Waking up to freezing temperatures, and layering up in the dark to hike up a mountain on a cold morning isn't my idea of fun, but I realized that is what it takes to capture the grand show of colors put up by the vast grove of larches this side of Washington. It was my final morning of the 3-day backpack and my arms and legs were getting sore. I wasn't very hopeful for colors, especially since I heard the winds howl through the night, racing down from the mountains.

Thankfully, as I stepped out, I noticed that the trees had persevered, and most of the needles were still hanging on. I started climbing in the dark, scouting for compositions just as the eastern sky was starting to light up. A few minutes later, I had reached my intended destination for shooting the sunrise. In a few moments, the sun came up from behind the distant hills, lighting up the golden larches in a blaze of fiery glory. As I watched, the glow progressed down the slope towards the lake, and eventually encircled it. The deep red color slowly changed to a vibrant orange and finally turned gold, for which this trail is named after.

I caught this composition just around the moment the glow had spread through the vast bowl covered with larches. And not a moment too soon - the sun disappeared behind a large patch of clouds never to be seen for the next few hours.

Okanagan Wenatchee National Forest
WA USA