Trip Report
Photo-essay from the Palisades
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Wednesday July 25, 2007 5:22pm
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We spent a week in Dusy Basin on the western side of the Palisades in the High Sierra. The highlight of the trip was an ascent of West Arete on Mt. Winchell. That route was put up by Galen Rowell and Warren Harding back in the 70s. Despite its moderate guidebook rating of III, 5.8 we found it to be a committing and serious route. Our new rating based on our combined alpine Sierra experience is Grade III-IV, 5.9. I'd be curious to hear from others who climbed it. It seems that we were the first party to tackle it in the last three years. The weather was mostly impeccable but I was blessed with a few cloudy days. Hence, a few dramatic photos. Below are a few shots for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!
(sorry if this takes some time to load!)
1. The mighty Palisades giants (Agassiz, Winchell, Thunderbolt, Starlight, North Palisade)
2. Mt. Doom (no, not really:)
3. Clearing storm over Giraud Peak
4. Isosceles Peak with the Palisades in the background
5. Mt. Agassiz and Mt. Winchell
6. One more clearing storm shot... this time over Isosceles and Columbine Peaks
7. Another predictably sunny evening in Dusy Basin
8. After a week in the backcountry, people start to get hungry... :)
9. On the West Arete of Mt. Winchell
This photo (c) by Pavel Kovar
Misha
Misha
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About the Author
Misha is a trad climber from Woodside, CA. |
Comments
L
climber
Just livin' the dream
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Jul 25, 2007 - 05:31pm PT
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Misha--Incredible landscape shots!!! Thanks for sharing them.
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spectreman
Trad climber
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Jul 25, 2007 - 05:46pm PT
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Your photos are Stunning!!
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AKDOG
Mountain climber
Anchorage, AK
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Jul 25, 2007 - 05:48pm PT
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wonderful photos
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Misha
Trad climber
Woodside, CA
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Author's Reply
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Jul 25, 2007 - 05:53pm PT
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I got about 1200 more from that trip :) just need to process some of the better ones. I will post them into this thread over the next few days.
Thanks for all your comments. This place is as close to heaven for me as they get.
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marky
climber
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Jul 25, 2007 - 06:37pm PT
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pretty damn nice. a few words about your rig would be nice too
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bonin_in_the_boneyard
Trad climber
Land of the Has Been
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Jul 25, 2007 - 07:42pm PT
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Oh my God I've got to get the f--- out of this cube. Beautiful work.
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bler
Boulder climber
Bay Area, CA
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Jul 25, 2007 - 07:45pm PT
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awesome pics!
ewww, get away from the 4gb cards..
1gb cards all the way.. 4gb is just too large and too much to loose on one card ;) i've actually broke my hand punching something because I lost all my pics on the card yah im a dumbass
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BadInfluence
Mountain climber
Dak side
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Jul 25, 2007 - 07:51pm PT
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awesome photos!
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nick d
Trad climber
nm
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Jul 25, 2007 - 08:55pm PT
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Very nice TR! Thanks so much for posting up. Looks like a lovely trip to take. How far in are you from the trailhead? What kind of loads were you guys carrying? Must have been HUGE with all that photo/camping/climbing gear! Top notch effort!
Michael
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Misha
Trad climber
Woodside, CA
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Author's Reply
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Jul 25, 2007 - 08:55pm PT
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1gb cards? heh, not when you shoot with Canon 5D :)
I run out of 4Gb capacity in a few hours. That's why I am also carrying a portable HDD.
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Zander
climber
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Jul 25, 2007 - 09:02pm PT
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Thanks Misha,
What a great place that is.
Beautiful pics.
Zander
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Jul 25, 2007 - 09:09pm PT
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Thanks Misha!
The secret side of the Palisades, for sure. Really fine shots. I look forward to more pictures of your climb.
Cheers,
Doug
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GhoulweJ
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills, CA
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Jul 25, 2007 - 09:28pm PT
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Way cool photos!
I was inspired to get out my Nikon Digital SLR That I do not work vey well and follow your footsteps in search of the photos....
THEN I READ "YOUR RIG"
Not only do I not know some of that is, I do not want to work that hard with the camera. (LOL)
Please post more photos.
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rhyang
climber
SJC
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Jul 25, 2007 - 09:44pm PT
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.. drool, drool ... (ok, not at the ramen :)
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rwedgee
Ice climber
CA
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Jul 25, 2007 - 09:46pm PT
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As far as the CF cards go I've only had trouble with the type II cards(the micro drive ones). They are fragile compared to the type I cards.
