Poole Power Plant Road

Poole Power Plant Road is a turnoff off of Highway 120 outside of Yosemite on the eastern side. This road leads to Poole Power Plant with several campgrounds along the way. Lee Vining Creek borders the dirt road a good distance, with a few cascades and waterfalls near campgrounds. Aspens in this area can be quite vibrant.

I had explored this road before and had good impression then. This time, peak foliage had come and gone, although there still were some bright spots. Foliage near the waterfalls was also not as vibrant as I recalled, potentially due to the drought. I returned to this road at night trying to paint a beautiful aspen stand along the road. Being in the woods at night alone in pitch dark was a bit eerie especially when hearing coyotes or some wild animals howling in the distance. My desire to experiment with my photographic vision won out and I spent more than a half hour here at night. I managed a few shots, although painting such a large stand of aspens probably could use more light sources, and certainly more people.