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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Owens Valley, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Clearing Autumn Snow Storm – Eastern Sierra Near Mount Tom

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Clearing Autumn Snow Storm - Eastern Sierra Near Mount Tom

Clearing Autumn Snow Storm – Eastern Sierra Near Mount Tom. Sierra Nevada, California. October 4, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Autumn snow flurries surround the peaks of the eastern Sierra near Mount Tom and Round Valley as an early fall storm clears.

As I began my return drive from my early-October “aspen hunting” expedition into the area above Bishop, California in the eastern Sierra Nevada a windy storm that had dropped several inches of snow earlier that day was beginning to clear. Rather than taking highway 395 north toward Sherwin Summit I decided to follow the older road up from Round Valley. As I neared the top of this road and looked back I saw this view of lingering snow flurries over nearby peaks and, in the distance, Mount Tom.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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Locations

Tioga Pass and Alternatives as Winter Approaches

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Lots of us northern and central California photographers make trips to the eastern Sierra in the summer and fall – I know that many of you have been there in the past month to photograph aspens and other fall color. For many of us the standard route to the “east side” is through Yosemite National Park and over Tioga Pass on State Highway 120 to Lee Vining and the area near Mono Lake. From here it is a short drive south to Mammoth (about a half hour) and Bishop (an hour) and points south, including Big Pine, Independence, and Lone Pine.

As the fall season arrives and winter weather approaches, Tioga Pass becomes a less reliable route and eventually closes for the season. The seasonal closure typically occurs sometime in late October or in November, though the historical records show that it has happened as late as January 1!

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Early Autumn Snow, Conway Summit

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Early Autumn Snow, Conway Summit

Early Autumn Snow, Conway Summit. Sierra Nevada, California. October 4, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Aspen trees begin to change color after an early autumn snow storm at Conway Summit, Sierra Nevada, California.

Back in September I began making plans to visit the eastern Sierra near the end of the month and during early October, and based on previous experience with fall Sierra aspen color I made some assumptions about when and where the color might be at its peak. This year has not evolved according to expectations. I would have expected the huge aspen groves below highway 395 at Conway Summit to be nearing or at peak color during the first weekend of October… but instead the trees here were largely still green with only a few spots of real color. It seems like the low and middle elevation aspens are behind schedule this year.

However, as if to temper the slight disappointment about the lack of brilliant colors, I did get to visit during an early fall cold snap and storm passage that dropped anywhere from a trace to a few inches of snow over a good portion of the Sierra – including the peaks above Conway Summit.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Web: G Dan Mitchell Photography
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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

Aspen Trees, Rock Face With Lichen

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Aspen Trees, Rock Face With Lichen

Aspen Trees, Rock Face With Lichen. Near South Lake, SIerra Nevada, California. October 3, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Colorful lichens on a cracked cliff face between two aspen trees with fall colors near South Lake, Sierra Nevada, California.

I had passed by this section of rocks and cliffs just below Parcher’s Resort earlier in the day, noting the interesting trees against the jumbled background of the rock – but I decided against shooting there at first because the direct sun was still hitting the trees. Instead, I made a mental note to check back much later in the afternoon after the sun had moved lower and further west to put this area into diffused shadow lighting.

I came back later – when it was getting quite cold! – and wandered up and down this area making several exposures. The trickiest thing was that it was extremely windy. Low light, strong wind, and fluttering aspen leaves tend to conspire to make photography tricky, and this was no exception! The best approach seemed to involve not only high ISO… but also a great deal of patience. Once I set up a shot I would wait… and wait… and wait for a small lull in the wind, during which I would squeeze of a few exposures.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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