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spongerbob
Gym climber
Cal
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Jul 25, 2007 - 10:20pm PT
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Cool photos, but the colors look un-realistic.
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Misha
Trad climber
Woodside, CA
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Author's Reply
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Jul 25, 2007 - 10:39pm PT
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Thanks for all your comments!
nick d - This is about 6 miles and 2200 vertical feet away from the trailhead. Not bad of a hike at all.
Our packs on the approach were pretty heavy, especially with all that food for seven days. I think that mine was about 70lb, at least 20lb of which was climbing gear.
DR - it is a great honor to receive a note from you. I am glad that you enjoyed the photos. I will sort through the photos eventually and post more. Have you ever climbed any of the harder routes on the west side of the Palisades?
rwedgee - I agree that microdrives suck!
spongerbob - thanks for your opinion. there are definitely two camps when it concerns landscape photography and colors. Some people prefer more "natural" and toned down palettes while others prefer saturated. I belong to the 2nd camp. I started photographing largely because of the influence of Galen Rowell who is known for his saturated colors. I started shooting with Fuji Velvia as many other landscape photographers. Eventually, I graduated to digital SLRs and my recent goal was to get as close to Velvia with digital as I possibly can. I have to say that I am satisfied with my recent results. It is important to note that I do not tweak colors in post-processing; I get as much as I can out of the camera with filters. I prefer to keep post processing simple and limited to sharpening and contrast.
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The Alpine
climber
The Sea
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Jul 25, 2007 - 11:23pm PT
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Got a website Misha? Fukkinfantastic shots! Love the noodle one...
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Mtnmun
Trad climber
Top of the Mountain Mun
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Jul 26, 2007 - 01:55am PT
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That's called Art, Spongerbob. Nice Job Misha, keep up the great work. Did you shoot any artful nudes or portraits up there you can post with the landscape background?
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Jul 26, 2007 - 08:43am PT
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Those are some extremely good photographs. The tonal range is really good. On a monitor they look like 4X5's.
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426
climber
☬
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Jul 26, 2007 - 08:44am PT
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great stuff...
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BadInfluence
Mountain climber
Dak side
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Jul 26, 2007 - 09:59am PT
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An array of Singh-Ray Graduated Neutral Density filters.
which filters 3stop hard 2 stop soft? any of the warming sunset filters?
excellent composition on your photos makes the eye viewing flow
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Misha
Trad climber
Woodside, CA
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Author's Reply
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Jul 26, 2007 - 12:24pm PT
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Thanks again for all your feedback.
The Alpine - I sure do... it is VerglasPhoto.com (needs a bit of updating)
Mtnmun - Only for my private collection :)
BadInfluence - Most commonly I use 3-stop hard edge, 3-stop soft edge and 4-stop soft edge, but I also have a couple of 2-stop filters. I don't use warming sunset filters (yet)
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jstan
climber
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Jul 26, 2007 - 12:55pm PT
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Just a non-photographic comment.
You are going to want to be doing this for another forty years. You need to stop carrying 70# packs unless you are confident artificial knee technology will come to equal or surpass original equipment. You might consider taking on students. Big strong ones.
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Jerry Dodrill
climber
@dodrillphoto
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Jul 26, 2007 - 01:52pm PT
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Hi Misha. Great photos, as usual! You have a fantastic eye for light for composition and are getting amazing clarity. However, the hyper-saturation thing is a slippery slope. Be careful.
"Eventually, I graduated to digital SLRs and my recent goal was to get as close to Velvia with digital as I possibly can."
Still trying to decide if/how I should respond to this. Basically though, you might want to touch base with your roots and shoot a couple rolls of Velvia again. The results may surprise you. It'll seem dull compared to what you're getting now. Perhaps the Velvia look isn't quite what you're after, which is fine, just different.
Happy trails,
Jerry
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marky
climber
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Jul 26, 2007 - 02:01pm PT
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I found the "two schools" soliloquy informative. The pictures are obviously colorful, but maybe a bit too precious. Increasingly it seems that the modern trend is toward saturation
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California, now Ireland
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Jul 26, 2007 - 02:32pm PT
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Misha, simply breathtaking.
