Tag Archives: summit

Pine Trees, Edge of the Forest

Pine Trees, Edge of the Forest

Pine Trees, Edge of the Forest. Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park, California. July 11, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Lodgepole pines stand at the edge of the forest next to Tioga Meadows, Yosemite National Park, California.

I have photographed these trees before. They are found at the edge of the meadow along the left side of the road after you leave the forest near the Mono Trail parking lot and enter the meadow at Tioga Pass and approach the entrance station. Several things intrigue me about the trees in this area: they mark the edge of dense forest into which it is difficult to see, few people stop to look at them, they border the meadows, and they sometimes are illuminated late in the day by light reflecting from Mount Dana’s lower slopes to the east.

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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keywords: pine, lodgepole, tamarack, tree, forest, grove, trunk, branch, needle, meadow, tioga, alpine, thick, dense, grass, flora, pass, road, yosemite, national park, california, usa, sierra, nevada, range, mountains, summit, crest, landscape, nature, travel, scenic, stock, green, edge, dark

New Spring Growth, Dana Fork, Tuolumne River

New Spring Growth, Dana Fork, Tuolumne River

New Spring Growth, Dana Fork, Tuolumne River. Yosemite National Park, California. June 7, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

New spring growth comes to life in a waterlogged meadow along the Dana fork of the Tuolumne River beneath snow-dusted summits of Mounts Dana and Gibbs, Yosemite National Park, California.

I think I shot this scene as much for reasons of recording nature as for any aesthetic reasons. It is a bit unusual for me to get to Tuolumne so early in the season – though it isn’t the first time, and I’ve even been there when snow was still on the ground – so I thought it was interesting to catch this meadow while it was still completely waterlogged from spring runoff and before the more familiar lush green growth of the high season had appeared.

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.

keywords: new, spring, growth, dana, fork, tuolumne, river, water, waterlogged, meadow, mount, dana, gibbs, yosemite, national, park, california, usa, plant, grass, twig, reflection, forest, tree, mountain, crest, summit, sierra, nevada, range, cloud, light, snow, dusted, landscape, nature, travel, scenic, stock, brown, summer, tioga, pass, road

Tuolumne Meadows, Evening

Tuolumne Meadows, Evening

Tuolumne Meadows, Evening. Yosemite National Park, California. July 10, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

An evening with developing lenticular clouds above Mounts Dana and Gibbs, Lembert Dome, and Tuolumne Meadows – Yosemite National Park, California.

A friend or two who know about my “musical life” may appreciate the use of the term crescendo to describe the sequence of five photographs that begins with this one. I don’t want to give the story away in advance here, so you’ll need to check back over the next few days to see where this leads.

This photograph was made along the bank of the Tuolumne River not far from where the John Muir Trail crosses a bridge to the old Parson’s Lodge. When I made this photograph the sun was just about to drop behind the low ridges behind me at the west end of the Meadows, so here the forest and river are picking up the very last direct sun of the day.

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.

keywords: yosemite, national, park, california, usa, sierra nevada, summer, tuolumne, tioga, develop, lenticular, cloud, river, meadow, bar, gravel, water, ripple, flow, rock, boulder, plant, grass, tree, forest, evening, afternoon, light, lembert, dome, mount, dana, gibbs, kuna, crest, mammoth, peak, reflection, mountains, landscape, scenic, travel, nature, stock, summit

Chase Group at Top of Tunitas Road, 2009 Amgen Tour of California

Chase Group at Top of Tunitas Road, 2009 Amgen Tour of California

Chase Group at Top of Tunitas Road, 2009 Amgen Tour of California. Santa Cruz Mountains, California. February 16, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The chase group, led by Rock Racing with Astana’s Lance Armstrong right behind, tops the Tunitas Road climb in rain during state 2 of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California.

The lead group had arrived at the top of Tunitas Road just ahead of this chase group led by Rock Racing (likely trying to protect their rider who started the stage in the yellow jersey) and including Lance Armstrong. The stage had begun on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge in heavy rain, travelled down the coast past Half Moon Bay, and then headed up this steep road through redwood forests to arrive at Skyline Road. Any cyclist who has ever done a long, hard ride in pouring rain can relate to the looks of the faces of these riders.

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.

keywords: rock, racing, lance, armstrong, astana, tunitas road, climb, hill, summit, turn, curve, crowd, amgen, 2009, tour, of, california, usa, bicycle, bike, cycle, cyclist, race, racer, stage, road, race, rain, weather, wet, peloton, chase, group, determination, professional, pro, stock