View from Pinchot Pass

A panoramic view shows a deep blue alpine lake nestled among rugged, rocky mountains with patches of snow under a bright blue sky with scattered white clouds. This is the view from Pinchot Pass.

Mid-morning in the High Sierra, and the sun was already high, illuminating the peaks and the vibrant turquoise of the lake. I was hiking a ridge above the lake, looking for a good vantage point to capture the scale of the landscape.

Sierra Nevada, California · 2026