Hetch Hetchy

I went to Yosemite last week to chill for a couple days. Here's the classic shot of the Valley from Wawona tunnel. Bridalveil Falls on the right...flowing strongly. Some other falls are dry at this time of year.

Yosemite is not known for fall color, but there is some. This is near Hetch Hetchy.

Wapama Falls, running into Hetch Hetchy reservoir. It's about 500 feet high.

Hetch Hetchy reservoir. It's beautiful as a lake, but until the valley was dammed in the 1920s, the scene was described by John Muir as being equal in grandeur to Yosemite.

Granite and water meet in Hetch Hetchy, enhanced by the low autumnal sun. The large rocks in the foreground are glacial erratics, left behind after the passage of the Pleistocene ice sheets.

Carson Pass Autumn

On Friday Oct 8 I drove home from Tahoe via Carson Pass. In most areas, the leaves were not turning yet; I was about a week early. But just east of the junction of highways 88 and 89, near Sorensen's resort, I found a patch of aspens in full color. There were many photographers swarming over the site. Next weekend...Oct 16-17...should be just right.

Aspens are beautiful from afar, or close up.

At Carson Pass, I went for a stroll and discovered legions of white fir cones on the ground. The tree is common in the Sierra at high elevations.

Snow fell at high elevations earlier in the week. Here, at Carson Pass, the remnants created fine patterns of color and light on the forest floor.

Caples Lake, with fresh snow on the peaks in the background.

Autumn Vistas at Tahoe

I spent the past several days at Lake Tahoe. It was a five day trip...leave Monday, return Friday. When I retired, I envisioned doing a lot of these excursions, but in reality most of my journeys have been shorter or longer. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay at a friend's house at Tahoe and just cocooned for four nights; did a lot of reading and guitar playing while the rain poured down. But, lots of clouds are great for photography; the light is dramatic and rapidly changing. This pic is at Secret Harbor Beach, on the Nevada side. You have to hike about a mile to get here, and on a summer weekend there are a lot of folks skinny dipping here. But on an October weekday with the temperature in the mid 40s, it was just me, in jeans and a heavy duty sweatshirt.

On a cold, overcast day, the normally azure lake metamorphoses into a gunmetal gray. I have a mix of emotions. The scene is tranquil, yet ominous. It's beautiful. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, this type of weather is in my DNA. I enjoy it...for a few days.

The autumn sun tries to shine weakly through the clouds, producing awesome light.

More fine light. Tahoe mesmerizes me, no matter what type of weather is occurring. It's a magical place. If I was wealthy enough to have two homes, I'd have one here.

This past Wednesday was fairly sunny, with a brisk northeasterly wind kicking up some surf. I reckon the deserted beach speaks of summer past, while the snowcapped peaks show that winter is on the way.