Little Lakes Valley is a wonderful place located at the end of Rock Creek Road in the Eastern Sierras. It is a popular hiking area with a relatively small parking area so getting there early is a premium. We arrived at the 10,000 ft elevation of the parking lot well before sunrise. The stars were absolutely sparkling in their brilliance. Or goal was to be at one of the lakes before sunrise so we would be assured of still, mirror-like surfaces to capture a reflected sunrise on the peaks. We didn't take into consideration that the uphill trail would be covered in ice, so our assent to the lakes was slowed. We were at this little viewpoint as the first light began illuminating the peaks in the distance. As you can see we were standing on frozen ground to get this image. We grabbed this shot and then we were off to the lake.
My intention was to first photograph Marsh Lake and the go on to Heart Lake, but in the dark I missed the turnoff to Marsh Lake (things looks so much different in the dark), and we ended up instead on the shore of Heart Lake, just in time to capture some early morning reflections.
It is mostly an uphill hike to these first lakes and then the valley seems to level off. I have never been farther than Heart Lake and would love to return to this beautiful valley to explore the rest of it.
Gorgeous photos. I admire your commitment to getting up early to get the shot.
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