High Sierra Nevada

I define High Sierra Nevada as the rugged alpine zone that hugs the crest of California's Sierra Nevada mountain range. This expansive corridor extends for over 250 linear miles—from just north of the Mojave Desert to the southern edge of the Cascade Range—encompassing some of the most iconic high-elevation terrain in the western United States. It includes significant portions of the Inyo and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forests, as well as Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Yosemite National Parks, and the Tahoe Basin.

Characterized by soaring granite spires, glacially carved basins, sparse—often stunted—trees, and alpine meadows, the High Sierra offers a raw, elemental landscape. Much of it lies above 8,000 feet in elevation, and many locations are accessible only by foot, often requiring multi-day wilderness travel far from the nearest road. The photos featured here reflect that remoteness—captured in quiet moments deep in the backcountry where solitude reigns and nature remains largely untouched.

“The mountains are calling, and I must go.”

— John Muir

Glacial Legacy
Strewn across Dana Meadows, glacial erratics stand as testimonies to a vanished ice age, transported and deposited by the immense weight of moving ice. Beyond them, the Cathedral Range pierces the sky—Mount Johnson (left), Unicorn Peak

Storm over Dana and Gibbs
A storm brews over Mount Dana and Mount Gibbs near the eastern side of Yosemite National Park, California, USA

Granite Park Sunrise
At dawn in Granite Park, Inyo National Forest, an unnamed lake sits tranquil in the foreground, dotted with rocky outcrops that break the water's surface. The stillness of the lake contrasts with the dramatic peaks in the backgro

Milky Way and Shooting Star over Granite Park
In the serene expanse of Granite Park, within the John Muir Wilderness of the Inyo National Forest, the Milky Way rises majestically over an unnamed alpine lake, casting a magical reflection on the water'

Granite Park
An unnamed lake in the aptly named Granite Park region. Sunset in the Granite Park, John Muir Wilderness, Inyo National Forest

Resilience
Amidst Granite Giants: A resilient bonsai tree, weathered by the elements, stands defiantly in the cracks of Yosemite’s high country granite. Glacial erratics dot the landscape, while the Cathedral Range looms in the background, framed by

The galactic center of the Milky Way can be seen rising over the Kearsarge Pinnacles in the Kearsarge Lakes Basin. The first Kearsarge Lake can be seen in the foreground reflecting the stars and Pinnacles. The sunlight reflecting from the setting m

Mountain Pride bloom with the Kearsarge Lakes and Kearsarge Pinnacles in the background, Kings Canyon National Park

Alpine Beginnings
Spring arrives late in the upper elevations of the Yosemite High Country. A small grouping of wildflowers signal the start of a very short growing season in the California alpine. This small stream is near Lower Gaylor Lake in the

Wildflowers in the Tuolumne Meadows high country in Yosemite National Park

Storm clouds gather around the Kuna Crest (elv 12,170 ft) with a rainbow. But don't be fooled by the beauty. This was part of a major lighting barrage all over California. Within a 72 hour period, there were nearly 11,000 lghting strikes across th