I had another awesome little trip up to Tuolumne last week. Its been so nice getting to spend some more time up there this year after hardly getting any time up there last year. It truly is one of the most beautiul paces on earth, and feels like home to my heart like no other place. I’m really getting inspired about my nature work again, and want to spend as much time as I can in Yosemite, Tuolumne, and the High Sierra mountains this year soaking up their goodness and hopefully bringing back images to share that love with you.
Hope you’re having a wonderful day,
My friend Kevin loves to paint by the river, and I love to accompany him to beautiful places in nature and just be, or walk around, listen to the birds, go swimming, play guitar, whatever; but I always love capturing images of him creating art. He has a special energy that comes through in his art. Its very alive. You should definitely check his work out.
One day we hiked up to find this lake Kevin had seen on a map under the east face of Johnson Peak. It looked like we might get some afternoon thundershowers, so we made sure to bring our Gore Tex jackets; not something us Sierra minimalists used to dreamy Sierra weather often bring. After almost 2 hours of hiking we found the lake! It’s so beautiful up there and was perched up in this high basin that had great views all around, but as you can see the clouds were starting to build.
That lit up rock pillar way out in the distance is something we refer to as Minas Tirith. A super cool prow in a remote basin where Kevin did a rad sculpture last year.
We looked in all directions and rather quickly the thunderheads were starting to build all around us. And then we heard the first big BOOM!!! We were up pretty high with no cover and lots of granite all around us.
We decided it was really time to high tail it and get out of there as the thunder and lightening started pounding. So we started running thinking it was coming from the south and we might be able to outrun it.
Our hearts were pumpin pretty good as we raced down this long meadow filled corridor of granite. Kevin’s look says it all on how we were feeling; WHOOOOA, this is gonna be a dusy!!!!!
So we kept running trying to get to lower elevations off the ridge top.
But a beautiful field of Lupines sure has a way of making a couple of artists stop dead in their tracks and commence shooting pictures, even with pure blackness at their backs.
As we were having fun taking pictures in the lupines, the storm was building behind us and little did we know what we in store for.
Right after this last picture it started raining so hard I had to put the camera away. We ran/speed hiked till we were off the high plateau and into the trees, and the thunder and lightening was pounding all around us. Its the first time in years I’ve gotten caught out in a storm like that, and there was a part of me that was definitely scared, even though I genuinely felt in my heart that everything would be alright. After an hour and a half of hiking in the all out pouring rain and hail with thunder and lightening all around us, we made it back safely, albeit soaking wet like we had jumped in the river with all our clothes on. What an adventure!!!
The next day Kevin was back enjoying one if his favorite past times, painting by the river.
I love his river paintings.
One day I went down into Tenaya Canyon to these awesome granite bowls where the river flows down in these beautiful cascades. I absolutely love this area.
I ran into my good friend Doug Robinson again and this time he was on his way to the Palisades with his kids and some friends. They stopped in Tuolumne for a little climbing and bouldering and it was fun to hang out with them. Here’s Doug and his son Tory bouldering on perfect Tuolumne amazingness. Tory’s a great climber!!
Must take after his dad.
Got to go on a new hike down Yosemite Creek that was gorgeous. Ever wandered what it looks like looking down the world’s 3rd tallest waterfall?
I also got to hang out with a really cool family that I know from working in Tuolumne for years. I hiked out to the top of Yosemite Falls with them one day, and we shared a nice sunset this evening.
Gotta love Tuolumne. I sure do. The simple life in nature’s grand beauty.
