This is one of my all time favorite locations in the backcountry of the Sierra Nevada, and I've taken around half a dozen backpacking trips through this stunning part of the planet. This particular photo I shot in 2014 as part of the Nikon D750 launch campaign I was a part of. Can't believe that beautiful camera has already been out five years, and that this wonderful moment was five years ago. Time to head back soon.

Tags:   thousand island lake ansel adams wilderness ediza minarets banner peak Sierra Nevada

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The snow is finally melting out in the front country but up high in the backcountry there are still piles of the stuff. Which means hikers will once again be treated to scenes like this well into July. #NikonNoFilter #D750 #OnFrozenPond

Tags:   Pine Creek California Backpacking Sierra Nevada Honeymoon Lake Royce Lakes Eastern Sierra

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"The Reason" - Taken at Island Pass in the Ansel Adams Wilderness, Eastern Sierra Nevada, on July 4th, 2013

Why do photographers do the things we do? Why do we hike so much our packs chafe us raw? Why do we huff, puff, and sweat our way over 11,000 foot passes? Why do we subject ourselves to the relentless attacks of thousands of mosquitoes? Why do we rush to the mountains at the first sign of bad weather, when all the sane people are heading for cover? Why do we crick our backs on rocky ground while being battered by hail? Why do we climb thousands of feet only to turn right back around? Why do we seek the discomforts of the backcountry at all? Oh I don't know, sometimes I think the reason is pretty darn clear.

Tags:   AnselAdamsWilderness EasternSierra thunderstorm reflection tarn BannerPeak mt davis clouds nikon d7000 tokina 12-24mm lee gnd filters acratech ballhead induro tripod

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Taken in the Marie Lakes Basin in the Ansel Adams Wilderness just east of Yosemite on July 3rd

Early July 2013 brought sweltering temperatures to California, and the extreme heat resulted in thunderstorms and clouds building along the Sierra crest for days at a time. I planned a backpacking and photography trip from Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite to June Lake, right along the Sierra crest, to take advantage of the light these storms were sure to bring. On my second night out, in the Marie Lakes Basin, this sunset unfolded over Mt. Lyell, the highest peak in Yosemite National Park. The end of the day brought not only color to the sky, but hordes of hungry mosquitoes to the basin. And since I was the largest mammal around for miles, it was a free-for-all feeding frenzy on me. And despite my layers of clothing and liberal application of bug spray I estimate I sustained about 200 bites this evening.

Tags:   AnselAdamsWilderness marie lakes mt. lyell sunset High Sierra meadow reflection nikon d7000 tokina 12-24mm acratech ballhead induro tripod lee gnd filters

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**Please view large, it makes a big difference.**

Earlier this month I was overjoyed to find myself at Island Pass in the Ansel Adams Wilderness during an afternoon thunderstorm. Though I hid out in my tent for two hours while it rained and hailed on me, I was able to escape for a few hours of photography as the precipitation let up. The beautiful clouds stuck around till sunset, which is fairly unusual for a Sierra thunderstorm, and as the sun dropped below the horizon, it lit up these clouds with an explosion of color. The clouds themselves acted like giant reflectors, scattering golden light across the Sierra crest. I centered pyramidal Rodgers Peak in my frame, and the whole time I was shooting I couldn't help but sing to myself: "it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day in the neighborhood...."

Tags:   AnselAdamsWilderness islandpass RodgersPeak Tarn sierra nevada mountains High Sierra EasternSierra Sunset thunderstorm nikon d7000 tokina 12-24mm acratech ballhead lee gnd filters

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