In the last 6 months I've done quite a lot of driving between Ely and Elko. We haven't had as much snow as normal, so the drives haven't been too much more than long (knock on wood). There was about one real snow storm I went through with a colleague, the kind that reminds you that this is HIGH desert, as the drive down was clear and beautiful- and the return trip was heavy snow with several inches on the ground. (Oh dear. Where is my carhart?!)
That trip, combined with several little jaunts up to Harrison Pass, made me want to capture the feeling of snow falling on Aspen trees. Specifically trees which still had their fall leaves. If you've ever camped amongst Aspen, you know the leaves softly hitting each other sound like a gentle rain. I wanted that feeling and the gentle hush of the snow falling. The contrast of the fall yellow bright color with the white soft and cold snow.
Turns out that when you go into an Aspen grove you can't see the trees for the trees. And they are so overwhelming that when you take photos it just looks like a messy pile of brush. I had a couple nice photos- looking from inside the trees to the landscape in the distance, and down at leaves that had fallen. But generally photos of other vegetation was more naturally artistic to my eye.
As I started heading back to my abode I looked across the valley and found that the grove of trees from a distance was compelling; and passed a cattle ranch which had a flat plain before the Ruby Mtns in the distance.
JAS
