Recently, I noted this aspen trunk, and thought that it would make a good vertical panorama. Converting it to black and white using Nik Silver Efex Pro seemed to give this already graphical image the punch it needed to stand on its own.
Click on the image to see a larger version!
Aspen Trunk, September 2010
With 2010 moving towards autumn, fall colors are on many photographers’ minds. Just this weekend, Phil Colla published on his blog a very helpful list of fall color resources. I won’t repeat them all here, but I did want to add some of my own observations.
We hiked into the North Fork of Big Pine Creek on 9/10-9/11. Below 9,000′, there is no fall color yet, with all the aspen still being green. However, above 9,000′, and up to 10,000′ there is color starting to appear. Some trees have beautiful golden or red sections, and a few (read: very few) trees have already turned completely.
Early Fall Colors, September 2010
The above photo illustrates well what we observed between 9,000′ and 10,000′ elevation. I would guess that in 2-3 more weeks the colors will really be hopping at higher elevations, as well as moving down in altitude.
As a sidenote, some of the cottonwoods in the Owens Valley appear to be losing some of their color, but nothing striking yet.
After reading Lyell Canyon, we hiked into Tuolumne Meadows–and civilization. I have to admit that I feel like a bit of a prat “complaining” about re-entry into civilization after “only” 5 days in the backcountry, but I felt so relaxed and at ease from our adventures thus far, it was difficult to cope with suddenly being surrounded by cars, pets, and people…everywhere. But, the cheeseburger I bought at the Meadow Grill was very welcome!
We had somewhat heavy rain all afternoon, and a fantastic sunset that night. Unfortunately, I rode to Lee Vining with my wife and son to have dinner and help her get ready to join us on the trail the next morning. She was more than a little excited for her first backpacking trip, and I couldn’t blame her. How many people get to have their first backpacking experience among the most beautiful and awe-inspiring scenery in the world?
The following morning, with my friend and wife as company, we headed out towards Yosemite Valley, crossing over the Cathedral Range towards Sunrise High Sierra Camp (HSC). The HSCs are fantastic camps with all the comforts at home. We did our own cooking, but did enjoy not having to filter our water. I also have to confess that I enjoyed the Minarets and the Ritter Range so much that I though the best scenery was behind us, but the views of the Echo Peaks, Mathes Crest, and Cathedral Range were among the finest of the entire trip.
That evening, I hiked up on top of a dome near Sunrise HSC to photograph these fantastic geological features.
Cathedral Peak, the Echo Peaks, and Mathes Crest, July 2010
The Echo Peaks, July 2010
Stream in Long Meadow, July 2010
It really was a fantastic evening, and was just a taste of what was to come.
After leaving Garnet Lake, we hiked to Thousand Island Lake to spend the night. While it was a busier place than we’d have hoped to settle down for the night (due to the convergence of the Pacific Crest and John Muir trails, as well as its proximity to Agnew Meadows for weekend backpackers), it surely is a gorgeous lake, and we were happy to camp on a little bench overlooking the water, giving us time to ponder whether there really are 1,000 islands.
Moonrise, Thousand Island Lake, July 2010
Since we were camped a little above 10,000′ elevation, we also encountered the first marmots of our trip. As a side note, our trip thus far had been surprisingly sparse of any wildlife sightings, with very few if any mammals. I spent some time in the evening trying to photograph a couple of marmots near our campsite to no avail, but I did enjoy some of the patterns present in the talus, and think they work really well as black and white images.
Talus abstract, July 2010
Of course, the big photographic attraction at Thousand Island Lake is a fantastic sunrise view of Banner Peak (Mt. Ritter is hidden behind Banner), and although this mountain has been photographed many times, I couldn’t resist getting up early the following morning to enjoy another fantastic sunrise in the Sierra Nevada.
Banner Peak at dawn, July 2010
After dawn, we ate breakfast and packed up, facing a long day. This would be our final day in the Ansel Adams Wilderness; our plan was to cross over Donohue Pass and into Yosemite National Park. More on that in my next post. To see all of my Sierra Nevada Photos, click here.
After leaving our fantastic campsite on Minaret Lake, we rejoined the John Muir Trail and headed north. For about six miles after the junction with the Minaret Lake trail, the JMT has to skirt a large volcanic ridge in order to get anywhere. The trail isn’t difficult to follow, but it is all uphill, and its about 6 additional miles to a small, secluded lake–Rosalie Lake, where we decided to camp for the night. This made for about a 12-mile day. Unfortunately, the mosquitoes were much worse than we’d seen, and I’d even say they were maddening. Of course, if there’s a mosquito within 100 miles, it’ll find me. It just goes to show that a tent can not only be shelter, but sanctuary.
I got out the next morning to photograph sunrise on Rosalie, and got some nice images of the volcanic ridge we’d been hiking around lit up in the early morning light.
