Part 18
There is a small tarn that sits along the cross country route from here into the Miter Basin. It is nestled high up along the rim of the basin and I very much wanted to photograph it at sunset, so with about 3 and a half hours of daylight left I told Hester of my plan and he decided to join me. The altitude was no longer bothering him and he was feeling much better.
We made our way north, uphill through the forest until we broke though the other side and the terrain turned to sandy, boulder strewn mountainside with cliffs rising to the east. We crossed the sandy slopes which then turned to slabs and a maze of ledges. Several times we came to a drop off and had to turn around and look for another way, but we eventually came to a spot where the view opened and below and before us lay the sparkling blue tarn embraced by green swaying grass. Beyond that lay the Miter Basin and the peaks that held it. (Joe Devel Peak 13327, Mt Pickering 13474, Mt LeConte 13960, Mt Mallory 13845, The Miter 12770, and farther off Mt McAdie 13799) From here we dropped down until we stood within the grasses that grew around the tarn.
We explored the area, enjoying the view and taking pictures. Then we both sat down in the shade of boulders, along a creek that flowed from the tarn and relaxed listening to the gentle sound of water tumbling over rocks.
“I can listen to this all day long.” said Hester.
I agreed with him, “So can I.”
…
After a short nap the shadows had grown longer, and the peaks glowed a little warmer. Sunset was now not far off. Hester stood on the southern shore looking north and I stood on the western shore looking east. I was wanting to get Mt. Corcoran and the Iridescent Spires rising over the tarn in the alpine glow, but I was disappointing with that so I rushed around trying to find a better composition, but I struggled to find a good one.
Then Hester called out, almost reading my mind, “Check out the view from this side!”
I made my way over to him and stood next to him on a large white granite boulder. The view from here was perfect, absolutely beautiful, and in my opinion the best photo of the entire trip. After getting the shot that I wanted I focused on photographing the surrounding area. Once I got all the shots I could I took some time to just enjoy the view.
Before the last rays of light faded, I don't remember who said it, but one of us suggested we start heading back to camp before it got too dark and the other agreed. When we reach the lake and our campsite there was still a nice orange, pink and purple glow to the west, a thin sliver of an infant moon hanging over the shadowy trees and a few bats gliding across the surface of the lake in the fading twilight.

Tags:   landscape twilight wilderness high sierra mountains miter basin water tarn lake reflection peaceful alpine glow hiking backpacking camping wandering kings canyon

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Part 14
Once I decided to head back to camp I made my way out of the forest and down to the lake so I walk along it's shoreline. When the lake came into sight, I beheld a stunning sight; the surface as still and as calm as could be, the talus slope of the ridge that rose out of the water on the far side perfectly reflected in it's sacred waters.

Tags:   water reflection landscape wilderness rocks talus meadow high sierra mountains hiking backpacking camping wandering perfect

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Trees mirrored in still pond
Like waveforms reflected
Sun rays through pines filtered
Forest embraces
Calm night approaches


Scudder Lk, High Uintas Wilderness, Utah

Tags:   pond lake calm reflection waveform pine forest sun sun rays sun beams twilight evening wilderness backpacking camping hiking utah high uintas wilderness wandering peaceful

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artist: Golijov
song: Tenebrae - 2
youtu.be/dER_3lEmm_M

Tags:   landscape water lake reflection rocks trees light shadow pine shore ripples mountain utah high uintas wilderness clouds

