Enjoying the sunrise at the base of Ritter peak as seen from the headwaters above Nydiver Lake in the Ansel Adams wilderness. This was day 4 of a 5 day cross country route that was a version on the popular Minaret Lake-Thousand Island Lake loop.

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This trip was our variation on a popular off-trail backpacking route out of Devil’s Postpile National Monument into the Ansel Adam’s wilderness. We took 5 days for lots of landscape photography and the extra weight that entails, but the trip can be made in 3 days. Though 5 is a nice pace with time for lots of exploration, and many of these locations you will have to yourself. Upon entering Devil’s Postpile, you either have to camp in a campground or take the shuttle bus in from the Mammoth Mountain lodge unless you go in and come out before 6am or 7:30 pm. We camped at Agnew Meadows, where the trailhead starts. This is a great spot, not too scenic, but far enough away from the monument and the river to allow for open spaces often enough.

We took the River trail, also called the lower trail, out to Thousand Island Lakes. This is the best trail option out as the PCT is high, exposed and has very little water along the 8+ mile route. We made it after about 4-5 hours of easy hiking and selected a spot far around on the north-west side of the lake. Thousand Island Lake can get crowded, and the farther north and west you go, the less people you see. Plus there are no trails on that side of the lake, but since the rest of our route was cross-country, we were perfectly set up.

Next we crossed over a low granite saddle to Garnet Lake and descended to a lush meadow just below Banner peak that was cut with deep, clear glacial streams. We loved that spot so much, never saw a soul and found spots to swim in that looked way better than the actual lake about 300 feet below us. Plus it was the meteor shower and there was a large flat granite bench overlooking the lake that made for perfect star watching.

Our third day found us staring at an almost vertical wall of granite and loose rock separating Garnet lake from Nydiver lake. Nathan and I had at it with no problems and signaled the rest of our group waiting below that it was not as steep as it looked. Everyone made it just fine and we descended the other side to the crown jewel of our trip, the completely untouched, unvisited Nydiver lake. Actually it is 3 lakes and a great granite cliff that looks nearly 1000ft straight down at Ediza Lake. Snow still surrounded this lake in spots and we found great jumping rocks and a few good flat spots to camp. We were so isolated, the girls walked around topless all day working on their burning man tans. This spot also proved excellent for nighttime star trail photography and photographs of the alpen-glow on Banner and Ritter peaks in the morning.

From Nydiver, we crossed a small granite saddle directly to the west and followed the most amazing glacial valley all the way down to Ediza Lake. I swear, you could not help but spontaneously burst out singing Edelweiss. This day was to prove our longest. After coming down to Ediza, we had some route-finding difficulties in the high meadow just above it crossing counter-clockwise around the lake and had to ford two steep streams and bushwhack through the brush. The better choice would have been to descend to lakeside and continue clockwise around the lake until you pick up the well-marked trail to Iceberg lake.

Above Iceberg lake was the most technical and difficult of the climbs on steep loose rock with some minor exposure. Nathan and I had to go back down and get the girls packs from them for the last few hundred feet, but we all made it to the top at 10,239 foot Cecile Lake and collapsed in the snow surrounding it. Well, ok, Monique and I jumped in that lake too.

The final leg of our day had us dropping about 800 feet from Cecile lake to Minaret lake, the camping spot for the final night. The map indicated a gently sloping glacial valley coming off the right side of the lake as you are looking downhill toward Minaret lake. Problem was, it started with a neigh unscalable 40 foot cliff. After some poking around, I found a scree field against the cliffs to the far left as looking downhill that then crossed a bench left to right and regained the glacial valley after it mellowed out. We followed this down to Minaret lake without incident and had a great night camping. From Minaret lake, you pick up the trail back to the ranger station at Devil’s Postpile.

The total distance is about 30 miles with an elevation gain/loss of about 5000 feet total.

Catching up on some reading and route planning near sunset at Thousand Island lake at the base of Banner peak in the Ansel Adams wilderness. This was day 1 of a 4 day cross country route that was a version on the popular Minaret Lake-Thousand Island Lake loop.

Our tent is pitched on the rocks above Thousand Island lake at the base of Banner peak in the Ansel Adams wilderness. This was day 1 of a 4 day cross country route that was a version on the popular Minaret Lake-Thousand Island Lake loop.

