Category Archives: Sierra Nevada

July 5, 2021 Rituals

Fly Catcher 2. July 2021

I awoke at 5:47am to first light on the tallest crags. I tried to close my eyes and sleep for another hour, but I wanted to get to May Lake as earliest as possible to see if the trout were feeding. I also noticed an unnerving amount of flying insects inside and outside of my car; it was time to drive to the trailhead.  

I told myself I was going stay for a maximum of 2 hours and leave by 10:30am so I didn’t have to sit in traffic. I should have known though, as every time I visit here I never want to leave. 

When I first got to the lake, I didn’t notice much fish activity. There was a slight texture on the lake due to a light breeze, which wasn’t a good sign since the flies need calmness if they were to hang around the water. I stood silently and observed but had to dodge the mosquitoes that were swarming my face and avoid the sneaky marmot that almost stole my breakfast out of my backpack. It took intense concentration to train my eye to spot the trout through the reflectivity of the water surface and to patiently pinpoint the moth or dragonfly flying over the water in an erratic motion. 

After 2 hours of mis-shots, it happened. In a split second, I traced a trout adeptly swimming through the water and snatching a moth in mid air a few yards away from me. Yes!! I wanted to scream in excitement as I saw the photo on the back of the camera. I stayed another hour trying to get another shot, but it proved too difficult. I really didn’t want to leave, but it was 11:30am and I had to call it quits; we’ll be back. 

Despite only getting 3 hours of sleep, I somehow made the 5 hour drive back home just thinking about that shot.

500 miles
3 hours of sleep
Tired but happy. 

Fly Catcher. July 2021

July 4, 2021

Tioga Nights. July 2021

I was indecisive as usual this weekend. I had four different potential locations in mind but couldn’t commit to any of them right away. After contemplating at forecasts again, I closed my eyes for a moment and used my intuition: Yosemite High Sierra. I was lucky enough to snag a day use reservation at the last minute. 

I somehow ended up at the same exact location as last year, Doda Dome. It was deja vu to be there again, eating a cold sandwich for dinner and waiting for the sun to set. It took me a moment to process that I was standing here, exactly one year ago. Where did time go? The sky was almost free of clouds this time which allowed the alpenglow to project over Tuolumne Meadows and the surrounding peaks. I ran around the dome, switching lenses several times, framing foreground subjects but also the distant landscapes. The mosquitoes started to swarm me right at sun down even though I came prepared this time with layers, gloves, and 2 kinds of insect repellent. They were ruthless. I had to quickly get my photos and hike back to the car. 

As the sky darkened, I had to look for a spot that was not obstructing the Milky Way but also not where car headlights could ruin my long exposures as it did last year. I stopped at a pull out looking south at Tioga Lake and knew this was going to be it. The highway was to the west, which I thought was annoying if people’s high beams would cause unnecessary localized light pollution, but it seemed to be the best bet of the night. At 10pm, the Milky Way had risen to the south but partially blocked by Mt Dana. This gave me some time to check my alignment with Polaris and also my settings. Starting at 11pm, it was prime time, pure darkness.

It felt amazing to stare up at the night sky. I never saw so many shooting stars before. All my problems and stress from the week disappeared for that evening and was overridden by sense of exuberance. There was no cell service, just me and Mother Nature, I love it.

I brought my winter gear knowing the overnight low was in the mid 40s. I did well up until 1:30am, when my body started to get chilly. It wasn’t long after until I noticed that my lens was fogging up. By then I was near shivering. I finished the last exposure around 2:30am and jumped into the car with both blankets over me. I was ready to get some shut eye but noticed several gnats and mosquitoes attracted to the car door light. I did not want a repeat of last year, where my left leg was swollen due to some bites, so I spent the next 15 minutes smashing the buggers with my hand. 

Cathedral Glow. July 2021

May 14, 2021 Wake Up and Go

Airglow Arch. May 2021

Again with the uncertainty! The forecast kept changing every few hours for Inyo county. Cloudy? Mostly clear? Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms? 

Risk it. 

After about seven and a half hours of driving, I made it to Alabama Hills. It was crowded but most of the clouds seem to have dissipated. Every pullout was occupied, including the one I planned on staying at. After driving around in circles looking for a spot, I decided to just stay at a pullout next to the Arch Loop parking lot.

At 11pm, I saw the Milky Way rise but cars kept coming intermittently into the night. The high beams kept ruining my exposures, along with campfires and lanterns adding localized light pollution. I was almost about to give up and just go to sleep. 

Finally, around 1:30am, tranquility ensued. The cars stopped coming. The music stopped. The partygoers went to bed. Stillness, at last. I managed to track for about another hour and a half, before a fast moving cumulus cloud came in from the north ending my session a bit early.

850 miles
No expectations.

March 22, 2021 Hello, Old Friend

I managed to squeezed in a good 4 hours of sleep despite trying to discern the decibels of the wind gusts and determine if it was going to die down. Around 1:30am, the wind finally stopped. The moon was setting, excitement ensued. I tried sleeping for another 2 hours, but was wide awake by 3 am.

I swiftly got out of my sleeping bag and slipped on my winter jacket. There it was, the arc of the Milky Way. Hello, old friend. I’ve missed you. It was amazing stillness again, nothing but a dove’s call and not a hint of wind. I set up my camera and stared above at the vast expanse of stars, again proving my insignificance in this universe.

The forecast showed a low of 37F, which I didn’t think was too bad. It was actually 32F. My star tracker kept showing the low battery icon despite a full charge. My external battery had probably less than 10% so it was a miracle it lasted right up until the crack of dawn. By then my body was at the point of uncontrolled shivers. I finished the last exposures, quickly jumped back into the car and tossed both blankets over myself. I awoke at 6:53am, a minute after sunrise, to the first light on the Sierra and Mt Whitney through my windshield. What a feeling.

This trip embodied my philosophies to photography and life: no expectations, in search of novelty, it’s all about the shot, its all about the shot, and convenience isn’t free. It felt amazing to disconnect and just observe the world in front of you. Driving on new roads again shows how much of my own state I haven’t even explored yet. Now the only thing I can think about is when to go back.

The same feeling of excitement from the week before was still going strong in me. 1200 miles later, I’m still holding on to that feeling.