hiking

,

Last of the Fall

,

Its the time of the year that I start working on the photography calendar. I have had plenty of adventures this year yielding many keepers, despite the fact that I was bedridden for about half the year. That said, I had to revisit the archives to get a bit of variety.

That opened up the choices quite a bit more, and I had to make many difficult decisions to keep some and discard others. This was one of those that I had to discard from the 2025 calendar. I still like the image for what it captures: a slice of the fall in the mountains in the North Cascades. Clumps of short blueberry add vibrant reds and oranges to the subalpine meadows in this fragile landscape dominated by glaciated mountain peaks. It lasts but for a very short time, but it leaves an impression like no other.

North Cascades National Park
WA USA

Meltwater

The spring thaws in the mountains bring about unpredictable dangers in the mountains. The warming temperatures thin the ice on frozen lakes, while meltwater gushing under snowbridges start weakening them. Cornices and avalanche slabs start to lose their strength and easily give way under the weight of a backcountry skier. All of these make it more challenging to traverse snow-capped mountain ranges in this transitional period.

And just like this picture, while it may seem like a pristine winter wonderland, the hidden dangers lay beneath the surface during spring.

Inyo National Forest
CA USA

A Blissful State

I always build time into my hike for a moment of self reflections. Being so high in the mountains, where the air is thin, and views stretch for miles, offers one a wonderful opportunity for slowing down, and evaluating not only oneself, but the life around them. Whether it be spending the moment to take in the scenery and admire nature, or to introspect about your part in the wider community, the moment of zen is critical to appreciating the reason to get outdoors. Even if you are with friends, it pays to take time off to de-stress in nature

Here was a group doing this high in the Cascades.

North Cascades National Park
WA USA

Nature's Palette

This crisp fall day out in the Pacific Northwest showcases the best of nature's color palette: blue skies with the right amount of haze, a foreground of vibrant reds amidst lush green vegetation interspersed by the dark green of the conifers and the emerald blues of an alpine lake. The balmy temperatures and the receding scent of a misty morning proved to be the perfect antidote for a stressful week. And even though I was huffing and puffing my way up there, the airy views of the sublime PNW scenery more than made up for it.

North Cascades National Park
WA USA

Summer in Rainier

Summer hiking in Mount Rainier can take one from lush old-growth lowland forests to subalpine wildflower meadows and to the high alpine reaches strewn with old volcanic debris. It is one of the few places in the world where you can experience the varied ecology of all the three life zones within just a few miles. No wonder crowds of tourists throng the Park in the summer.

It was for this reason that the Park instituted a reservation system to control the visitation numbers, and ensure that the fragile ecology is preserved for a long time to come.

Reservations open up 3 months in advance. Make sure to snag one to capture the beauty of summer in Mount Rainier. Read more about it here.

Mount Rainier National Park
WA USA

Guatemala for the Adventure Seeker

From standing close enough to erupting volcanoes where you can feel the earth shudder with every eruption, to being high in the mountains above a cloudforest, I found so many choices for adventure travel in Guatemala. And complementing the travel options was the variety of food options to satisfy every gourmand's palate.

This was truly a destination that rewards the curious explorer.

Guatemala

Winter escapes

In a PNW winter, the high summits of the Cascades or the Olympics beckon us to hike through wooded lowland trails, cross deep banks of snow, traverse icy ridges and reach rocky summits. And if you are lucky, you would be the first person of the day to break trail. When the conditions are right, the PNW rewards you with a remarkable experience: traversing through powder snow under bluebird skies to guide you to panoramic vistas of icy peaks, sun-kissed summits and rocky ridges. Higher up, conical edifices of conifers that braved the winter storms dot the soft embankments of white, resembling ancient creatures traversing slowly through the snow.

This year is quite unlike any other. With higher than average temperatures, the snowline and snowpack have receded to historically unprecedented levels. Whether it is a temporary quirk of nature or a symptom of a longer-term climactic pattern, the coldest month in the PNW has proved not to be. So here are scenes from prior years of the blue and white jewels of the PNW.

National Parks of Washington
USA

The high Caucasus

In August of this year, I found myself wandering through the Svaneti region of northern Georgia (the country). This mountainous province, landlocked within the high mountains of the Caucasus range, was a delight to explore. Snow-capped peaks towering over 15000ft lined the northern border of the country, interspersed by massive glaciers and alpine landscapes. This was the region that put Georgia on the prominent circuits of the European hiking community. And after spending a few days here, I could understand why.

Here is one of the mountain passes I summited during a 4-day trek in the Svaneti region, and is the featured image for August in my 2024 photography calendar. You can purchase my 2024 calendar at this link. And as before, all proceeds get donated to the Sierra Club Foundation.

Svaneti
Georgia

Winter Wonderland

With 2024 just a month away, I decided to pencil some time to create a calendar that captured memorable places that I had the opportunity to explore over the last 12 months. They predominantly feature scenes from the Pacific Northwest which I am blessed to call as home. But it also includes many places off the beaten track for most, including the remote National Park of the American Samoa, the Caucasus mountains of Georgia and the swamps of Congaree.

And as I do every year, I want to dedicate this calendar to the incredible people at the Sierra Club Foundation which helps protect our public lands and waters. All proceeds will be donated to this organization so that their journey can continue. You can buy this calendar at this link.

This image that you see is the January photo of the calendar.

Tahoma State Forest
WA USA