This old snag was totally amazing. It should be the photo in the dictionary next to the word gnarly.
Bristlecone Pine Snag
Bristlecone Pines
The Ancient Bristlecone Forest is in the White Mountains north of Death Valley at an elevation of about 10,000′. The oldest living tree is located in the area (exact location withheld to protect it from the stupid). I find the bristlecones to be amazing in their forms and awe inspiring in their adaptability. The variation in growth pattern is pretty incredible and extremely photogenic. If I seem excessive in my description, I would suggest that you visit them and see if you can remain unmoved. They are truly a marvel.
Mt Williamson From Manzanar
2021-04 Trip Photo Notes B&W 1
After coming down from the Bristlecone Forest, we stopped in at Manzanar so that I could get a photo of Mt WIlliamson and the clouds. Manzanar was one of the Japanese Internment Camps during World War II and I had visited a couple times before. The photo was taken by the cemetery, which sits in the back of the camp area.
Ansel Adams took one of his most famous photos of Mt Williamson from Manzanar during his documentation of the camp during the war. His location was slightly different than mine, he had a boulder field in the foreground. I liked the way the cloud line followed the line of the ridge and summit.
Spring Storm over the Sierras
After leaving Fort Churchill, Nevada, I traveled south down Hwy 95 to Beatty where I cut across Death Valley National Park to Lone Pine. The highway cuts across the Valley at Stovepipe Wells and crosses two passes before dropping down to the Owens Valley near Owens Lake (the water having been appropriated years ago by L.A. … see the movie “Chinatown”). The spring storm that provided snow to the upper elevations of the Sierras was hitting the range just as I dropped down to cross the Owens Valley to the town of Lone Pine, California. It was quite dramatic. I noticed other photographers stopped as I hunted for a good viewpoint where it was safe to pull over.
Amargosa Hotel
Outside the eastern boundary of Death Valley National Park is the Death Valley Historic District and the Amargosa Hotel. The hotel is a small establishment that doesn’t provide a lot of onsite entertainment. There is a coffee shop across the parking lot, but the menu is limited. There are a lot of rooms that are not available due to a lack of enough business to pay for the refurbishing and maintenance. The highlight of the area is the old Opera House … and the painted walls and ceiling that tells the story of the once thriving mining district community. Access to the Opera House is by tour only.