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
Cali
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Jul 26, 2007 - 03:06pm PT
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Beautiful Misha. Glad you enjoyed your peak bagging. ;)
I would agree with Jerry though, those are more saturated than any Velvia ever was. A little far down the path for my tastes too but if we didn't all shoot what we like it wouldn't be art now would it. I hope you had a great time.
If you are in the Meadows in the first half of August, come find us in the campground under my name or Badyrka.
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SamRoberts
climber
Bay Area
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Jul 26, 2007 - 03:19pm PT
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Great shots, Misha!
I'll ditto what Jerry said about doing the comparison between Vevia and digital capture. I've been shooting with a Nikon D200 lately and found, like Jerry suggested, that my minds eye wanted me to increase saturation well beyond how Velvia would have seen the world. But, maybe this is just your interpretation of the scene before you. Ultimately we want our images to evoke an emotional response from the viewer, and your fine shots certainly do that!
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Misha
Trad climber
Woodside, CA
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Author's Reply
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Jul 26, 2007 - 06:04pm PT
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jstan - haha, isn't what kids are for? Not that I have any yet but I should get one or two helpers by the time when I cannot carry my pack anymore :)
Jerry/Sam - thanks a bunch for chiming in and giving your advice. I treasure your kind and frank feedback. I am definitely still on the fence about saturation and have been experimenting with various camera settings for quite some time. At the end of the day, I want my photos to look as close to what I actually saw with my eyes as possible. I also want them to look realistic even if they are sometimes outrageous (isn't it what we, landscape photographers, are after?:), at least for me and most of the people out there. I realize that I can't please everybody. I will have to dig out my Velvia shots and compare but you may be right about me being after a different thing, even if subconsciously. Are you still shooting with Velvia at all? I was curious to try Fuji dSLRs since they have an in-built Velvia emulator.
G_Gnome - As a matter of fact, I will be in Tuolumne on Aug 11-12. Are you going to be there? Is the campsite under the name of 'G_Gnome'? :)
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SamRoberts
climber
Bay Area
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Jul 26, 2007 - 06:15pm PT
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I do still shoot Velvia, but usually only if a client wants film (which is very rare nowadays). The other reason I use it is that I still have a shelf of it in my fridge!
I heard that Fuji might be coming out with a new Velvia50- you guys hear anything about that?
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Jul 26, 2007 - 06:27pm PT
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Fantastic!!!!
I wonder why they call it Isosceles Peak, was he the first guy to climb it or something?
I like the super saturation, I like black and white, I like natural, it's all good!!! Probably best to do a variety and simply pick your favorites.
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Jerry Dodrill
climber
@dodrillphoto
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Jul 26, 2007 - 07:51pm PT
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You're right Misha, we want to recreate a true sense of what we experienced. But just what it really looked like is relative to your interpretation. There are moments which are so spectacular that no medium can completely capture them as if you were there. There's just no substitute for that tactile experience. Images dripping with color are now the norm. The best photographers know how to caress the edge of believability with their credibility still intact. It's a real gray area open to personal expression.
I think this image of yours is just gorgeous...
...even after desaturating it by twenty points in photoshop.
I still use Velvia 50 all the time. I haven't seen the new version of it yet. When the stash in my freezer runs out I'll have to look around and see what to do next.
Edit:
Doug (DR) said in another thread the other day: "I am drawn as if to the dark side, to walk into the gallery in Bishop. But it is a weird fascination with what I've come to think of as the "glitter effect." Weird how turning up the saturation ends up sailing those images right out of the realm of believability. Now they're eye candy. To represent the Sierra that I recognize, I have no Galen on my walls but rather Vern Clevenger, and even moreso Claude Fiddler."
Worth a read...
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=351542
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
Cali
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Jul 26, 2007 - 08:00pm PT
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Misha, we'll be there. Ask at the kiosk for McCollum or Badyrka and that will get you to our site. We will have a bunch of sites and often have room for another car for a small donation.
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno
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Jul 26, 2007 - 08:39pm PT
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Last time we spoke about it, you weren't running on a calibrated system, Misha... Is this still the case? This would definitely come into play.
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Misha
Trad climber
Woodside, CA
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Author's Reply
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Jul 26, 2007 - 08:58pm PT
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Sam - I am not sure about the new Velvia 50. Regardless if Fuji actually releases it, I doubt that I will use it. I am too comfortable with digital nowadays, developed my automation and workflows, etc. Producing film is IMHO just too expensive and time consuming comparing to digital, although, I understand why some professional photographers still use it.
the Fet - Here is a sniplet from Summitpost.org about Isosceles Peak: "Isosceles is named after it's geometric symmetry, visible only from certain directions."
