California Dreaming

About 15 years ago I was an active participant on a nature photography forum.  One of the other regulars was a California-based photographer who claimed he never left the state to photograph; he said there was no need to go anywhere else, that everything he could ever want as inspiration was available somewhere within the confines of the Golden State.  That made some semblance of sense to me at the time.  After all, I knew that California possessed hundreds of miles of rocky coastline; towering snow-capped mountains; innumerable square miles of desert; countless scenic lakes, rivers and creeks; seemingly endless stands of forest.  But there’s something about seeing–about experiencing–that variety oneself that engenders another level of understanding.  That’s what I hoped to do when I planned my first extended photo trip to California.

Merced River at Sunset, Yosemite National Park, California

Upper Yosemite Falls from Cook’s Meadow, Yosemite National Park, California

My original intention was to go to California–Yosemite National Park, the Eastern Sierra and the coastal redwoods area in extreme northern California–in the spring of last year.  But, for a number of reasons, that didn’t work out.  I had to cancel those plans about 2 1/2 months before the trip–which was to take place in the second half of May–was to begin.  I revived the idea–with the hope of making the journey this year–some time during the fall of 2016 and then more or less firmly committed in the early part of the winter to make it happen in the spring of 2017.

Mono Lake at Sunset, Mono County, California

Pine Trunks, Yosemite National Park, California

As those of you who have been following this blog closely know, I did some shooting in the redwoods country of far-northern coastal California a couple of years ago, as an add-on to a trip to the southern Oregon Coast.  On that trip, I was so close to the coastal redwood groves (less than two hours) that I thought it would be foolish not to experience the towering forests, so I augmented my plans to spend a few days in the area.  I had hoped to catch the rhododendron bloom on that trip, but was too early.  I also experienced almost literally none of the daily fog that I had been told would be ubiquitous among the redwood trunks.

Upper Yosemite Falls Reflections, Cook’s Meadow, Yosemite National Park, California

Grant Lake Overlook at Sunset, Inyo National Forest, California

I wanted to make this trip in the second half of May for two principal reasons:

1. I wanted to spend time in Yosemite Valley when the waterfalls were certain to be running
2. I wanted to give myself a real chance of catching the rhododendron bloom in the redwood groves of the northern coastal region

Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View Black & White, Yosemite National Park, California

Bridalveil Falls, Yosemite National Park, California

I did want to visit the Eastern Sierra region as well–a place I’d never been to previously (I’d been to Yosemite once previously–more than 15 years ago and during one of the worst times to visit the Valley (early September); and, of course, I’d been to the redwoods region in 2015).  I strongly suspected that spring wasn’t the best time for the Eastern Sierra but, much like my 2015 redwoods experience, I figured given how close I’d be, it would be foolish not to include thisvisit, even for just a few days, as part of the itinerary.  (This turned out to be more complicated than I initially anticipated when I first started planning this trip more than two years ago, but I’ll leave that story for another post.)

Dogwoods and Sequoias, Tuolumne Grove, Yosemite National Park, California

Merced River, Sierra National Forest, California

Now, if you know something about the geography of the region, you’re probably thinking something along the lines of:  are you out of your tiny little mind?  The coastal redwoods of northern California, most significantly, are hundreds and hundreds of miles from Yosemite (not to mention the Eastern Sierra).  It’s true; I bit off quite a bit when I planned this itinerary.  I knew that there would be some long drives from place to place and I could have mitigated this tremendously if I’d omitted the redwoods.

Last Light on Half Dome from Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park, California

Cascades Creek Black & White, Yosemite National Park, California

But…if you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time you know that if a place captivates me, even though I don’t see it the first time under the best of conditions, I have a…I’ll be judicious and call it a “tendency” to want to go back.   (Some might describe it as an “obsession,” but that’s neither here nor there.)  In fact, not seeing a place under good conditions makes me more likely to want to return than would otherwise be the case.  This has happened with regard to the Canaan Valley of West Virginia; it was true of Lake O’Hara in Yoho National Park in the Canadian Rockies; why on earth wouldn’t it be true of the redwoods?

Elk, Priaire Creek Redwoods State Park, California

Sentinel Meadow Moonset, Yosemite National Park, California

The plan was to fly out to California (for a variety of uninteresting reasons, this ended up meaning San Francisco, despite the overall lack of convenience of SFO), spend 5-6 days at Yosemite, then drive to the town of Lee Vining, in the Eastern Sierra, and from there to Crescent City in Del Norte County and finally back to the Bay Area to fly home.  As I mentioned earlier, that’s a lot of driving from place to place.  I’d planned to spend a minimum of three nights in each shooting location so, I told myself, the place-to-place driving wouldn’t be too onerous.  Right.

El Capitan Meadow, Yosemite National Park, California

Deer, Sentinel Meadow, Yosemite National Park, California

The truth is, I knew that the long drives would be grueling.  But, once I’d gotten it in my head where I would go on this trip I simply wasn’t willing to give up on any of the locations.  I was committed to them.  Or ought to be committed somewhere.  Or something.

Merced River, Mist Trail, Yosemite National Park, California

Foresta Falls Black & White, Yosemite National Park, California

So, I returned to the redwoods in the hopes of catching the rhododendrons…and fog.  (Spoiler alert:  I ultimately got both.)

Rhododendrons and Redwoods in Fog, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, California

Bridalveil Falls from Bridalveil View, Yosemite National Park, California

So, in the coming weeks I’ll chronicle the trip, with the occasional interruption for some thematic thoughts about the experience.  I hope you’ll come along for the ride.

Snag in Snow Black & White, Red Lake Vista, Inyo National Forest, California

Dogwood Branch, Tenaya Creek, Yosemite National Park, California

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