fstopandsee

This huge boulder has a pretty epic view of the Sierra. There’s no telling how many sunny days and storms this rock has seen in its time.

This was on the beginning of a long drive from the west side to the east side of the Sierra Nevadas. The drive ahead of me was long, but I made time to stop for this beautiful sunset!

It is raining off in the distance, but it is too late to save this dead tree. I loved the contrast of green plants, the old tree, and the clouds in the sky at this spot.

This was taken in a year when there was more water in California to keep rivers flowing and plants growing. Bassi Falls had plenty of snowmelt from above to create many tiny waterfalls over the granite.

Cold temps didn’t mean that much snow, but they did mean some interesting ice formed on this creek.

I spent a long, cold hour and 38 minutes by Donner Lake in April to get this shot. The process consisted of continuously taking photos and later combining them to show the the stars moving across the night sky. I also missed five and a half minutes when my camera stopped, creating what looks like a break in the trails. At first I didn’t like this, but the effect is growing on me. Multiple trains passing through gave the foreground an added bonus of a streak of light through the mountain. I’m happy with this first attempt and excited to try it again!

Carson peak rises above Silver Lake with just a dusting of snow. I was lucky enough to get an early storm a few days before my trip to see the fall colors, and it made the wait for the sun to rise above the mountains worth it.

The fall colors are winding down but I’m not done just yet. These Eastern Sierra aspens were a nice mix of yellows and greens and bright sunlight shining through!

Just before sunset, the aspens on Monitor Pass lit up the most brilliant yellow I have ever seen.

My first fall trip to the Eastern Sierra Nevada in fall was a great success. The leaves were in full color and the weather was fantastic. One large tree standing above the rest got my attention. I’m an engineer, and I solved the problem of the sun being in my face by creating a sun star.