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Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Oak Tree and Cliff, Autumn – Yosemite Valley

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Oak Tree and Cliff, Autumn - Yosemite Valley

Oak Tree and Cliff, Autumn – Yosemite Valley. Yosemite National Park, California. November 2. 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

An oak tree with autumn color against a cliff face, Yosemite Valley, California.

I found two interesting trees to photograph against the north Yosemite Valley cliffs near Ahwahnee Meadow and the Ahwahnee Lodge on this rainy November day. (The other one was located only a few feet from this tree, and I posted the photo earlier at my blog.) The tree was in the final stages of losing its leaves and the cliff face was wet from two days of rain.

This photograph is, for me, another example of why it is good to return to the same place again… and again. I’ve photographed in this very area quite a few times, making photographs of Ahwahnee Meadow in just about every season, photographing a nearby oak grove on the edge of the meadow, and photographing dogwood trees in fall. Every other time I’ve been there I’ve looked back at the spot where this tree is located without seeing anything – but this time I think I got the timing right and found different lighting conditions that make it possible to see this shot that I had never noticed before.

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.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


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

Fall Foliage, Ahwahnee Meadow

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Fall Foliage, Ahwahnee Meadow

Fall Foliage, Ahwahnee Meadow. Yosemite Valley, California. November 1, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Fall foliage in Ahwahnee Meadow on a foggy and rainy November day – Yosemite Valley, California.

If you visit the Valley very often you probably know of this small grove of trees set in the Ahwahnee Meadow not too far from Yosemite Village and the Ahwahnee, with (depending upon where you stand) background views of Glacier Point, Half Dome, or Yosemite Falls. I have certain traditions regarding where I photograph in the Valley, and one is to photograph this grove, especially when the new spring growth appears or when the colors change in the fall. I’ve photographed it close up (it is especially nice when shallow winter fog settles into this meadow above a few inches of snow) and from further back as in this photograph made from the edge of the meadow along the road/trail to the Ahwahnee. It was raining lightly when I shot this, and low fog was passing through and behind the trees along the base of the Glacier Point Apron beyond the forest.

keywords: fall, autumn, color, leaves, yellow, gold, greedn meadow, grass, brown, forest, grove, pines, glacier point, apron, cliff, rock, mountain, yosemite, valley, national park, season, fog, mist, clouds, landscape, nature, scenic, travel, stock

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

Tree and Cliff, Yosemite Valley

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Tree and Cliff, Yosemite Valley

Tree and Cliff, Yosemite Valley. Yosemite National Park, California. November 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A lone tree growing against a cliff face in Yosemite Valley near the Ahwahnee Hotel.

I often walk along the north wall of the Valley between Yosemite Village and the Ahwahnee looking for interesting rocks, trees and plants, or seasonal waterfalls – especially in fall and spring. This time I had been shooting an oak tree against this section of the lower cliff when I spotted this less colorful tree nearby and, on a whim, decided to shoot a few frames. (The conditions were "interesting." It rained all weekend and was sprinkling as I made this photograph.)

keywords: tree, fir, cliff, rock, crack, root, rock, lichen, leaves, green, brown, trunk, rain, wet, ahwahnee, hotel, yosemite, valley, national park, scenic, landscape, nature, travel, fall, autumn, california, usa, stock

Photographs: Sierra Nevada, Photographs: Yosemite

Fletcher Lake Shoreline, Morning

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Fletcher Lake Shoreline, Morning

Fletcher Lake Shoreline, Morning. Yosemite National Park, California. September 7, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning light on the shoreline of Fletcher Lake in the Yosemite National Park backcountry near the Vogelsang High Sierra Camp.

Yet another in the series of photographs of Fletcher Lake on an early September morning as the sun was just rising above the shoulder of Fletcher Peak. This cove is at the upper end of the lake near the inlet stream flowing down from Townsley Lake.

keywords: fletcher, lake, vogelsang, high, sierra, camp, nevada, wilderness, backpack, hike, camp, morning, light, tree, forest, meadow, grass, shore, rock, boulder, talus, water, reflection, brush, bush, yosemite, national park, california, usa, landscape, scenic, travel, outdoor, stock, nature