The Eastern Sierra escarpment is a dramatic example of plate tectonics in action. As the Farallon and North American plates collided millions of year ago, they caused a mighty mountain range, the Sierra Nevada to rise dramatically above the surrounding landscape. Perhaps nowhere in the Eastern Sierra is this uplift more obvious than in Lone Pine, where the mountains rise over 10,800 ft from the valley floor to the very highest peaks above. The towering mountains are made even more dramatic thanks to the sense of scale provided by the Alabama hills sitting just above the valley floor. This is a view that I never get tired of, even after years of living in Lone Pine. No matter where I travel in the world, I always relish my first morning after returning to Lone Pine. When I wake up look at these massive mountains stretching heavenward above the trees, buildings, roads, and sometimes even clouds themselves, it never ceases to provide me with a feeling of grandeur and awe.

On this particular morning I felt especially uplifted as a clearing winter storm left the mountains coated with a fresh coat of white. Stunningly beautiful cloud inversions danced around the tops of the mountains, and as the rising sun illuminated the scene, I knew that a special moment was at hand. Standing on the roof of my truck in order to get the exact composition that I wanted, I extended the legs of my tripod, carefully aligned my camera, and captured this scene.