Fine Art Photography Blog

High above the (somewhat amorphous) timberline, as the map below attests, and toward the northeastern end of Granite’s ridge, we can see a neighboring peak sticking up on the far side of the valley. This mountain ( possibly Mount Catherine, but probably not ) was only beginning to take on the winter’s snow cover when I shot this photo on November 1 - things have changed, and quickly.

I’ve returned three times to Granite Mountain in November and December, each time stopping further from the summit. The most recent trip ended abruptly at an avalanche chute at the lower edge of the timberline. Another hiker decided to chance a crossing, but your correspondent thought this was sheer madness, and opted for safety in the trees.

The sky is very much blown-out ( overexposed ) in the photo above. Partly this is the photographer’s fault, for making this exposure at the wrong time of day under the wrong lighting. Some blame goes to the camera, however; Garmin’s GPS camera Oregon 550t has a substandard dynamic range. This isn’t much of a surprise, and a “real” camera is obviously preferable, but also heavy.