Tag Archives: range

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

Forest, Granite Ridges

July 30, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Morning light and thin forest along granite ridges, Yosemite National Park

This is to be a summer of travel, and a great deal of it will take me a long ways from my Sierra Nevada mountains — to other wonderful places, but not places that are wild and natural. (At least not until September, when my visits to the Sierra will recommence.) So I managed to get up into the Yosemite high country for four days in mid-July to do some photography… and breathing!

On the last morning, before returning to break camp, I headed out early to look for subjects in morning light. In fact, I had been watching this particular area and had in mind to photograph these trees, growing on an old glaciated granite ridge, against the background of more distant, haze-muted, ridges. Once I got there it was a bonus to notice the diagonal shadows of the distant trees.

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

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sequoia-Kings Canyon, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Alpine Granite and Trees

July 29, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Afternoon light on a landscape of alpine trees and granite ridges

Four of us camped out in this back-country valley high near the Sierra crest in Kings Canyon National Park, all told spending more than a week in the area. We set up a base camp at the entrance to a beautiful lake-filled basin, and then we gradually pushed out the boundaries of our exploration. During our stay we probably photographed a dozen lakes, and we experienced almost the full range of late-summer Sierra conditions, ranging from beautiful sunny days to days of thunder and lightning and rain.

Late on this beautiful afternoon I headed out on a lazy meander up our valley and past a series of small lakes along a stream coming down from the higher benches and valley. I walked up the valley the last direct light before the sun dropped behind a tall ridge to our west, and near the upper end of the string of lakes I stopped to make a photograph of the banks of this small lake, the surrounding forest, and the granite terrain ascending towards alpine ridges far above.

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

Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Back Country Taxi Service

July 27, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Pack mules waiting to carry photographers into the Sierra Nevada back country

Mules like these are the delivery trucks and taxis of the backcountry, something that I didn’t always appreciate. There was a time some years back when I was simply annoyed by them, and felt that having to move to one side to let a string of animals pass was an affront. Then I found myself using pack animal support on a couple for long photography trips into the Sierra, and I was forced to modify my thinking a bit. There are places that the beasts shouldn’t go, but they also have a very long history of supplying and supporting back-country travelers. I started backpacking long enough ago that I even recall occasionally seeing a lone backpacker leading a mule.

This trip was the first and only time that I’ve actually ridden a mule into the backcountry. It was, as those who have tried it probably know, and “interesting” experience. I don’t have the space here to relate the whole story. I made this photograph on our first morning, when we went to the pack station to load up our gear before hitting the trail.

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Foothills, Winter Grass

July 26, 2016 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Winter grasses and wildflowers come to life among trees and boulders in the Sierra Nevada foothills

Returning from a few days in Yosemite Valley early this year — we were there for the opening of the annual Yosemite Renaissance exhibit — we looped somewhat lazily through Sierra foothill terrain on our way home. Since the plan was to arrive at a Central Valley bird refuge before sunset, we had most of the day to poke around and make photographs.

Late winter in California is the greenest time of year. When people visit the state during summer and remark on the golden brown hills, I always want to say, “You should have been here a few months ago!” This is the impossibly green season, when enough rain has fallen to get the grasses to take root and cover these hills, followed quickly by the appearance of wildflowers.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: range

Forest, Granite Ridges

Alpine Granite and Trees

Back Country Taxi Service

Foothills, Winter Grass

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