alpenglow

A New Winter

The winter has been slow to come by in the Pacific Northwest in 2023. A warmer than usual winter meant that snow fell instead as rain, and the precipitation has been lower than expected for this time of the year (60% of normal). The last week saw the first major winter storm to hit the mountains, coating the Cascades with the light layer of fluffy snow.

I managed to make one last hike out here before the holidays hoping to catch alpenglow on a snow-covered Mt Shuksan. This was one of the compositions I made while freezing out on a mountain-top.


Happy New Year. And here is to hoping 2024 is just as colorful.


Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA

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A cap on Mount Tacoma

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Happy New Year Folks
Over the last few weeks, I have been traveling outside of my PNW home, and what I had been missing the most is seeing the snow-capped summit Mount Tacoma rising above the cityscape of Seattle. There are quite a few places in Seattle to capture this iconic scene. A popular one is in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle, which is my go-to choice for shooting sunset. This time, however, I chose to head to a different park to capture the last light on Rainier

Seattle
WA USA

A National Park Journey - Denali National Park

NP20 - Denali.jpg

I saw that etched on a keychain in a souvenir shop outside Denali National Park. When I asked the store owner about the significance of that ratio, I was told that 70% of the tourists who visit the park do not get to see the famed peak. Whether it was true or not, the ratio kept repeating in my head as I sat on the park bus trundling closer and closer to the peak, and it left me wondering whether I would get to see it. The incessant clouds and moody grey skies on that day certainly didn't help. The sky never let up that entire day, and even though I could catch partial glimpses of the snow-covered slopes, it was never visible in its entirety. I went to sleep with a heavy heart, hoping the weather would improve tomorrow.

I still don't remember why I woke up that early, after just 4hours of sleep, but I did, and when I stepped out of the tent into the freezing cold, Denali was there in its entirety. The deep pink light of the rising sun shone on a vast swatch of the glaciated slopes, with the broad summit barely visible. I considered myself lucky to see the peak bathed in such heavenly light.

I would continue to see the summit for the rest of the day, but I do hope to return back and explore more of the amazing backcountry of this park.

Denali National Park
AK USA

The High Peak

There is a reason Mt Shuksan, the High One, is named as so. Even though it is not the tallest peak out there, it does tower over the snow-covered rocky landscape of the North Cascades. From this vantage point, one can spy the numerous blue glaciers descending its rocky slopes, and is one of the last peaks to catch the light of the setting sun.

Normally, a clear day like this usually ends with a beautiful alpenglow on the summits of the highest peaks of the Cascades. With that expectation, I waited out an entire day in the freezing cold hoping to catch alpenglow on this peak, but my luck ran out a few minutes after this shot was taken. And after I took a few moments to enjoy the last light, I had to rush back to the car (an hour of snowshoeing) before the early darkness set in.

Mt Baker Wilderness

WA USA

Sunrise in Glacier Peak Wilderness

Every year, I create a landscape photography calendar from images taken in that year. Typically it is a mix of imagery from public lands and wilderness areas from all over the country, interspersed with a few from my international travels taken that year. However, this year is not quite like the others. My travel, like those of many others, had been restricted in the first half, and even in the second half, had been careful adventures into public lands around me.

Hence, I chose to focus on the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, and realized that this tiny corner had so much to offer even to the novice explorer. Hence the National parks and wilderness areas of the state of Washington, Oregon and Idaho feature predominantly on the 2021 Calendar. It is still in the works, and this is one of the images that will be featured in the calendar.

Glacier Peak Wilderness

WA USA

The Fleeting Summer

These are the reasons I love the North Cascades: the vista of endless snow-capped peaks catching the last light of the sun, with many such spots within an easy day's hike of civilization, as well as places to escape into the remote wilderness where you are unlikely to meet a soul.

The price to pay is the incredibly short summer season where many such places are actually accessible, and makes you realize the real value of time. I find the opportunity cost that you pay of working full time is the limited window of a few weekends when you can really explore the PNW Wonderland, while balancing familial and social commitments, as well as travel urges to places outside the northwest. The pandemic this year has made things more challenging for all, but it gave more time to explore local destinations which have become more crowded than prior years.

I have often wished whether I could change that balance and adjust the trade-offs, but so far, it has proved challenging.

Mt Baker Wilderness
WA USA

Granite Wonderland

I had stumbled upon this esoteric wilderness destination while sightseeing on Google Maps: a land of glistening blue lakes wrapped by granite monoliths in the least populated states of the country. I had docked the thought in my mind, and never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I'd actually get to visit this unspoilt backpacking destination.

It happened in the summer of 2015, as I was scouting for locations that did not require an advanced permit to visit, and realized that this backcountry was one of those destinations. But getting there wasn't going to be easy: a flight to Salt Lake City followed by a 5hr drive to a frontier town that was a last outpost of civilization, and a 15mi hike to the heart of the wilderness area in conditions that were nothing short of miserable.

But once the skies cleared and the sun shown, the vastness of the landscape oozed with an inescapable and indescribable beauty like no other.

I hope to return back to this remote backcountry area just to explore it's nooks and crannies once again.

Bridger Teton National Forest
WY USA

One for the Earth

No day passes without news about the endless reckless pillage of the resources of the single planet that currently sustains life. And while that wanton destruction can be gut-wrenchingly painful, I am glad that we have set aside areas for protecting for the future generation. It requires a foresight for selflessness that is hard to find in a society that values short term gains over long term prudence. Let Earth day be a reminder to appreciate this clairvoyance and sense of conservation.

After all, we have but one Earth. Lets take one for the planet. Donate to your favorite earth-friendly non-profit, volunteer with your local charities, or do one little act that will help preserve the delicate balance of nature.

Sabrina Lake Basin

Bishop CA

True Love

The red I seek is not of a rose, but the red alpenglow of a snow-capped peak.
The rose I see is not of a Rosé, but of the pink hues reflecting in a gurgling mountain creek.
The green I seek is not of a lovely salad, but of the vibrant green alpine meadow
The love I seek is not of humankind, but of the great wild outdoors, of towering mountaintops, of glistening lakes, of dramatic glaciers, of lush forests, of unspoilt nature.

This is the love I seek every day, not just during heart day

What's your true love?

Altyn Arashan
Karakol Kyrgyzstan


Seeking Light

There are times when light lines up. And when that happens in the mountains, it can lead to an explosion of color like nothing else. And as a photographer, you have to be at the right place at the right time to capture nature's showtime.

I was fortunate to be at the right place to capture this one. The summer days in the Canadian Rockies, during the week I spent exploring the nooks and crannies of the montane terrain, were 16 hour long days filled with vibrant moments like these inbetween long periods of cloudy weather. But these vivid interludes more than made up for the exhausting week in the beautiful Rockies.

Saskatchewan Crossing

AB Canada