Rosalie Lake and Volcanic Ridge at dawn, July 2010
After eating breakfast and packing up, we headed down the trail to Shadow Lake, which is easily accessible as a day hike from Agnew Meadows. We walked around Shadow Lake and headed on to Garnet Lake, which is a bit iconic, but still very pretty. Garnet Lake offers fantastic views of the northern Ritter Range, especially Mt. Ritter and Banner Peak. I thought some submerged logs in Garnet would make a great foreground for this image.
Garnet Lake, July 2010
At Garnet Lake, I also found a great example of what can happen if you look underfoot. The rocks here were fantastic, and had gorgeous bands of what I think is olivine (maybe serpentinite?) embedded in them. I couldn’t help but photograph these rocks. I used Tony Kuyper’s luminosity masks to really make the colors glow.
Garnet Lake Rocks, July 2010
We would continue on to Thousand Island Lake to spend the night. That’ll be the subject of my next blog entry. In the meantime, check out all of my Sierra Nevada photos by clicking here.
“To the south of Mount Ritter are some grand pinnacles of granite, very lofty and apparently inaccessible, to which we gave the name of ‘the Minarets.’” –California Geological Survey, 1868
I’ve always loved the view of the Minarets from Minaret Summit, behind Mammoth Mountain. When the opportunity came up to hike into Minaret Lake, at the base of these fantastic spires, I jumped on it. The Minarets are an arête, a high, thin ridge formed when two glaciers work toward each other, back to back.
The hike into the lake is somewhat demanding, gaining about 2200 vertical feet over 7.8 miles. We arrived in Mammoth about 1pm, and after catching the shuttle to Devil’s Postpile National Monument, we were able to hike into the lake by 7pm. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to spend much time, as this was a spur trip from our goal of hiking the last 1/3 of the John Muir Trail. We had to leave again by 9am the following morning, giving me time to photograph only one sunset and sunrise. I would have liked to spend a few more days at this location alone!
Minaret Lake evening, July 2010
The Minarets at night, July 2010
Self-portrait, Minaret Lake, July 2010
We’ve just returned from our trip along the last ~1/3 of the John Muir Trail in the Sierra Nevada. It was pretty fantastic, and I think the “mozzies” could have been a lot worse than they were (this is good news for someone who once had the nickname “Skeeter Bait!”). I’ll be writing a lot about this trip in the next few weeks, but I thought it only appropriate to choose an image from the Sierra for my August Photo of the Month.
This image is from our first campsite on our journey, Minaret Lake, which is behind Mammoth Lakes, California. At dawn, I found a great little cascade to use as a foreground element while the morning light illuminated the Minarets in the background. It certainly is rugged country up there, and I like the way this image displays that. Hope you enjoy it!
Minaret Lake Cascade, July 2010
Over the next few days, I hope to update albums with some new images–stay tuned!
Today, we’re off to the Sierra Nevada for an 8-day backpacking/photography trip that will take us to the base of the Minarets, and along the John Muir trail to Yosemite Valley. I’ll be posting journal entries as well as (hopefully) many new photos when we return at the end of July. Be sure to check back for updates on the trip.
Its been 100+ at my home here in inland southern California for almost a week now; it will be nice to escape the heat in the high country. I’m almost certain, however, that the mosquitoes will be numerous and large enough to pull me down the trail, if I can figure out a way to harness them.
My hiking partner put together a GPS file of our route. We’ll be starting at Devil’s Postpile, in the lower right, and ending at Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley. You can click on the image to see a larger version. Enjoy, have a great month, and see you when I return!
I took this photo over Memorial Day weekend when I got up early to photograph the morning light on Mammoth Mountain. I loved the light on this rugged peak very much, and I like the way the light contrasts with the sagebrush in the foreground. However, I do not know the name of this peak…can you help?
The mountain-whose-name-is-unknown is visible from California 203 (its south of the highway), not far from the junction with US 395. Any help is appreciated. If you can’t help, then at least enjoy the image!
Morning light in the Sierra Nevada, May 2010
To see all of my photographs from the Sierra Nevada, click here.
Despite the fact its one of the more cliché and popular mountains in the Sierra, Mammoth Mountain is one of my favorites. Why? For starters, its a very tectonic hill.
Mammoth is a lava dome complex that is known primarily for the large ski area that bears the same name. Mammoth Mountain was formed in a series of eruptions that ended 57,000 years ago. However, it still produces hazardous volcanic gases that kill trees and have caused ski patroller fatalities in 2006.
In addition to being very active geologically, Mammoth is also well known for its unusually high amount of snowfall–about 400″ annually. In the summer, mountain bikers take over the mountain, with the Kamikaze downhill run being very popular.
Mammoth Mountain at dawn, May 2010
To see all of my photographs from the Sierra Nevada, click here.
