In late October ’99 I spent 5 days shooting in the Eastern Sierra. Traveling for the full trip with Southwest photographerSteve Kossackand film Director / CameramanChris Sandersonwe covered over 1,300 miles and visited Mono Lake, fall colour locations in the Sierra including the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Death Valley and Yosemite National Park. 

Each of the sections below contains a single image and brief introduction to the location.Click on the section titlesto see additional photographs from each area as well as travel information.

All photographs on these pages, unless indicated otherwise, were taken with aRollei 6008camera system on Fuji Provia 100 film.

The June Lake Loop

Barren Tree, 1999

The June Lake Loop is found just south of the town of Lee Vining on Hwy 395. This is where Highway 120 and the  Tioga Pass lead out of Yosemite National Park.  It is one of the Eastern Sierra’s most famous fall colour locations.

Route 168

Aspens #1, Route 168, October 1999

At the base of the Sierra in California on Highway 395 lies the town of Bishop. Running west out of Bishop into the mountains is Route 168. This short road features some of the finest locations for shooting fall colour in the entire country.

Mono Lake

Mono Lake Sunrise, 1999

I’ve read about and seen photographs of Mono Lake for years but my travels never took me to that part of California. This year I vowed that I would shoot there, and I managed to photograph both a sunset and a sunrise a couple of days apart.

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

Bristlecone Pine, 1999

About 15 miles south of Bishop is Big Pine California. Here Hwy 168 continue to the east and in few miles leads to the road to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. At the end of the road lies the Patriarch Grove at some 11,320 feet of altitude. These trees are among the oldest living things on earth. Some have been dated as more than 4,000 years old. One of the most surreal landscape on the planet.

Death Valley

Striped Dunes, 1999

This was my second trip to Death Valley and once again I was enchanted with the beauty of this inhospitable place. We had hoped to photograph the Eureka Dunes and Racetrack area at the north end of the Park but a washed-out road prevented access. Instead we explored some familiar and some new locations.

Yosemite National Park

Half Dome and Tree, 1999

What can one say about Yosemite? This was my first visit there in many years and it didn’t disappoint. We had from sunrise till sunset to shoot in the park. Because the day, in fact the whole week, was clear and sunny there was little to be shot during the main part of the day so we just acted as tourists. But, during sunrise and sunset hours the light was spectacular.