Jerry - you sum'd it up beautifully! Thanks. The thread that you linked is awesome; definitely a lot of insights and opinions about Galen. Although, I haven't met him, I can imagine that he was a controversial personality because of his drive, methods and competitiveness. However, for me, he is the main reason why I even got into serious photography. Him, climbing hard, going light and fast, and photographing as an extension of his other outdoor activities is what I crave the most. I have to admit that I love his later more saturated work but I also fully understand why some (like Doug) don't. I am trying hard not to emulate him but his views and theories sneak up on me more often than not.
Anyway, I am only in the process of developing my own style and vision as an adventurer and photographer, and all your feedback has been of tremendous help.
G_Gnome - Aha... now I know who you are!!! :) See you in the meadows soon.
Randy - I've been using GretagMacbeth EyeOne calibration for quite some time. In this particular case, I just did not feel like *reducing* color saturation after I opened the files that I got from the camera. I kept them largely as-is with the exception of sharpness and contrast. Maybe next time I will reduce saturation, maybe not. We'll see how I feel that day :)
On a separate subject, I am surprised that nobody here admitted to having climbed West Arete on Winchell. Anybody!?? I am suspecting that we've done one of the rare ascents of that route but I'd love to learn more...
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Jerry Dodrill
climber
@dodrillphoto
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Jul 26, 2007 - 10:10pm PT
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You're doing just fine Misha. Keep at it. And believe me, I KNOW what you mean about GR's influence creeping into your work. It's really hard to shake. Just be glad he doesn't torment you in your sleep.
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Misha
Trad climber
Woodside, CA
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Author's Reply
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Jul 26, 2007 - 11:40pm PT
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Thanks for the encouragement, Jerry. I really appreciate it.
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
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Jul 26, 2007 - 11:47pm PT
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when do we get to see pics of the climb Misha?
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Misha
Trad climber
Woodside, CA
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Author's Reply
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Jul 26, 2007 - 11:56pm PT
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Pics of the climb were taken by my partner (yes, I left the camera behind that day - hard to believe:)
I will post a few of them this weekend!
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Jul 27, 2007 - 12:04am PT
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OK, notes on both saturation and Palisades backside climbing routes:
This thread has been a really iteresting follow-on to the one Jerry referenced where we got into deconstructing Galen. Between these two threads you guys have changed my mind. You've convinced me that all photography is tweaked to varying degrees, and that's what art is. Nice work, thanks!
So Misha, while suspecting a little extra saturation, I really liked your prints. Especially #4 which is the steepest, most unusual view of Isosceles Pk I've ever seen. And #5. I like the wide lens pulling the foreground down and into my face. I like the way you used the split neutral density there to pull up the soft light foreground and balance the big light beyond. It works well for me. Yes, it is the most Galen-esque of the lot, but I stuck with you and was convinced, in part because you didn't cross my saturation line. Cool stuff!
Oh, and I have developed a trick for carrying too much gear (gotta have it for basecamp trips). Pack two packs. I would WAY rather carry two 40# loads than one crusher. I carry one for awhile, then drop it in the bushes and go back down. Legs and back get a complete change-of-pace rest by going downhill. Yo-yo up the second pack. Repeat until basecamp.
Confession: I've never climbed anything from that side of the Palisades (except scrambling up Agassiz from Bishop Pass). For decades I've wanted to, especially those routes on Winchell. Someday... (For what it's worth, a persistent part of that dream is to ski in from South Lake mid-May. Climbing on those south faces [it's not really West] would be on warm rock, with perfect corn instead of talus for approaches and descents.)
And there's a mystery to chew on. Don Jensen did one or two routes on that side of Winchell. Not recorded anywhere, his topos have been lost and my memory after 40 years is a sieve. His excited descriptions have leaked away. But I suspect that he actually did the route you climbed as much as 10 years before Warren and Galen. Or something nearby. Checking to see if it will jar my memory is just one more reason to climb them. Also to see more of your photos!
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Blitzo
Social climber
Earth
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Jul 27, 2007 - 12:11am PT
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Awesome!
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JOEY.F
Gym climber
It's not rocket surgery
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Jul 31, 2007 - 12:25am PT
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Beauty, Beautifully recorded!