Waking up with views of Banner peak as seen from the headwaters above Garnet Lake in the Ansel Adams wilderness. This was day 3 of a 5 day cross country route that was a version on the popular Minaret Lake-Thousand Island Lake loop.

Climbing the steep and moderately difficult route above Garnet Lake that connects over to Nydiver Lake in the Ansel Adams wilderness. This was day 3 of a 5 day cross country route that was a version on the popular Minaret Lake-Thousand Island Lake loop.

Sunrise and reflection at the base of Ritter peak as seen from the headwaters above Nydiver Lake in the Ansel Adams wilderness. This was day 4 of a 5 day cross country route that was a version on the popular Minaret Lake-Thousand Island Lake loop.

Panoramic shot of sunrise and reflection at the base of Ritter peak as seen from the headwaters above Nydiver Lake in the Ansel Adams wilderness. This was day 4 of a 5 day cross country route that was a version on the popular Minaret Lake-Thousand Island Lake loop.

Getting a little high altitude fly fishing in at Nydiver lake, which is actually a complex of 3 lakes in Ansel Adams wilderness. This was day 3 of a 5 day cross country route that was a version on the popular Minaret Lake-Thousand Island Lake loop.

Hiking out from Nydiver Lake at the base of Ritter on our way across country to our final night at Minaret lake in the Ansel Adams wilderness. This was day 4 of a 5 day cross country route that was a version on the popular Minaret Lake-Thousand Island Lake loop.

We followed a spectacular glacial valley down from Nydiver Lake at the base of Mt. Ritter, to Ediza lake in the Ansel Adams wilderness. The glacier started just a few hundred feet above me and the water was cold and pure. This was day 4 of a 5 day cross country route that was a version on the popular Minaret Lake-Thousand Island Lake loop.

Some of the stream crossings and route finding became a little more difficult as we rounded the west side of Ediza lake in search of the trail to Iceberg Lake in the Ansel Adams wilderness. This was day 4 of a 5 day cross country route that was a version on the popular Minaret Lake-Thousand Island Lake loop.

Paintbrush were still in bloom along the 9,000+ foot glacial valley leading up to Iceberg Lake in the Ansel Adams wilderness. This was day 4 of a 5 day cross country route that was a version on the popular Minaret Lake-Thousand Island Lake loop.

The most difficult and dangerous climb was the steep and loose rock at the southern end of Iceberg lake heading up to Cecile Lake in the Ansel Adams wilderness. This was day 4 of a 5 day cross country route that was a version on the popular Minaret Lake-Thousand Island Lake loop.

Snow angels in the August snow around Cecil lake, our highest lake at 10,239 feet after a difficult and long climb up from Iceberg Lake in the Ansel Adams wilderness. This was day 4 of a 5 day cross country route that was a version on the popular Minaret Lake-Thousand Island Lake loop.

A small stream entering into Minaret lake in the Ansel Adams wilderness. The map shows the best possible cross country route down from Cecil lake to Minaret lake as a mellow glacial valley on descenders right. It starts with a class 5, 40-f00t cliff. The best way is to head descenders far left and descend the scree pile against the left-hand mountain base. This was day 4 of a 5 day cross country route that was a version on the popular Minaret Lake-Thousand Island Lake loop.

Star trails over the moonlit minarets just above minaret lake in the Ansel Adams wilderness. This was day 5 of a 5 day cross country route that was a version on the popular Minaret Lake-Thousand Island Lake loop.

Sunrise and alpen glow off the Minarets above Minaret Lake on our final day of a 5 day cross country route that was a version on the popular Minaret Lake-Thousand Island Lake loop in the Ansel Adams Wilderness.

A heat induced lightning storm kicked up around 12,000 ft over the White Mountains.

Let me first start by saying that I have a lot of stories in the pipeline at the moment. Most of which are shot and just waiting to get posted, so take a second to click the orange radio button at the top right to subscribe to my feed if you are interested in stories and photography about the environment and our natural resources. A few of the things coming soon: GLORIA week, global climate change survey in high alpine environments. This is the first re-survey of North America since the initial alpine climate surveys took place in 2004. Come with to see how an international protocol is helping us get a handle on how climate change is affecting our fragile alpine environments. Also, join me on a kayaking trip to the moon. Well, actually it just looks like the moon, but like the moon, you probably won’t see a soul. Also coming soon in regular installations, a year-long road trip through Nevada, looking at her history and story through her (often obscure) state parks. Plus much more.

