I have wanted to go to the Eastern Sierras and Alabama Hills to photograph and hike for a long time. I got the opportunity in October of 2025 and couldn’t wait to be in this landscape. High desert… soaring snow covered peaks… alpine lakes… incredible rock formations. We saw it all. These are the same mountains that hold incredible places like Yosemite NP, Kings Canyon NP, and Sequioia NP.  And on the eastern side they present a formidable, steep, rugged range of mountain faces to the valley below.

We explored the Alabama Hills. We hiked long trails to beautiful alpine lakes over 10,000 feet.  We drove the Jeep over a narrow twisting mountain pass deep into the Sierras.  And we witnessed stunning bright yellow cottonwood and aspen trees in full autumn color. And, to make the trip just simply perfect, it had snowed a week before we arrived.  It was the largest October snow in the Sierras in a decade.  It made the photography even more enjoyable!

Alabama Hills

At the foot of the exposed Eastern Sierra Crest, staring at Mount Whitney, and outside the small town of Lone Pine, is a stunning playground of rocks called the Alabama Hills. Because of its beautiful unique landscape, it has been the filming location for more than four hundred movies, mostly westerns. The rock formations are incredible. The dawn light before sunrise is magical. And the alpenglow, as it touches the tips of the Sierra Crest, takes your breath away.

Tempest

We stood on the desert valley floor, comfortable in the warm early morning air. We stood in awe of the raging weather that hugged the crest of the Sierras. We saw lightning strike from one granite peak to another, heard amazing thunder echo down the mountains, and counted ourselves lucky that we switched our hike in the mountains to the day before!

The High Country

When I think of the Sierra Mountains, I think of the high country… alpine lakes, grey granite peaks, deep blue sky, and the cool thin air with the strong warm sun that you only feel at higher altitudes. I could spend a lifetime hiking and photographing here and never get bored. It has been called the “Range of Light” and for good reason. The granite peaks seem to glow with light at certain times

A Matter Of Minutes

One of the most enjoyable experiences on this trip was to arrive in a location well before first light and then watch the changes come over the landscape. I loved the muted blues and magentas of dawn (first light) best of all. But who could resist the excitement of alpenglow as the first tinges of pink and orange touched the peaks when the sun rose. It happened quickly. The two images below were made less than 30 minutes apart.

Sierra Autumn

I planned the trip for October simply because that is when it best fit my schedule this year. It was only after I started planning the detailed locations that I realized we might see some autumn color. And we certainly did! The bright yellow leaves of the Cottonwood and Aspen trees lit up the surroundings. And depending on the altitude, we were treated to full color, the browns of past peak, and even some completely bare trees. In fact, it seemed to change each day we were there.

Additional Images

And finally, a few more images I couldn’t let waste away on my hard drive without them being seen and enjoyed… even if only by me. They represent a cross section of our trip and a few are some of my favorites - they just didn't fit neatly into a category or the sequencing on the page.