Thank you.
Joe.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Jul 31, 2007 - 01:09am PT
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I thought the shots were awesome. Really impressed at getting such stunners on the same trip.
Photographed images are such a different experience that seeing things with our own eyes because of the wildly interpretive function of our brains. Think about it, our brain spins two different upside down images rightside up and combines them into one image. It's crazy. Reality looks so much more vivid and immediate in person, how do we simulate that on paper? Maybe saturation is a way of bringing that out, maybe it can go too far.
Still, if I were you, a few of those would be iconic images for me that I'd print ridiculously large and hang prominently
I'd always bring a quality point and shoot for the climb. The surest way to see bigfoot is leave the camera on the ground.
peace
Karl
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NoRushNoMore
climber
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Jul 31, 2007 - 06:37am PT
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Misha, since you are asking for a feedback:
Your pics feel a bit too saturated and a bit too dark for me.
Kind of like Lahaina Art gallery marine world paintings. Eye candy but very un-real.
You can also try for a few more vertical elements in the composition. Think that of the half dome face or dark outline of the pine tree or simply part of the shoreline.
Water reflections get boring quickly and bring too much symmetry to the pics. I would try chasing unusual effects (flash, blur, etc) versus mere mirror images.
At last it feels as some of the images have too much included in them distracting from the main subject that's already interesting enough to command more presence.
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Misha
Trad climber
Woodside, CA
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Author's Reply
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Aug 2, 2007 - 01:24am PT
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At last I posted some photos from the actual climb. All of them belong to my climbing partner, Pavel Kovar, who carried the camera that day.
On a separate note, thanks for all the comments and critique. I am always looking for ways to improve my photography and your constructive feedback is extremely valuable!
West Arete of Mt. Winchell
Grade III-IV, 5.9 (our opinion)
This is the route the way we climbed it
Looking up the first roped up pitch after scrambling a few hundred feet on 3rd to 5th class. We went up and left (felt close to 5.9)
Exposed traversing on the lower half of the route
On the middle section of the route where it eases up a bit and becomes more exposed
One of the classic knife-edges that we encountered along the way
Peek-a-boo
Approaching the top of the route where it intersects with NW Ridge
On the descent, we had to drop down on the other side of the mountain and go over Winchell Col in order to reach our base camp in Dusy Basin
Final challenge for the day - rappel on the western side of Winchell Col
Misha
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rhyang
climber
SJC
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Sweet-looking route ! Congrats Misha and Pavel !
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CAMNOTCLIMB
Trad climber
novato ca
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Great Photos... I have got to get back to the mountains
Brian
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wack-N-dangle
Gym climber
the ground up
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Stunning photos. Thanks for sharing.
My 2 cents: please consider it a donation, but then it's really not costing me anything.
Make the images you want. Sell the ones people like. I admire your gracious acceptance of the feedback you received. Maybe that was easier because it appears that you obviously understand your process.
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TYeary
Social climber
State of decay
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Misha,
Keep chasing your vision and refineing your process and your style will emerge. I loved your shots. Yes, they look abit bit like a "Rowell", but it's hard not to. I see some Fiddler there as well. It's OK. If we see so far , it's because we stand on the shoulders of giants. More or less. And thats OK too. Keep defining/refining yourself through your photography and your work will be automaticaly be distilled into a distinct, personalized style, that will be recognised as yours- your personal interpetation of the beautiful world that we live in.
Tony
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wack-N-dangle
Gym climber
the ground up
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"I admire your gracious acceptance of the feedback you received. Maybe that was easier because it appears that you obviously understand your process."
Afterward, I considered that I should have added: Maybe its easier to accept the "criticism" because of the people/"giants" on this forum that offer it.
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Maysho
climber
Soda Springs, CA
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Beautiful shots, and I learned some new things about photography by the feedback dialogue in this thread. I love the West side of the Palisades. Once I solo skate skied from Taboose Pass to South Lake taking the high line right under those spectacular faces. As Doug said you can really cruise when the talus is covered up. Your shots are an inspiration to get back there and climb something! Thanks.
Peter
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Jerry Dodrill
climber
@dodrillphoto
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I was thinking about this too. You have such a refreshing spirit Misha. It's easy to get defensive about your art work, but in the end, the ego is getting in the way of opportunities for improvement. In this dialog, I'm impressed with your detachment from ego and obvious enthusiasm for the mountains which is expressed through your creative vision with photography. You must have a very balanced sense of self.
