhaps I missed a more obvious route?) After a bit of bushwhacking the route began to climb up toward the lake and gradually open as the trees thinned. I arrived to nearly perfect solitude and silence, broken by the song of a bird or two and occasional shouts from climbers high above on a nearby peak.

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 to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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

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

Evening Sky, Meadow and Mountains

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Evening Sky, Meadow and Mountains
“Evening Sky, Meadow and Mountains” — Remnants of afternoon clouds dissipate at sunset above Yosemite mountains and meadow.

This is a view I’ve known for many decades, looking across Tuolumne Meadows toward peaks in the area of Mount Conness. Tuolumne was where I had my first experience with the “High Sierra” many years ago, when my Dad took us there for a camping trip — and an aborted attempt at backpacking. (I think he always wanted to backpack. I recall that he acquired various pieces of fascinating gear. But I also recall that, for whatever reason, several times he came close to heading out on the trail only to call it off at the last minute.)

The photograph comes from that wonderful early summer period when the meadows are still green and lush… but no longer so wet that they often are more lake than land. I’ve backpacked to, around, and over that distant ridge too many times to remember them all. That isn’t just a line of anonymous ridges and peaks to me — it brings back memories of many backcountry trips… including one memorable cross-country adventure across a portion of it!

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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: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Morning Sky After Autumn Snow

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Morning Sky After Autumn Snow
A cloud-speckled morning sky above the Eastern Sierra Nevada after light snow from an autumn storm.

Morning Sky After Autumn Snow. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A cloud-speckled morning sky above the Eastern Sierra Nevada after light snow from an autumn storm.Morning Sky After Autumn Snow

On this second of two autumn visits to the Eastern Sierra this season we arrived after a few days of early winter-like storms. That’s not unusual during this transition season, a time when it seems that warm and sunny autumn days may alternate with bouts of weather that feels distinctly winter-like. While the weather was in the “warm and sunny” pattern by the time we arrived, we had to alter our plans since several of the high passes were still closed by the early snow.

On our first full day there we headed up towards the base of the eastern escarpment of the range, driving up dirt roads that climbed the huge, gently sloping country below the steeper peaks, an area that is perhaps characterized as high desert. As we gained elevation and worked our way closer to the mountains the views to the north and east began to open up. Far away and beneath morning clouds remaining from the recent passage of a weather front, we could see distant snow-capped peaks, and the very summit of the closer ridge also is topped with a light coat of the early snow.

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 to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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