Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Hidden Valley Adventure

The other day I got up early and decided to explore the rocks around Hidden Valley. The first shot I took was of this lone pine with the light just beginning to creep up the rocks. I cropped it in linear fashion as in Japanese scroll paintings. The rock formations in Hidden Valley sometimes resemble the fanciful, molten rocks in Chinese paintings, especially if there is early morning mist. I love just clambering around this area, with no real destination, just seeing what I discover as I move about in the chilly morning air. Everything changes as the light gradually floods the nooks and crannies of the canyon. A claret cup cactus previously in darkness is suddenly illuminated. I'll have to return in the Spring when they're blooming. The second shot is a group of boulders that I came upon just before a wash-valley overlook. They appear as if they'd been placed there by unseen hands, a fortification of sorts. The next photo is a panoramic of the wash below and the rocks beyond, looking out towards Ryan Mountain (Click on it and it will expand). The last photo is my interpretation of pine cones in a wash. I call it Pine cone peonies in homage to those masterful Asian painters of the past.

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