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wack-N-dangle
Gym climber
the ground up
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Thinking more about art:
Misha, the images really pop. For me, the colors elicit enthusiasm, and an instantaneous synaptic response. It seems cool too because that response is the motivation I sometimes need in order to get to the places that often refresh me.
I liked Jerry's interpretation of your photo. I see more detail in the talus in the (smaller) unsaturated image (on a computer screen). It made me consider the work and time that was required to make the image.
Finally, I don't know if you need anymore inspiration. However, two artists I admire are Lee Miller, and Georgia O'keefe. Also, I would print the type from Tyeary et al. and put it on my refrigerator. Sometimes iconoclasts provide a vision, maybe an illusion, no one expects.
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Misha
Trad climber
Woodside, CA
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Author's Reply
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Aug 6, 2007 - 04:28pm PT
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You guys are very kind. Thank you for your advice, encouragement and support.
wack-N-dangle wrote "Maybe its easier to accept the "criticism" because of the people/"giants" on this forum that offer it."
It probably is easier. However, over the years I discovered (sometimes, the hard way) that receiving and taking to heart *constructive* feedback from ANYBODY who is willing to offer it is an extremely valuable tool for one's development. Receiving accolades and kudos is great and rewarding, but it is criticism from which I learn best. IMHO, starting to get defensive about genuine and good hearted opinions accomplishes nothing positive. At the end of the day, I am pragmatic. Sharing my photos with other people is one of the major reasons why I photograph. If I don't listen to what others think about my work, I would take a lot longer to improve my skills. I would also disrespect the time that these people put into responding to my work. I don't want that to happen, ever.
Yesterday, right around sunset, I flew over Dusy Basin on the way home from Vegas. It is an incredible sight from 30,000'.
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climbera5
Trad climber
Sacramento
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Fantastic shots Misha! Now you have me interested in knowing how to get more out of my Rebel XT. Any suggestions on resources so I can learn more?
Thanks again for posting. Its an inspiration.
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diggler
Trad climber
Frisco, CA
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Beaut' pics, Misha (like usual). Looks like a sick ridge! You should give the Fishhook Arete a try- looks similar, & an amazing climb (obviously a little more crowded :)
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freeforfall
Trad climber
Auburn, CA
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yeah, great shots, just ease off on the photoshop a bit
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Misha
Trad climber
Woodside, CA
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Author's Reply
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Aug 7, 2007 - 03:27pm PT
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climbera5 wrote "Any suggestions on resources so I can learn more?":
Hmm - lots of suggestions. First of all, I'd recommend to get really familiar with the concepts of aperture, shutter speed and depth of field if you're not already. Your Rebel XT is a powerful camera and you can get pretty good results with its more advanced features. Then, train your composition eye. Googling "Rule of thirds" is a good way to start. Of course, rules are meant to be broken occasionally :). I can't stress enough that in order to get better photos more consistently, you need to shoot a lot. More photos you take, better is your chance to get better ones. Shooting more photos also speeds up your "training" process. Then, comes equipment. For landscape and, in some cases, climbing photography, I found circular polarizing and graduated neutral density filters to be indispensable. However, be careful and try not to overdue the filter effect (I am guilty of it occasionally). Good tripod is a must too. Look at other photographers' work and get inspired! I look forward to seeing your photos on ST!
Dirk - it is nice to hear from you. Fishhook is high on my list. Hopefully, this season :)
freeforfall - thanks for your feedback; I know where you're coming from. I am not sure if you read through this thread, but I am not increasing colors in Photoshop. Normally, I use my PS automations for sharpening and contrast. However, I will be tweaking my camera and filter settings to make photos slightly less saturated. This time, some of them may have been pushed a bit out of the realm of common man's perception of reality by my aggressive use of polarizers and some camera settings. But then, what's reality? It is in the eye of the beholder :)
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Cool thread and beautiful pictures.
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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What a set of pics!
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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I'm glad this resurfaced . . . sweet TR! My first true experience in the Sierra was on a backpacking trip through Dusy Basin at the ripe old age of thirteen . . . a sacred place if there ever was one.
Thanks!
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susu
climber
East Bay, CA
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Old report but timeless photos...beautiful!
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Thanks for the bump! Great photos of a magical place, thanks for sharing.
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