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Part 1
I awoke to the sound of the Ranger Reeve calling out to the horses and the dull clanking of the bell around the white ones neck. My tents rain-fly did a great job of keeping me dry during last night's rain, but as I slept condensation collected on the inside of it and as I sat up my head bumped the roof of the tent and cold drops fell like rain onto my head and sleeping bag. I pulled myself out of my bag and got dressed. I unzipped my tent, then the rain-fly and what drops hadn't fallen yet landed on my back. I put my boots on and headed outside into the cold, crisp, predawn air.
My breath condensed and swirled before me, and out of the darkness a horse neighed. I walked over to the place by the river where I had photographed sunset last night, my pants legs and boots getting wet from the dew covered grasses and onions. As I exited out from beneath the forest canopy the darkness lifted a bit and the head of Leo peaked out over the summit of Mt. Ansel Adams and a faint glow graced the sky to the east. It's amazing how much the forest darkens the night.
I walked back over to the fire pit. Reeve had the horses corralled and tied to the trees, their muzzles buried into bags of oats. He was sitting by a stove with a pot of brewing coffee on it.
“Good morning” I said.
“Mornin',” He replied.
“Do you mind if I get a fire going?” I asked.
“Go for it,” He said.
I removed the rocks I had put there last night to protect it from the rain and brushed away the white ash to awaken the glowing embers nestled deep within. I put the driest kindling I could find after last night's rain and some extra unused toilet paper on the warm orange coals, then I blew on them trying to coax them back to life. After several attempts and getting nothing but smoke that burned my eyes, I was just about to give up but I thought I'd give it one more try and this time the coals burst forth with life and flame, flickering wildly in their dance.
The stars soon faded as the faint glow in the east crept higher. A few puffy clouds began to glow with the faint light. I went back and forth between the fire and the river a few times this morning as well. As the scene grew brighter I saw a mist rising up from the winding river. Once all the stars had faded in the growing light the bases of the few clouds turned pink.
Reeve went down to the misty river and dipped his canteen into the water, took it out and took a drink.
“You don't filter your water?” I asked.
“I've been in these mountains my whole life and I've never had to filter.” He said.
“What about giardia?”
“Never been an issue.” He assured me.
The coffee was now ready and Reeve offered some to the three of us. I don't usually drink coffee, but this time I gladly took some. We sat around the fire as the three of them made breakfast. I added a few twigs every so often to the hungry flames, after each time the fire would swell then once most of the good burnable fuel was consumed it would wane and I would add more. After breakfast had been eaten Michael and Sarah took down their tents and packed up their gear as Reeve came around and collected it so it could be loaded onto the pack horses.
The sun had now crested the ridgeline and was filtering through the boughs of the pines. I headed over to the river bank once again. The mist swirled and rose from it's surface and all the dew on all the grasses shimmered like diamonds in the fresh sunlight.
When I got back to the fire it had burned itself down to just glowing embers. Michael and Sarah then said goodbye and told Reeve that they'd see him back at the range station. They then set out for Tuolumne Meadows without the burden of their packs to weigh them down. Ranger Reeve was putting the final pieces of gear on the backs of the horses when I asked him if he could do me a favor and take my trash out for me, he said he would and I thanked him. It was not long after that that he finished loading up the horses and he was off.
“Stay safe.” he said.
“I will,” I said, then added, “Happy Trails.”
Then he led them away through the trees and I watched as he disappeared into the forest. I was now alone again, with the whole meadow and campground to myself. I have always enjoyed the solitude of the wilderness. Sometimes it's nice to have other people around and other times it's nice to just be out here by yourself, each are their own unique experience. Even though a majority of my time out here I have been alone without the presence of another human being, I have not felt lonely except for on day 7 while out on the Bighorn Plateau at the largest of the Wright Lakes.
I went back down to the river to fetch some water to extinguish the last glowing coals from the morning's fire, but I took a while to sit down upon a log that lay along the bank to watch the mist rising from still surface and to take a moment to meditate before heading back into the trees.
Out here time is meaningless, the days have no name, no shape, no form, they float by like clouds drifting on the breeze, evaporating into the azure expanse of endless sky. There are no hours, minutes or seconds, just the rising and setting of the sun, stars and shape-shifting moon.
Time as we experience it is an illusion, a construct of the human mind, all that exists, has existed or ever will exist is the current, present "now" moment in which we have our being, our consciousness, our existence. The past no longer exists and future doesn't exist yet, which leaves us with right now. All time is, is our memories of past events and our expectation of what is to come but hasn't happened yet. If we could learn to live, fully immersed within the moment, within the "now", time would no longer carry meaning, it would fade into eternity, like the early morning mist, rising from the still surface of this river.

Here is the original photo that Ansel Adams took in this general area
shop.anseladams.com/v/vspfiles/photos/5010119-u-2.jpg
notice the same peak in the distance, I didn’t get the exact location but it is the same river and mountains

I wasn’t going to add songs to these photos from the trip but I have to for this one
youtu.be/4gSZpWKqWYA
Artist : Bee from In Gowan Ring
Song : Whips of Wind

Tags:   mountain mountains river morning mist misty grass dew sunrise forest trees pine meadow creek wilderness yosemite yosemite national park national park ansel adams sun sunbeams sunrays blue green yellow sun light

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