Tag Archives: ridge

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

Forest, Meadow, and Ridge

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Forest, Meadow, and Ridge
“Forest, Meadow, and Ridge” — Cathedral range peaks tower above lodgepole pine forest and subalpine meadow, Yosemite.

After years of photographing now-familiar scenes in this location, I still manage to find angles from which I have not photographed. I had gone to a location near Tuolumne Meadows to see how recent “remodeling” had changed things, and I just happened to look in the right direction from the right spot — and I saw this part of the Cathedral Range in evening light.

I’ve long been fascinated by the Cathedral Range. Years ago I learned that its rock is unusual, featuring large crystals. Once I knew that I began to notice it everywhere in this part of Yosemite. This sub-range runs perpendicular to the main range. Its summits are the typical Yosemite granite in appearance, but their elevation is just right to have allowed them to be significantly glaciated. Yet the peaks are high enough to have the rugged look of summits that were above the ice fields.

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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

Within The Grove

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Within The Grove
“Within The Grove” — Autumn aspen leaves begin to glow in morning light as the sun clears a distant ridge.

This is one of those odd little spots that is likely on no one’s itinerary of important aspen color sites except mine. I first stopped here a couple of decades ago on the drive between some better known locations, and since that time I have paused here every season to photograph this little grove. This year I arrived just as the canopy was thinning and, on this morning, as the first direct sunlight began to flood the grove.

I encourage everyone who is an autumn aspen aficionado to find a few special little spots like this that have personal meaning, even though they may not initially seem spectacular. I can almost guarantee that over the succeeding years you will be glad you stopped and made such places your own… and that you’ll get a special feeling each time you return.

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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

First Light, North Peak

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First Light, North Peak
“First Light, North Peak” — First morning light of the summit of North Peak on the Sierra Crest, feflected in a subalpine pond.

By now the story of this pack trip is perhaps becoming familiar… but there are still more photos! I went on a mid-July backpacking trip into the Eastern Sierra with a group of longtime backcountry friends… plus a few new friends. We camped at a lake near this spot for a couple of nights before moving on. The photograph includes a peak that was visible from my campsite, and the camera position is perhaps a one minute walk away.

Many years ago I would not have taken a trip like this one. Back then I wanted to cover the miles! But this time we only hiked two (!) miles the first day, and we stayed at our first camping location for two nights. These days, when wilderness photography is usually the main goal of these trips, being in one place for several mornings and evenings gives me time to thoroughly explore the photographic opportunities.

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.

Photographs: Albania, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Travel

Albanian Alps

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Albanian Alps
“Albanian Alps” — Rugged peaks of the Albanian Alps, seen from the Valbone River Valley.

As a serious fan of California’s Sierra Nevada, for many years I regarded that spectacular range as more or less the only one worth visiting. And I visited (and still visit) it a lot! My first concrete hint that maybe, just maybe, there were other mountains in the world worth visiting came during a long bicycle trip through Alaska in 1999, where we spent days in sight of huge, ice covered mountains. After a very brief visit to this mountains in Albania, I’m adding them to my list of worthy summits.

We were in Albania for literally only hours. We were staying in Kosovo near Decan, south of Peja, with relatives of a member of our extended European family. He chose to take on on a long drive to the mountains, and I did not even realize we were going into Albania until we arrived at a border station! We ascended the beautiful Valbone River Valley, finally arriving at a resort located at the base of these spectacular mountains.

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.