Mitchell troga full#

There is a central section with strong growth, but to the right is one of those gray trunks that is almost granitic, to the point that lichen grows on it.Ice and Snow on Tioga Pass and Tioga Lake This vignette includes much of what I see in such trees. The clouds softened the light, revealing details that might otherwise be lost in harsh shadows. We were surprised by rain on our recent visit to the Yosemite high country. The texture and coloration of the wood of these trees seems almost to have more in common with the granite than with other trees. But portions of the trees carry on, slowly putting out new growth. These slow-growing trees are often seem stunted and twisted, and sometimes they seem more dead than alive. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.įor as long as I’ve gone to the Sierra I have marveled at trees eking out an existence on little more than whatever collects in narrow cracks in granite. Here the water passes around a large rock that somehow ended up in the middle of the stream, and the moving surface of the creek reflects the surrounding forest, mountains, and the sky.Ī group of very old and weathered trees, Yosemite National Park. On this day I finally stopped and took the time to poke around a bit here, and I made a few photographs of shallow water flowing over granite slabs. But such rocks and such streams are as much a part of the experience of this place as the waterfalls, cliffs, and alpine peaks.įor years I had passed by a particular little bit of creek, glimpsed quickly as I passed by on my way to other places. Like some rock sitting in an anonymous stream. But these days I’m often more interested in looking for less-obvious things that perhaps have not ever been photographed. You might think that when visiting a place with the spectacular scenic views found in Yosemite that I might find something a bit more… profound to photograph. That isn’t just a line of anonymous ridges and peaks to me - it brings back memories of many backcountry trips… including one memorable cross-country adventure across a portion of it!Ī Sierra stream flows around a rock, reflecting trees and sky. I’ve backpacked to, around, and over that distant ridge too many times to remember them all.

The photograph comes from that wonderful early summer period when the meadows are still green and lush… but no longer so wet that they often are more lake than land. But I also recall that, for whatever reason, several times he came close to heading out on the trail only to call it off at the last minute.) I recall that he acquired various pieces of fascinating gear. Tuolumne was where I had my first experience with the “High Sierra” many years ago, when my Dad took us there for a camping trip - and an aborted attempt at backpacking.

This is a view I’ve known for many decades, looking across Tuolumne Meadows toward peaks in the area of Mount Conness. The remnants of afternoon clouds dissipate before sunset above Yosemite mountains and meadow.Įvening Sky, Meadow and Mountains. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell. (Click this post’s title first if you are viewing on the home page.)Īll media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Scroll down to leave a comment or question. Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information. 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” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.īlog | About | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Mitchell troga full#

Particularly in the early season - late spring and the start of summer - spots like this can be lush and full of new greenery and wildflowers. This little “baby forest” vignette is from high in the subalpine zone in the Yosemite Sierra, in the young forest near the edge of a meadow, a place where new trees can gain a foothold out of the literal shadows of the more established trees. (If you know a bit about “minimalism,” you may recognize that filling space with details can also be a characteristic.) Sometimes the pure density and complexity of the scene is enough, though at other times the challenge is in finding a viable composition among so much detail. While I often prefer to minimize the content of photographs when possible - some of my favorites qualify as minimalist images - I also have a weakness for trying to make photographs out of extremely dense subjects. Lodgepole pines growing at the edge of the meadow at Tioga Passīaby Forest.