The summer of 2015 was special for me in many ways; the foremost significance was doing one of my longest, and last, backpacks in the Sierra Nevada. I covered 55 miles over a week, hiking solo from one high alpine lake to another in a long circuit that traversed three mountain passes and cut through the famed Evolution and Dusy basin. It was an arduous trek, made even more challenging by the fact that I was all alone (most of the other hikers were PCT through hikers heading in the opposite direction.

Looking back at the photos I took made me realize what a stark contrast the rocky high-alpine climate of the Sierra Nevada was to the lush greenery of the Pacific Northwest. Rugged barren peaks with scant vegetation arose majestically from dark blue alpine lakes, with the moon a lonely dot in the heavily polarized sky. I hope these monotones capture the ethereal beauty of these craggy landscapes.

Kings Canyon National Park
CA USA