Category: Nikon

Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

On the first night of the Fall Color week-end in the Eastern Sierras my friends and I had very little time to go far to photograph sunset, and it was looking like the sunset might be a pretty one because there were good clouds in the sky.

I knew a spot with a good view of the Minarets that had been a good sunset spot for me in the past, and it was close by so that’s where we headed.

To our delight it was a gorgeous sunset.

The Minarets are the jagged, saw-tooth peaks in the mountains in the heart of Ansel Adams Wilderness. They’re located in a part of the Sierras called Ritter Range. The highest peaks in the Minarets are Clyde at 12, 261ft,  Eichorn at 12,255ft, and Michael at 12,240ft. There are 17 minarets that have been named. They were named after the first mountain climbers to climb the peaks, but in some cases the second mountain climbers name was used to avoid duplication.

For the History Buffs:

“While both Ritter and Banner were climbed in the 19th century, the Minarets did not see activity until the 1920’s. Charles Michael, a Yosemite postmaster, along with his wife Enid were the first to record an ascent in 1923 of Michael Minaret. Over the next ten years most of the remaining minarets were climbed by various parties involving many of the famous climbers of the era, including Norman Clyde, Walter Starr, Jules Eichorn and Glen Dawson, among others. In 1948, Dyer Minaret was the last (and most difficult) of the group to be climbed. In 1933, Walter Starr’s son went missing on a solo trip to the area. An intense search ensued, culminating in the discovery of his fallen body high on the slopes of Michael Minaret. His body was interred where it lay, and still rests there to this day.

Today, there are dozens of routes among the many pinnacles, but the reputation for poor rock quality keeps most enthusiasts away. The picturesque lakes that lie on the approach routes are very popular with backpackers, but only a small portion of the visitors venture to the summits of the Minarets where solitude and a grand sense of adventure are certain to be found.” ~http://www.summitpost.org/minarets/247994

Nikon Df| Nikkor 17-35mm| Delkin Digital Film| Singh-Ray Reverse Grad| Tripod

More to come…

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