Shapes and Scenes in the Sierra

Hangin' out in the eastern Sierra.  This is a large, dry, stark, beautiful land, where the landscape is dramatic.  It's harsh here, and people are few, at least by California standards.  The land is peaceful and majestic.  Here, indian paintbrush thrive alongside sage.  Both are flexible plants...they thrive here, more than ten thousand feet above sea level, in a dry, cold climate, and they prosper near sea level in the benign weather of the Monterey area.

Classic shot of Tenaya Lake, in Yosemite on the Tioga road.  I've loved it here since my first visit in 1977.  Though it's 8000 feet above sea level, the water is wadable, even swimmable...about 70 degrees near the shore.

Whitebark pine needles.

Rocks, reeds, and water at Heart Lake, in the High Sierra.

Long Lake, elevation 10,500 feet.  And no mosquitoes!

The cliff face at Long Lake slowly, steadily breaks up, depositing loose rocks at the bottom.

A wet meadow...with driftwood!  Must have washed down during a flood.

Clouds are massing and glowering over the high peaks.  Thunder rumbled for quite a while...it was nice to listen to it, and hear no other sounds except the wind and rushing water.  It rained lightly but never really cut loose.

Rocks at the bottom of Heart Lake.  Gray, calm days in the Sierra are delightfully pensive.

Billowing clouds over the high peaks.

Mammatus clouds over the whitebark pines.

Rain falling in Mack Lake.

Fireweed.  Also a flexible plant, it thrives from Fairbanks to the Sierra, from sea level to two miles up.