The Old Cypress
An old, gnarled monterey cypress grows along the cliffs of Point Lobos State Reserve.
Recently California and the West have been suffering through long hots spells. Fortunately, I live close enough to the coast that I can get over there on the worst days. I knew it was going to be hot so I got up early and drove to Point Lobos just south of Carmel, where I found thick fog and temperatures in the upper 50s. Typically that fog pulls back from the coast pretty quickly on the hot days, but this time it stuck around in to the afternoon. I spent the morning hours photographing here before heading back into the furnace!
This is a fascinating specimen of Monterey cypress, a tree that is native here and only a couple of other locations. At Point Lobos many of them grow along the edges of steep cliffs, and this old tree is hanging onto its perch seeming by a thread.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
The Old Cypress
An old, gnarled monterey cypress grows along the cliffs of Point Lobos State Reserve.
Recently California and the West have been suffering through long hots spells. Fortunately, I live close enough to the coast that I can get over there on the worst days. I knew it was going to be hot so I got up early and drove to Point Lobos just south of Carmel, where I found thick fog and temperatures in the upper 50s. Typically that fog pulls back from the coast pretty quickly on the hot days, but this time it stuck around in to the afternoon. I spent the morning hours photographing here before heading back into the furnace!
This is a fascinating specimen of Monterey cypress, a tree that is native here and only a couple of other locations. At Point Lobos many of them grow along the edges of steep cliffs, and this old tree is hanging onto its perch seeming by a thread.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.