Usually, fires in the Eastern Sierra are devastating events.  Not this one.  We were in the lower Owens Valley around sunset.  There was a storm breaking up and the clouds were still clinging to the mountain tops.  The clouds were beautiful, but I thought that they would prevent the clouds from changing color after sunset.

It turns out I was wrong.  Incredibly happy to be wrong mind you.  Just after sunset there appeared a gap between the mountains and the clouds.  A gap that let the golden hour light through.  It created this amazing, layered image with:

·       Dark clouds on top

·       Blazing orange clouds underneath

·       Snow covered mountains poking through

·       Brown, dry hills at the bottom

We had already driven past a couple of beautiful scenes, but we had to stop to capture this one. 

Later along the way just south of the turnoff for Lake Isabella there were these amazing orange God rays that seemed to last forever.  We did not stop for that one although we should have. But the memory of those God rays still resonates in my memories.

I am so glad we stopped for this one though!