The picture here provides a sense of the general terrain. (The ridge is the Sierra crest at New Army Pass, about 12,200'. Note the horses heading up the trail my brother and I were descending.)
Now, here are several close-ups of a variety of wildflowers growing along these granite slopes. (Full disclosure: several of these images were taken about 500-700' below where I stood while taking the picture above.)
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2 comments:
There's something very heartening about those wildflowers growing through the granite. Kind of like the flower in the crannied wall.
I had no idea the eastern Sierras were so desolate -- all the rain falls on the western slopes?
@jovaliquilts: Yes, the eastern Sierra (and the Owens Valley, White Mountains, Death Valley and Nevada deserts to the east) are in the Sierra "rain shadow." So the east side is much drier than the west side. In addition, much of the eastern Sierra is above the tree-line. At these elevations (above 11,500' or so) all you generally see (unless you look closely, of course) are rock and snow.
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