High Sierra Topix

I have to dig deep to find a few worth posting here. 20 months since I last walked above 1000 feet, and 2021 may turn out to be another non-mountain year. Too much stuff happening here for me to make any solid plans. I have a lot of flexibility now, but too many projects are currently underway to see with any certainty if there will be a window of opportunity to head to the Sierra Nevada. August/September maybe.

I've been coming here very frequently to tank up on some good Sierra inspiration.

Meanwhile, from my last day in the mountains in 2019, sunrise above Bishop Pass


The day begins in style

Poor weather in the Sierra is always bittersweet... Peakbagging may get scrubbed for the day, but the photography opportunities improve.

White Mountain (near Taboose), in July 2018.

My favorite image from my recent trip up Taboose Creek. These are Water Birch trees.

Probably my favorite campsite in the Lake Tahoe basin. This view never gets old

Kibbie Lake June 13, 2021 6:09 am or about 15 minutes after astronomical sunrise so still in warm yellow phase light. Hand held small image with my tiny Canon ELPH190 as did not bring A6000 gear. 3000x2200 pixels. Not bad Internet sized output for a hand held for a dated tiny compact digital camera huh! With any snow now already melted at 8k highest elevations of this bedrock glaciated drainage, sunny temps warming bedrock ground temperatures for weeks, there is little cool air sumping at night so excellent calm morning air on many days. Note how at frame left the middle ground ridge is nicely in rich sunlight while the further background ridge east of the lake is still shadowed allowing the middle ridge to stand out prominently. Frame right at he base of the tall red trunk of the Jeffrey pine are some white dots from the large very fragrant western azalea flower bushes that bloom in June at this special lake. Parts of this landscapes burned in 2009 and again during the 2013 Rim Fire.

Now here is the bragger...Several minutes later further along this still shadowed north shore that even has some quaking aspen but is mostly a lodgepole bracken fern garden, I landed a 12 inch female rainbow on a Kastmaster that at noon pan fried in our usual way with a wee oil that removes the backbone, and gets it extra dry & crispy + salt...2gud!.
(mouse select to enlarge)

redpakotasea wrote: ↑Tue Jul 27, 2021 9:38 am

Nice, I really dig the bottom one.

From a 3 nighter in PB a couple of weeks ago. This is the first trip I didn't take my DSLR as I had finished a trip in Granite Park and Bear Lakes Basin a few days before this trip that kicked my butt and I didn't have the strength left in my legs to take my full setup. So I took my Sony a6300 which decreased my camera gear weight from 12 pounds to 6 pounds. I've never really liked the a6300, for various reasons, but started to warm up to it on the trip. I think I just never really took the time to adjust to a mirrorless camera after years with my DSLR. Anyways, I really liked how this one turned out.

Great shot BC!