Now, on to matters at hand. I haven’t had so much fun working at a computer since, well, never. When I pulled up the raw image files on my computer after coming back from the White Mountains, it was like diving into an amazing book. I couldn’t stop. I had to tone all night long until I had at least a good portion of the images processed and backed up.  I have always loved the White Mountains. They remind me of other beautiful and stark locations like Mono Lake or Zion, only without the people yet. By the way, the White Mountains, and especially the ancient bristlecone pine tree groves in it, was recently declared a wilderness area. Existing roads were grandfathered in, but the slow destruction of the environment by the spread of off-road vehicle trails should now stop.  Bristlecone pines like high altitude. They start popping up around 8000 feet and continue through 11,000 feet or so. These trees are amazing; there are living specimens several thousands of years old. Even their pine needles can be up to 40 years old. Imagine, 40 year-old leaves. Imagine the stories these trees could tell, watching the world change over the last 3000 years. It is just those stories that one of my friends, Adelia Barber, is trying to tell by studying small core samples taken from selections of these trees. She also organized last weeks Global Observation and Research  Initiative in Alpine environments (GLORIA) survey of White Mountain and surrounding peaks. Their story in the next Blog installation.

Photographing among these trees is not easy and not easy on the ego. In nearby Bishop at the Galen Rowell gallery, you can see his vision of these groves and ego bruising that entails when you even think about comparing some of your best work to what hangs on the wall there. At the White Mountain Research Station, a UC run facility at 10,000 feet, you can see Ansel Adams prints hanging on the wall and you may realize that you just photographed the same tree that Ansel Adams did 40 years ago. Hell, his picture of a simple science experiment is cooler than my best tree picture. But who cares, I had the time of my life with some wonderfully uncooperative weather.

Thunder and lightning chased us off the peaks just as the light was getting good. Skies turned dark and sinister. Then the skies got better with crazy clouds, colors and rainbows and the occasional bolt of lightning. We even drove through a random hail storm at 12,000 feet in the middle of the night.  The photography was so fast and furious with the constantly changing light, that I wasn’t even sure we got anything worthy. I’ll let you be the judge though. We used Nikon d3′s and d700 digital cameras for this trip. Much of what we shot was with a tripod because of how dark and cloudy things got and the blowing wind. A sing ray split grade neutral density filter was used on many shots to hold back the sky details. Obviously all files were shot RAW and only exposure and color compensation were needed in post so far.

Despite using Nikon’s long exposure noise reduction function, built into the cameras, I think I would still prefer film for the night exposures. Even with the noise reduction activated, it mostly turned the blue and red noise specks into slightly masked, darker specks. Next time I take a film camera.  A good starting point for nighttime star trail exposures with no moon is ISO 200 at f4 for however long you want. 20-50 minutes works well. One surprise with the digital cameras was that I was able to do exposures less than 30 seconds at high ISO, say 1000, and freeze the Milky Way while still allowing time to do some light painting with my mag lights.

Bristlecone pine tree snag and north star at night.

Microwave telescope observitory and milky way galaxy at the Barcroft research station.

Storm light and clouds over the White Mountains

A dead bristlecone stump catches the last ray of light as rainbow and storm clouds form in the distance

The roots of a dead bristlecone stump catches the last ray of light as rainbow and storm clouds form in the distance

A brief hail storm caught us as we were driving the dirt roads chasing lightning around sunset. It kept us pinned down for a bit.

A brief double rainbow over a small grove of ancient bristlecone pine trees

A split grade neutral density filter was used to hold back the sky on these storm clouds over a downed bristlecone pine tree

Bristlecone pine tree with flowers and rainbow during a storm in the White Mountains

My first test shot for star trail photography in the bristlecone pine tree grove. This exposure ended about an hour before dawn, so I was able to catch a bit of blue in the sky. The bristlecone pine tree was lit with a flashlight.

Juvenile marmonts are a curious bunch.