GODS COUNTRY

Words By Blake

As seen from the edge of Mammoth Mountain, storm light breaks through the clouds lighting up the sky over the Ritter Range. On the Southern end of the range lies the jagged chain of spires known as the Minarets, while further North Mt. Ritter and Banner Peak reach to the heavens. In the heart of the Ansel Adams Wilderness is a skyline like none other. Towering above lush meadows and alpine lakes, the Ritter Range is a classic in the High Sierra. Once a part of Yosemite National Park, the lines were redrawn for mining purposes, until federal protections were eventually put back into place, dedicating the area to a photographer who brought the Sierra to the eyes of the world. Every rock and pine you see in this photograph is now protected in Ansel’s name, a man known for his dramatic black and white images in the early days of the medium. He even fought tooth and nail for museums and galleries to recognize photography as an art-form rather than solely a documentary media. Some of my earliest memories include driving down the precarious road into the valley below, seeing the epic skyline and trekking to the bases of these peaks with my father. My grandfather even visited this place many times throughout his life, exploring these mountains on horseback and fishing its pristine alpine lakes. He spoke of this place as “Gods Country,” so when I captured this fiery sunset scene, I already had the perfect name in mind for this rare once in a lifetime shot.