Tag Archives: season

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Trees, Morning Light

March 21, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Sunlight illuminates trees on a spring morning at Pinnacles National Park

On this first return visit to Pinnacles National Park in about three decades — the last time I visited the place it was still called Pinnacles National Monument — I approached from the west through the small Salinas Valley town of Soledad, heading east into the low, grass-covered hills, ascending wooded valleys, and then passing through vineyard country where I had my first good views of the pinnacles. Until that point much of the drive did not bring back any memories, but that view was much as I remembered. I continued a bit further, passed the expected national park entrance sign, arrived at the kiosk, and went into the nearby ranger station to show my permit. This faculty seemed new to me, and it certainly had not been there years back when we simply drove up the end of the road and camped. This time I got back on the road and continued toward the end of the road.

One expects to simply ascend to the end of this road, but the route surprised me by descending into the valley where that old campground (now gone over twenty years) was once located. Along this descent the road passed by the beautiful California “impossible green” spring landscape of new grass, budding trees, and a few wildflowers. At one point the road turned to the right and descended, and in front of me was a high ridge with back-light flowing over its summit and striking the trees from behind. Those who know me know that I’m completely unable to resist back-lit trees, so I pulled over and paused to make a few photographs before continuing the short distance to the trailhead.

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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Oaks, Trail, Spring

March 15, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Old oak trees along a Northern California trail through spring grasslands

When people think of the landscape of California, many think of impressive and famous subjects: the redwoods, the Pacific Ocean coast, the High Sierra, perhaps the deserts. But those of us who live here know that one of the most characteristics is that of the oak grasslands. The sprawl along the low hills found all over the state and manage to climb up into mountains in many places — on both sides of the Central Valley, along the coastal hills, and more.

This tree and I go back perhaps twenty years, to when I first “discovered” this park just south of the main population centers of the San Francisco Bay Area. The specific location isn’t really important to anyone else, since you can find similar landscapes in many other places. But this tree is special to me. It sits along a trail that I have hiked many times, a steep but short one that takes me to the top of a bare hill and then down into a valley from which more distant trails branch out. I’ve photographed this sprawling oak throughout the year — summer, fall, winter and spring, in rain and fog and heat. This time I photographed on a late-winter California day that, as they sometimes do, felt more like spring.

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

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Oaks, Spring

March 13, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Spring green comes to the oak-covered hills of Northern California

After all of these years, I’m still amazed by the arrival of California’s season of “impossible green,” when in late winter the grasses that are so dry and brown for much of the year erupt into a lush green that blankets the hills. When summer visitors express surprise at California’s dry summers, I always want to say, “Come back in March!”

I headed out on this morning for several reasons. First and foremost, I wanted to hike a bit. But I also wanted to do a bit of wildflower reconnaissance. (The quick report: In the place I visited the biggest wildflower show is yet to come.) In addition, I wanted to see what this year’s rainy winter has done to a landscape that has been very, very dry for half of a decade. For the first time in years, there was water everywhere. Water was flowing out of every little valley and alluvial hillsides were sponge-full of water that is leaking out the bottom. After so many dry springs, I think I actually enjoyed having to work my way around ponds of muddy water and occasionally slog right through the mud!

Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: The Southwest, Photographs: Utah

Boulder Mountain Aspens

February 26, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Late season aspen groves, Boulder Mountain

These beautiful aspen groves stretch great distances up the hillsides in this area of Boulder Mountain in Utah. The road from Boulder to Torrey passes across an open section as it rises from Boulder, and here there are expansive views, uninterrupted by other kinds of trees. I had first seen this area during a spring visit, and this autumn visit was something of a follow-up.

I suppose that we actually arrived too late for the peak color, and it is clear that many of the trees further up the slope have lost virtually all of their color. On the other hand, the juxtaposition of the bare hillside and the bare upper groves with the scattered end-of-season color in the foreground trees only makes their color that much more striking.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: season

Trees, Morning Light

Oaks, Trail, Spring

Oaks, Spring

Boulder Mountain Aspens

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